Whether you are going through an unexpected stressful time or a long-standing struggle in your life, I will work with you to find the most helpful approach for you to create more safety, relaxation and ease into your life.
More About Me
As a mental health provider and a massage practitioner of various modalities for most of my adult professional life, I have helped my clients through tough emotional and physically stressful experiences. One thing I noticed is that their stress would let go of the bracing during the session, only to return later when they went back to their life patterns. This is especially true if they came to me to "fix them” or to make them “feel better” without seeing that they have an important role to play in their own healing.
This gives the power to heal onto the practitioner rather than the belief that, under the right conditions and support, the body can heal itself. This is why client-practitioner collaboration, somatic education and a practice of slowing down what's happening are important aspects to this work.
My aim is for you to feel empowered so you can take this work into your daily life and feel better right away.
I provide my clients with options so we are can explore together what approaches really work best for them. These offerings are integrative by nature and include but are not limited to: Somatic Experiencing™ methods, Somatic Touch Therapy, Integrative Bodywork and other therapeutic body oriented modalities.
We will explore the root causes of your stress and allow time for the repair process to occur. Building more capacity for greater resilience and regulation in your body and have more settling inside. As a Somatic Experiencing™ (SE) Body Oriented Specialist, I blend my formal SE training with 30 years of working with the body and years of clinical social work training. My clients share with me that they often experience a deeper felt level of settling and well-being than they had before. When appropriate, I can also incorporate some integrative bodywork to further help the body to let go and unwind at a core level. Additionally, I have a child development and teacher background (AS in Early Childhood Education) and worked as a parent-child educator for many years, so I can offer support for families/children on a somatic level.
I also regularly assist professional somatic trainings and provide somatic education for life long healthy habits and self-regulation practice for both my clients and students in somatic professional trainings.
MY PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
Somatic Experiencing (SE)™ Therapy
I am certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (S.E.P.) and it’s integrated into most of what I do.
I regularly assist various SE faculty members in Somatic Experiencing professional trainings year-round. I’m an approved Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) personal session provider for SE students of all levels as well as approved for individual case consult.
I help coordinate Founder of Somatic Experiencing, Peter Levine’s case consults trainings, in Los Angeles.
Learn more about Somatic Experience & Peter Levine.
Somatic Touch Therapy Support
I am trained in therapy for various nervous system supports, working with attachment and body trauma and Somatic Resilience & Regulation Therapy for Early Trauma.
I am accredited, assist and regularly practice Somatic Resilience and Regulation Early Trauma Training developed by leaders in the field Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell.
I am certified in Touch Skill Training for Trauma Resolution and assist Kathy Kain in various “Somatic Practice” trainings: Somatic Practice for Self-Regulation and Viscera Somatic Narrative. Much of Kathy’s work helps with organ support and medical trauma resolution. Additionally, I’m trained in Aline LaPierre’s NeuroAffective Touch.
I am passionate about touch trauma attachment repair work. This lead me to become the training coordinator for Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell’s training program for trauma therapists in Los Angeles and assist students in these trainings.
Learn more about Touch Trauma Therapy.
Integrative Bodywork and Other Healing Modalities
For most of my professional life, I have been working with the body and healing in various therapy modalities (from massage to traditional therapy). 30 years of a successful therapy practice.
I was exposed at a very early age to bodywork as both my parents were trained in massage and taught bodywork workshops for the Radix Institute. Working and reading the body is extremely easy for me. I would say its more a gift than a learning for me. I knew how to do a full body massage by the age of 10 year old.
I am a registered member of the California Massage Therapy Council (CMTC) and Associated Bodywork & Massage Professional (ABMP).
My experience includes traditional and alternative healing therapies: from yoga, meditation, Continuum Movement Therapy and 5 Rhythm Dance Therapy.
Somatic Education & Therapy for Stress Relief
I have a deep commitment for empowering adults and children through exercises and practices to develop more awareness of what is happening in their bodies and ways to help relieve pressure and be more resourceful with life skills.
Regularly assist in somatic professional trainings self-growth workshops and yoga retreats.
I am a trained clinical social worker (MSW) from UCLA, Psychology & Education (BA) from UC Davis and Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education from S.B.C.C.
I taught class for parent education, prenatal care, teacher for young children for several years.
As an educator for many years I strongly believe in the importance of empowering by way of teaching and supporting others how to continue this work so they have skills for life.
