Do you offer Somatic Experiencing therapy sessions in person or online?

For your convenience, I currently offer online services only.


What is the cost for a Somatic Experiencing therapy session?

A 50 minute Somatic Experiencing therapy session is provided on a sliding scale from $100 to $120. Scholarships are available for those in need. I do not take insurance.

Do you have experience working with Complex Trauma (CPTSD)?

I have worked with a number of clients experiencing complex trauma symptoms and have pursued additional training in somatic therapy for developmental trauma with Kathy Kain (coauthor of Nurturing Resilience). I have also acted as teaching assistant for 2 cohorts of her year-long trainings.

C-PTSD is most often seen in clients who have experienced abusive, perfectionistic, neglectful and/or invalidating childhoods. However, it may also arise from other circumstances of high stress over extended periods of time – incarceration, war, extended political violence and oppression, membership in high demand groups and cults and even burnout and compassion fatigue amongst front line care providers and activists can create the symptoms of complex trauma.

Somatic therapy for C-PTSD often requires a more patient pace of work – at first clients may have a difficult time recognizing body sensations or may only notice unpleasant body sensations. Healing from C-PTSD involves careful attention to building trust, navigating shame, and moving at the pace that your nervous system sets for the work. Everything we do is geared towards recovering a client's embodied sense of agency and dignity.

Sometimes complex trauma symptoms can leave clients feeling as if they are going around in circles using talk therapy by itself. Working somatically - with the nervous system and the body directly - can often bring traction to other approaches. Through my experience providing SE therapy in residential recovery centers, I am used to working with psychotherapists and other providers as a team. Learn more about C-PTSD.


Is Somatic Experiencing Therapy Helpful for Anxiety?

Somatic Experiencing techniques tend to focus as much on the sensations or “felt sense” of anxiety as the story line associated with it. Often, anxiety can be an expression of the Flight reaction in the nervous system – an overwhelming response to threat or perceived threat that may be more related to conditions in the past than to a client’s present circumstance.

With somatics for anxiety, we work with sensations in the body that arise when we discuss the anxiety or its triggers in a gradual fashion. Clients learn to safely release the pent up urgency of past events that interfere with their ability to feel present, safe, and resourced in the here and now.

Can Somatic Experiencing therapy help with panic attacks and anxiety attacks?

Yes, Somatic Experiencing therapy can assist with reducing anxiety and help to limit and even stop panic attacks. Anxiety and panic attacks are often related to past traumatic experiences, chronic stress or attachment disruptions. Somatic Experiencing therapists can address these through body exercises and other techniques that help release the feelings of panic and loss of control. Learn more about how Somatic Experiencing can help with panic and anxiety attacks.

How can Somatic Experiencing therapy address chronic feelings of shame?

Chronic shame is an emotion often associated with feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, and self-judgment. Chronic shame is often linked to past traumatic experiences including adult and childhood PTSD or from disruptions in attachment. Shame can also result from being a part of a marginalized group and a damaged sense of belonging. Somatic Experiencing techniques can help address and release these feelings from the body creating less of an impact on emotional well-being. Learn more about how Somatic Experiencing can help with chronic feelings of shame.

Can Somatic Experiencing help address job burnout for those in the helping professions?

People who work in the helping professions, such as therapists, doctors, nurses, teachers, caregivers and social workers often experience burnout due to the nature of their jobs. This job burnout can often have a negative effect on the body and mind. Somatic Experiencing therapy techniques can help address these negative symptoms by strengthening and developing places of resilience within the body to manage the stress. Learn more about how Somatic Experiencing can help those with job burnout.