Somatic Therapy
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to healing that recognizes how stress, trauma, and emotional experiences are held in the nervous system, not just in thoughts or memories. Informed by polyvagal theory, this work helps us understand how your nervous system moves between states of safety, activation, and shutdown in response to life experiences and relationships.
Rather than pushing for insight or change, somatic therapy focuses on slowing down and gently noticing bodily sensations, impulses, and nervous system cues as they arise in the present moment. This approach supports increased regulation, safety, and choice over time. When appropriate, somatic work may be integrated with EMDR-informed practices to support stabilization, pacing, and trauma processing in a way that feels contained and collaborative, especially for clients who experience overwhelm or dissociation.
What this work looks like:
Sessions are paced and collaborative, guided by what feels manageable in the moment
We move slowly enough to notice your nervous system cues without pushing intensity
You remain in control of the process, with regular check-ins and opportunities to pause or shift
Sessions may include reflection, body-based awareness, or gentle tracking of emotions and sensations
The focus is on safety, connection, and integration rather than forcing insight or change
Over time, this approach supports greater trust in your internal signals and a more sustainable healing process
This work is not about forcing exposure or reliving the past, but about creating the conditions where healing can happen safely and at your pace.
Blended Trauma Therapy Approach
My work is integrative, meaning I draw from EMDR, parts-based approaches, and somatic therapy to meet you where you are and respond to what your nervous system needs in the moment. Rather than applying a single method rigidly, we move flexibly, using different tools to support safety, regulation, insight, and healing as they naturally unfold.
EMDR is used to help process traumatic experiences and reduce the emotional charge they carry, while somatic therapy supports awareness of the body and nervous system, helping build stability and capacity before and during deeper work. Parts work offers a compassionate way to understand internal conflicts and protective strategies, recognizing that different parts of you developed for a reason. Together, these approaches allow us to honor both your history and your present experience without forcing change or intensity.
This integrated approach is especially helpful for individuals who feel overwhelmed, shut down, or unsure where to begin. By blending these modalities thoughtfully and at your pace, therapy becomes a collaborative process that prioritizes consent, choice, and nervous system safety. Healing is supported not by fixing or pushing, but by creating the conditions where your system can begin to settle, integrate, and reconnect.
How somatic therapy supports trauma work:
Increasing awareness of nervous system cues that signal activation or shutdown
Expanding the window of tolerance so difficult emotions can be approached with more stability
Supporting grounding and regulation during trauma processing, including EMDR-informed work
Reducing reliance on dissociation, numbing, or over-control as protective strategies
Helping integrate traumatic experiences in a way that feels contained and sustainable
Somatic therapy is not about forcing your body to relax or relive the past. It is about building a safer relationship with your nervous system so healing can unfold at a pace that feels supportive and sustainable.
A safe place to start.
Life can feel heavy at times, and none of us are meant to carry it all alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside you as you find steadiness, clarity, and healing in your own way.