WHAT IS SOMATIC THERAPY?

Stress and trauma affect more than our thoughts. They shape how we feel in our bodies, how we experience the world, and how we respond to ourselves and others. Throughout our lives, our nervous system is continually taking in information from within our bodies and from the world around us, shaping how we perceive, feel, connect, and respond.

Grounded in our understanding of neurobiology, somatic therapy brings attention to these processes. We explore the relationship between bodily sensation, emotion, movement, attention, and the nervous system. By becoming curious about what is happening within us in the present moment, we begin to recognize the patterns through which we experience and navigate the world.

Over time, this awareness can support greater nervous system flexibility, a deeper connection with ourselves, and more freedom in how we meet life's experiences. Somatic therapy supports healing from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression and generalized stress.


BEYOND WORDS: WORKING WITH THE BODY AND NERVOUS SYSTEM

We often make sense of our experiences through words, reflection, and understanding. Somatic work offers another doorway: attending to what is happening within us as we experience it. Our thoughts and stories are part of our experience, but so are the sensations, emotions, impulses, and physiological responses that shape how we move through the world. By bringing mindful attention to these experiences, we can begin to recognize familiar patterns, discover new ways of responding, and develop a deeper relationship with ourselves.

This work can be especially meaningful when stress or trauma has left us feeling disconnected, reactive, or limited in how we navigate life. But somatic work isn't only about addressing what is difficult. It can also deepen our capacity to be present, experience pleasure, meet new experiences with curiosity, and feel more connected to ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Somatic work can complement talk-based approaches, offering another way to explore experiences that may be difficult to put into words. It can also stand on its own, providing space to work directly with bodily sensation, nervous-system responses, and present-moment awareness.

At its heart, this work is about expanding our capacity to experience life more fully—with greater awareness, flexibility, connection, and choice.

WHAT HAPPENS IN A SESSION?

Every person's needs are different, and sessions unfold according to you or your child's unique experiences, needs, and intentions.

Sessions are slow, collaborative, and guided by the body and nervous system. Together, we gently explore sensations, emotions, memories, and intuitive responses in a way that supports regulation and presence. Rather than needing to explain or understand everything through words, we can make room for what is felt, sensed, and experienced in the moment. Over time, this can build the capacity to notice new possibilities, develop resilience, and create meaningful change.

Sessions can take place outdoors, where the natural environment offers opportunities for grounding, sensory awareness, and connection. Imagine walking beneath tall trees, feeling the ground beneath your feet, noticing the rhythm of your breath, and watching sunlight filter through the leaves. The sights, sounds, textures, and rhythms of the natural world can offer gentle points of attention and support a sense of connection with the present moment.

Indoor sessions take place in a cedar wood cabin, with windows overlooking the forest and the sound of birdsong nearby. Whether indoors or outdoors, the setting offers space to slow down, listen inwardly, and explore your experience at a pace that feels manageable.

Nature based somatic therapy brings together our relationship with our bodies and our relationship with the living world. Nature is not simply a backdrop to the work; it can be part of the experience itself, inviting curiosity, sensory engagement, and a renewed sense of belonging.

Through this process, we may explore:
 

• Developing a greater sense of safety, choice, and capacity in your body

• Working with chronic stress, overwhelm, and trauma-related responses

• Strengthening emotional awareness, self-regulation, and resilience

• Cultivating curiosity, presence, and a deeper connection with yourself

• Experiencing greater openness to pleasure, creativity, relationships, and everyday life

• Deepening your relationship with the natural world and your place within it

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING (SE)

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is an evidence-based, body-oriented approach to working with traumatic stress and its effects on the nervous system.

SE emphasizes mindful attention to bodily sensations, imagery, emotions, movement impulses, and shifts in physiological activation. Rather than pushing through difficult experiences, the process allows space to notice and explore them gradually, with attention to pacing and each person's capacity to stay present.

This approach informs how I guide sessions, supporting greater awareness of nervous-system responses and the possibility of developing more flexibility in how we navigate stress, trauma, and daily life.

SE is a foundational element of my work, alongside other approaches that support mindful awareness, embodied experience, and relationship.

SOME OF THE PRACTICES THAT MAY BE PART OF A SESSION

Every session is different. Depending on your needs and interests, our work may incorporate a variety of practices.

Expressive Arts
A multidimensional approach that may include drawing, painting, writing, and movement. Creative expression offers another way to explore emotions, sensations, and inner experience, allowing something to take shape outside of words and opening space for new perspectives and understanding.

Sandplay
Sandplay offers a way to explore inner experience through the creation of a small world in a tray of sand, using miniature figures, natural objects, and symbols. Without needing to explain or plan what is being created, you can give form to feelings, relationships, questions, or experiences that may be difficult to express verbally.

The images and arrangements that emerge can offer a different perspective on your inner world, inviting curiosity, reflection, and the discovery of meaning over time. Sandplay is not about interpreting a scene in a predetermined way; it is about making space for your own experience to unfold and allowing understanding to emerge at its own pace.

Craniosacral Therapy
A gentle, hands-on modality using light touch within a quiet, attentive setting. Sessions invite rest, awareness of bodily sensation, and an opportunity to notice subtle shifts in physical experience. Can be very helpful for migraines, high impact injuries and concussions.

Singing Bowls / Sound Work
Sound-based practices that invite listening, sensory awareness, and relaxation. The tones and vibrations of singing bowls can offer a point of focus, creating space to settle attention and notice the experience of sound in the body.

A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH YOURSELF AND THE WORLD

Somatic work is a process of deepening embodiment and relationship—with yourself, others, and the natural world.
Whether you are navigating stress or trauma, seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, or simply wanting to experience life with greater presence and connection, this work offers an opportunity to slow down, listen, and discover what becomes possible when we make space for our whole experience.