Image: A green honeycreeper bird with half bright blue ‘male’ feathers and half bright green ‘female’ feathers
Image: A green honeycreeper bird with half bright blue ‘male’ feathers and half bright green ‘female’ feathers
Somatics is a path of embodied transformation that integrates the mind, body and spirit into healing from stress, trauma, and oppression. We work with the wisdom of the body, not just the understandings of the mind, as in traditional talk therapy. We begin with a deep respect for who we are now, and explore what embodied transformation might make possible. Embodied transformation is fundamental change that shows in our actions, ways of being, relating, and perceiving. It is transformation that sustains over time. Somatics views the strategies we have used to survive until now as adaptive and smart–we talk about post traumatic stress intelligence rather than posttraumatic stress disorder. In our sessions together, we develop awareness of the body's current patterns and shape, why they formed, and learn new practices that will serve us in the long run, helping us shift what is stuck and make possible what we long for.*
*This definition quoted from generativesomatics.org
Somatics also includes our interconnectedness with all of nature- recognizing the bigger bodies we are a part of: families, communities, eco-systems, and planetary. As we build our awareness of these relationships we can access more support and/or recognize behaviors and patterns where we are stuck.
If you are looking for support to heal and change, I want to meet you. My life is a continual journey of healing. I am curious to learn about the desires you have for your life and the struggles that keep you from them.
I believe that no one needs to be "fixed". We adapt to survive our experiences, and these adaptations can later become obstacles to our growth and health. I believe healing involves naming the harmful patterns that exist in our society, communities, relationships, and within ourselves. Healing involves the challenging work to discern what no longer serves us and the difficult journey of letting it go. I believe our wounds can become our greatest strengths by creating deep embodied awareness. Most significantly, I believe that we do not heal alone. I am here for this journey.
I work primarily with trans and queer community. Many of my clients have experiences of trauma and oppression and may be struggling to find a sense of belonging. Folx who are oriented toward social justice and nature are a strong match with the ways I work.
I bring 20+ years of self study, social and environmental activism, wilderness guiding, group facilitation, body movement education, massage and bodywork, and somatic psychotherapy. My approach to healing is compassionate and direct. I am interactive - bringing reflective questions and invitations for building body and mind awareness (such as breath work, naming sensations, discerning thoughts and emotions, self touch, movements, recognizing and contextualizing survival responses and conditioned behaviors/attitudes/beliefs, and more). I also work relationally- directly exploring the dynamics that emerge in our therapeutic relationship.
I am located in Huichin on Turtle Island. This is the stolen and ancestral lands of Lisjan Ohlone Peoples, who are here loving and stewarding life through various practices and projects such as Sogorea Te Land Trust. This area was colonized and named Oakland and Berkeley. I am learning the complex natural and social histories that have shaped this place. I continue growing a humble and reverent relationship with these lands, people, animals, plants, water, sky, and unseen beings.
2025-current and ongoing consultation in Generative Somatics with Phillipe Citrine and
Jacks McNamara
2024-current and ongoing consultation in Liberation Practices with Jennifer Lee Koble
2025 Grief and Somatics with Camille Sapara Barton
2024 The Embodiment Institute- why Feel? with Prentis Hemphill
2024 Queer Eco-therapy with Earthbody Institute
2024 Trans Somatics with Jacks McNamara
2023-2024 Embodied Ancestral Inquiry with Marika Heinrichs
2020-2023 Somatic Abolitionism with Resmaa Menakem, Jennifer Lee Koble, and Carlin Quinn
2023 School of Lost Borders, Becoming Human
2021 Somatics and Psychedelics with Camille Sapara Barton
2021 be.ing Transformation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams
2021 Safety, Belonging and Dignity with Staci Haines
2019-2022 Therapist at Pacific Center for Human Growth LGBTQIA+ center
2017-2020 Master of Arts Degree, Somatic Psychotherapy, California Institute of Integral Studies
2007-present mentoring Spiritual Leadership with Shirley McGill
2000-2017 Wilderness Guide, Rock Climbing Instructor , Rites of Passage Facilitator through various organizations