Attachment-based Couples Therapy & Individual Somatic Psychotherapy
Conveniently located in Kentfield, Marin County and virtually throughout the state of California
What is somatic, or body-informed psychotherapy?
Somatic psychotherapy is both a biological and a relational modality that is informed by the body's innate intelligence and plasticity (capacity to grow and change) and attachment theory.
By attending to the feelings, sensations, and muscular holding patterns that are evoked in the therapeutic process, one can move from feeling anxious, powerless, or helpless, to feeling like an empowered, active participant in one’s life and relationships. My job is to support, nurture, and guide this process.
As a somatic psychotherapist, I am deeply relational, affirming, somewhat directive, and have a sense of humor. My somatic approach weaves together elements of PACT, EFCT, Formative Psychology, and Non-Violent Communication. Together, these approaches are somatic (body-based), experiential (learning-by-doing), and relational (human-to-human relating) approaches that prioritize a healthy relationship to oneself and secure-functioning behaviors in relationships.
Regardless of modality, research has shown that therapy is most effective when clients feel safe and connected with their therapist. Click the button below to learn more about me, so you can get a feel for who I am. I am happy to answer any questions you have about my intersectionality over a consultation call, if knowing more about my personal identity is important to you.
I offer somatic psychotherapy sessions to couples, relationships, and individuals
COUPLES & RELATIONSHIP THERAPY
Working with couples and dyadic relationships is my specialty.
Supporting romantic partners with managing their “Couple Bubble” is my greatest passion as a somatic couples therapist. I have training in Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT, Stan Tatkin) and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT, Sue Johnson), which I have found to be very complimentary in couples work.
The research that has been done on EFT (EFCT) has demonstrated that it is the “gold standard” for couples therapy with 90% of couples showing measurable improvement. Weaving together a body-focused modality like PACT with an emotional-focused modality like EFCT, allows me greater range with supporting each couple with understanding and reorganizing their negative interaction cycle and exploring more satisfying ways of managing their precious bond.
Growing the means to deepen and improve one’s capacity for closeness, contact, and communication is helpful when guided by a somatic therapist in couples therapy.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
I also work with highly-motivated individuals.
In one-on-one work, I primarily pull from Formative Psychology (Stanley Keleman) as my therapeutic framework. Formative utilizes a somatic-emotional exercise that can support you from engaging in unconscious behaviors and patterns, to consciously exploring different possibilities that you are happier with. The simple yet effective exercise, also called voluntary-muscular-effort (VME), can be practiced outside of therapy.
Engaging in somatic psychotherapy in individual therapy means doing the hard work of getting to know yourself and the patterns or behaviors that you no longer find satisfying. You can expect me to hold you with a lot of care as well as accountability. Therapy is a bit like an emotional gym membership. Some days you may just want to stretch, and some days you may want to focus on a target area, but progress only develops with regular and consistent engagement. I am available to work with you at your pace.
Growing the capacity to deeply know and influence yourself, and to deepen your relationships, is helpful when supported by a somatic therapist in individual therapy.