This is how I discovered Somatic Therapy:
After raising my children and making the tough choice to end my 34-year marriage, I was overwhelmed by grief and loss. In starting my healing journey, I immersed myself in Yoga Teacher Training, which led to a deeper connection with my body. Feeling more present in my own skin made me realize that the body is integral to the healing process, not separate from the mind. I learned firsthand that a calm body leads to a calm mind, which fueled my curiosity and desire to make a meaningful contribution to my community.
Conventional methods did not bring me solace or joy. By chance, I stumbled upon Somatic Experiencing and instantly felt a connection. This healing modality became a crucial part of my personal healing journey and inspired me to share this wisdom with others. It sparked a newfound passion to broaden my services and focus on healing developmental trauma. As a Somatic Trauma Therapist, I have certifications in Somatic Experiencing®, Transforming Touch®, and Internal Family Systems Therapy. I offer both in-person and online sessions, creating a nurturing space for healing chronic stress, anxiety, and depression, which may stem from developmental trauma. My passion is to guide people to come into nervous system regulation resulting in a deeper connection to self, body, regaining physical/emotional strength, vitality and capability.
The Transforming Experience-Based Brain® (TEB) model, developed by Dr. Stephen Terrell, emphasizes touch-based regulation, available in-person (Transforming Touch®) or remotely via Zoom (Transforming Intentional Touch®). This innovative approach acknowledges that traditional talk therapy and some somatic methods may not effectively address developmental trauma. By fostering regulation, this model enhances our growth, learning, exploration, and relationships.
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) psychobiological trauma resolution is a potent method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE does not require a traumatized person to re-tell or re-live the traumatic event. Instead it offers the opportunity to complete and resolve - in a slow & supportive way - the body's instinctual fight, flight and freeze responses. This resets the nervous system, restores inner balance, enhances resilience to stress, increases people's vitality, equanimity, and capacity to actively engage in life. I offer an environment of impartial and compassionate supporting a gentle focused awareness of body sensations and where you may be holding survival energy in your body. This is a gentle way to support the nervous system to identify and release trauma energy, that may be held in the body.
Additionally, I am an IFS Informed Therapist, focusing on "parts work" and self-acceptance. Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D., the Founder of the IFS Institute, emphasizes the importance of welcoming all parts without exclusion, promoting a life of curiosity, exploration, and inclusion. My passion lies in facilitating change, transformation, and healing, empowering women to reclaim their vitality in life through Somatic Experiencing, Transforming Touch and IFS parts work.
Trainings:
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
Somatic Resilience and Regulation
Kathy L. Kain, PhD, SEP, & Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP
Kathy L. Kain, PhD, SEP
Transforming Touch® Practitioner
Transforming the Experienced-Based Brain
Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP
Internal Family Systems, Canada, Stepping Stones and Advanced IFS.
Derek Scott MSW, Internal Family Systems Therapist
RYT500, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher.