WHAT IS SOMATIC COACHING

I have been offering somatic work one-on-one and in groups for over 10 years. The foundation of my practice is in supporting people to understand their bodies, emotions and current and past experiences in new and transformative ways. I share tools, resources and practices with clients that are accessible and interesting and bring new perspectives. I work from a place of curiosity, presence and joy with my clients- I have seen so many people transform in profound ways when they are given the space and tools to listen to their bodies. I am honored to get to witness and support people in their learning.

WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS WORK

People choose somatic coaching for a wide range of reasons including:

  • Longing to decrease anxiety, stress and overwhelm

  • Increasing experiences of self-trust

  • Moving through addictive patterns and finding new possibilities

  • More capacity to feel range of emotions

  • Finding new ways of showing up in one’s family and relationships

  • Understanding how our nervous system shapes our day-to-day experiences

  • Accessing and tending to subtle messages being received and communicated by our bodies

WORK WITH ME

I offer one-on-one sessions, online and in person in Northampton, MA. My work can be short term over 3-4 sessions or used as a longer term resource for people over many years in their embodied learning and growth. I also offer educational workshops in addition to small group facilitation to support team building. Please reach out if you are interested in more information about working together.

RATES:

Sessions are offered at a sliding scale of $150-250/hr

I offer a number of slots for folks who are unable to pay the above session rates,

please inquire with me directly about availability for lower-cost sessions.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL SESSION LOOK LIKE?

  • Sessions are 60 minutes long and offer tangible tools and guidance to begin to explore and relate to our body’s experiences.

  • In zoom or in person in Northampton MA, together we create a space to feel physical sensations and practice listening, pausing and seeing what emerges.

  • In this exploratory space, I offer reflections and bring questions to get curious about and hold both in session and afterwards.

MORE ABOUT SOMATIC COACHING

For many people, Somatic Coaching can be a powerful complement or addition to clinical therapy. Somatic Coaching is not therapy and is not meant as a replacement for clinical mental healthcare.

INFLUENCES IN MY WORK

I am deeply influenced by many incredible scholars, activists and writers. I want to express profound appreciation to these folks who have influenced and continue to transform my worldview through their writings, offerings and activism.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Resmaa Menakem, adrienne maree brown, Vanessa Andreotti and the GTDF Collective, Sophie Strand, Prentis Hemphill

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT SOMATIC WORK

I am engaging with this work through an ongoing practice of holding complexity and a commitment to learning. A few additional pieces to mention around somatic healing work:

There is a focus in many mainstream somatic communities around orienting towards achieving a neutral or regulated nervous system. There are also many unexamined assumptions around what it means to heal and whose body or experience is ‘normal.’ The ways that ongoing and historical oppression shape all of our bodies and relationship to ‘safety’ is missed, as is the way that colonization, capitalism & ableism are shaping what is seen as health and wellness. As Kai Cheng Thom writes, “The somatics of social justice cannot be aimed at restoring the body to a state of homeostasis/neutrality.”

Additionally, somatic healing practices are rooted in many cultures and places throughout history. Some present day somatic healing modalities however- many of which are ‘founded’ by white practitioners- are rooted in colonial frameworks which includes a lack of appropriate lineage recognition to the BIPOC communities who have influenced and informed the modalities.

There are many incredible folks writing and speaking about these important elements. I’m happy to discuss these complexities around somatic work (from my own place of learning) and am also available to share more resources from folks who are at the forefront of these conversations.