Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing

As both a psychotherapist and a Somatic Experiencing practitioner, I offer adult psychotherapy services, from both a trauma-informed and attachment-informed lens. That means that our work together may include traditional talk therapy based in a relational approach, along with attention to and awareness of how the things we are working with show up in the physical body (sensations), emotions, and in relationship.

People come to me with a variety of needs and intentions for our work, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship conflicts or challenges, and life transitions. Many people upon exploring these areas of need or distress in their lives may find that underlying them is an experience of nervous system dysregulation. It can feel like our nervous system is turned up to a high volume, with no room to rest or have quiet. It could also feel like our nervous system is turned down so low that we hardly have energy to get out of bed. Often we can find ourselves going back and forth between the two. People may have heard these states referred to as “fight, flight, freeze.” This kind of dysregulation in our system often results from the wide range of experiences that we could call trauma, which Peter Levine (creator of the modality Somatic Experiencing) names as the experience of “too much, too soon, too fast… or not enough for too long.” We can think of trauma including anything from single shock events, like an accident or natural disaster, to chronic experiences of invalidation, stress, abuse, and fear.

It’s possible that just reading about what this work could include might be a lot to take in. Feel free to pause and even take a moment to look around the space that you are in right now. Notice where the eyes want to go, take your time. Let them see what they are seeing. No rush….

If any of this sounds like something you are called to or longing for in a therapy process, please know that I will always take into consideration each person’s individual needs, intentions, and pacing. This kind of work is not a prescription to follow, but rather a co-created experience that hopefully offers some support in moving from stuckness to flow, and a space to feel into the next piece of your own growth and healing.

If you would like to read more about Somatic Experiencing, you can go to www.traumahealing.org.