Somatic Experiencing

As humans, we’ve all experienced trauma in some form—whether it’s the subtle, everyday stressors of “small t” trauma, the more significant challenges of “big T” trauma, or the more complex layers of development trauma (C-PTSD). These past experiences, especially those rooted in childhood, can leave you feeling stuck, disconnected, or frozen, making it hard to live fully or reach your highest potential. Even if you can’t pinpoint the exact source of these wounds, they often shape how you see yourself, how you connect with others, and how you move through life.

Research has shown that trauma doesn’t just exist in our minds—it lives in our bodies, deeply rooted in the nervous system. Symptoms like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic stress are often the body’s response to unresolved trauma. Your nervous system plays a key role in determining how you feel, shifting between states of stress (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn) and rest (the parasympathetic “relax and digest” state). When you’re chronically stuck in stress activation, your body begins to signal its need for help through dis-ease, tension, or emotional overwhelm.

Somatic Experiencing Therapy offers a gentle, body-centered path to healing. This trauma-informed approach uses mindful awareness, intentional movement, and nervous system regulation techniques to address stored imprints in the body. Together, we work to process & resolve unresolved trauma, build resilience, and expand your capacity to live with ease, vitality, and confidence.

I am here to hold a supportive, safe, and compassionate space for your healing journey. You have the ability to reconnect with your body’s innate wisdom and transform your life. Your past does not have to define your present. Let’s work together to help you BLOSSOM & THRIVE.

The Approach

Transmute

First, we focus on transmuting the emotions & patterns that no longer serve you. This is a space for release—addressing any emotional, physical, or energetic blockages that have been held in the body/mind.

Integrate

Next, you’ll integrate the shifts & insights—allowing it to settle in your nervous system and strengthen the new neural pathways. It’s where the transformation begins to feel tangible, creating lasting change within.

Embody

The last stretch is fully grounding & embodying these profound shifts within your body and nervous system. With a deeper sense of wholeness, what would it look and feel like if you were living with ease, clarity, and vitality?

  • Somatic Experiencing Therapy is a body-focused therapeutic approach that helps individuals process and heal trauma, stress, and tension stored in the body. It focuses on regulating the nervous system and reconnecting with the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

    Your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) helps maintain the body's homeostasis. It's what allows you to feel calm, connected, anxious, enraged, scared, shutdown, or numb.

    It manages your survival responses that are always present in trauma - Fight/Flight/Freeze/Fawn, operating underneath your conscious awareness and without your direct control.

  • Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on processing experiences through conversation, Somatic Experiencing Therapy works directly with the body. It emphasizes body awareness and physical sensations to release trauma and restore balance in the nervous system.

  • Your past experiences, especially trauma, leave an imprint on your nervous system. These imprints don’t always appear as clear memories in your mind but are often stored as sensations, emotions, or feelings in your body—what we call implicit memory.

    These deeply held patterns shape how your body reacts, how you think, and how you act today. Rather than responding to what’s happening in the present moment, your nervous system relies on past experiences to predict what might happen next. This can create a disconnect between your current reality and how you feel internally.

    Even if your life circumstances have changed, your nervous system may still operate on outdated patterns shaped by trauma. This can create a confusing mismatch—where you consciously know you’re safe, yet your body and emotions tell a different story. It can feel like waiting for something bad to happen, even when everything seems fine on the surface.

    Symptoms like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic stress are not just “in your head.” They are often rooted in the autonomic nervous system, which governs your body’s stress and survival responses. Healing these wounds requires more than understanding them intellectually—it requires working directly with the nervous system to restore balance and connection.

  • This therapy is particularly effective for healing trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and physical tension. It can also help improve emotional regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.

  • Trauma is not just what happened to you; it’s how your mind and body respond to overwhelming experiences. It occurs when something deeply distressing, frightening, or life-changing overwhelms your ability to cope and leaves an imprint on your nervous system.

    Trauma can stem from a single event (like an accident or loss) or ongoing situations (like childhood neglect or chronic stress). It’s important to remember that trauma isn’t defined by the event itself but by how it’s experienced and processed by each individual.

    Trauma often manifests in different ways:

    • Emotionally: Feelings of fear, sadness, anger, or numbness.

    • Physically: Tension, chronic pain, fatigue, or a sense of being disconnected from your body.

    • Behaviorally: Avoidance, difficulty trusting, or being stuck in patterns of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.

    It’s also important to understand that trauma doesn’t have to involve extreme situations to leave a mark. Sometimes, subtle and repeated experiences—like feeling unseen, unheard, or unsupported—can create lasting effects.

  • Not at all! Somatic Experiencing Therapy can benefit anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. It’s not just for healing major trauma; it’s also a powerful tool for managing everyday stress and enhancing self-awareness.

  • Sessions are guided and personalized to your unique needs. You’ll be encouraged to tune into your body’s sensations and movements in a safe and supportive environment. Techniques may include gentle touch, intentional movement, and mindfulness exercises to help release tension and restore a sense of balance.

  • The number of sessions varies depending on your individual goals and needs. Some clients feel significant relief after just a few sessions, while others benefit from ongoing work to address deeper patterns and build long-term resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions