I am a somatic therapist and trauma practitioner who doesn’t just believe these tools work but knows they do on a personal level. They have, and continue to, transform my life.
For a long time, I felt bombarded – the speed, loudness, and demand of life were too much for my sensitive system. The sensations inside of my body overwhelmed me; my body became one of the last places I wanted to be. I lived in a state of freeze, absent and going through the motions. I longed for a sense of belonging and home, without knowing how or where to find it. I tried to feel better.
Over many years of personal exploration, I have come to accept that wounds are an intrinsic part of our shared human predicament; it doesn’t mean I’m flawed or broken; it means I’m human and alive. As I leaned further into that notion and stopped trying so hard or fighting against my body, things began to shift.
I’ve discovered that it is possible to cultivate openness and friendliness towards what takes place in the body, without going numb, shutting down, or disconnecting further. The body does not have to be feared, and that doesn’t mean that it will be free of aches and pains, but it is possible to stay present for more. I am glad that I have learned that and feel honored to create spaces for others to as well.
These practices began as my lifelines when I needed them the most, they turned into what I’ve spent hours learning about both theoretically and experientially, and now, they are what I love to offer. They are ways to (re)connect.
My approach is embedded with reverence and playful curiosity. It is a relational, non-hierarchical, unfolding process that honors complexity and nuance. It is empowerment-based and educational. I offer you presence, curiosity, safety, practices and years of experience that give you back to yourself, letting your revelations be yours to support your developing sovereignty and freedom.
I know that some things are beyond words; that is why I work with dreams, art and the body. I can help you learn how to relate to the language of your body and nervous system and stay present to sensations; it is my passion. It is through listening to how one has been shaped – their wounds, patterns, themes, resources, and more – I support people to shift on emotional, behavioral, physical and soul-seated levels.
The work we do together happens in “real time”, meaning we aren’t just talking but working with visceral states of activation and settling and other body-based material as it emerges, in the present moment. The speed of permission is honored and healing is tended as a process that is sometimes challenging and sometimes joyful.
More than anything, it is yours.
Vermont Center of Integrative Herbalism
Yasodhara Ashram
In Vermont