Somatic therapy | Culturally affirming postpartum support

• Chronic tension or tightness: You may notice your shoulders, jaw, chest, or stomach constantly feeling tense even when you are trying to rest. Internally, the body can feel stuck in a state of alertness, making it difficult to fully relax during daily routines.
• Emotional numbness or disconnection: Some people move through the day feeling emotionally flat, detached, or disconnected from themselves and others. This can show up as difficulty identifying emotions, enjoying relationships, or feeling present in everyday moments.
• Anxiety stored in the body: Anxiety may appear physically through a racing heart, shallow breathing, restlessness, stomach discomfort, or feeling constantly “on edge.” Even ordinary tasks can begin to feel mentally and physically draining.
• Overwhelm during small stressors: Minor interruptions or responsibilities may trigger outsized emotional or physical reactions. Internally, the nervous system may already feel overloaded, making daily demands harder to tolerate.
• Difficulty feeling safe in stillness or rest: Slowing down may feel uncomfortable, unfamiliar, or emotionally activating. Many people notice they stay busy, overfunction, or distract themselves because rest brings up tension or unease.

• Do I often feel tense or emotionally “on” even when nothing is actively wrong? This may indicate that your nervous system has been stuck in a prolonged stress or survival response.
• Do I struggle to fully relax, slow down, or rest without feeling uneasy? Many people living with chronic stress notice that stillness feels uncomfortable instead of restorative.
• Do I feel disconnected from my emotions or my body throughout the day? This can look like moving through routines on autopilot, ignoring your needs, or feeling emotionally numb.
• Do small stressors create reactions that feel bigger than the situation itself? When the nervous system is overwhelmed, everyday responsibilities or interruptions can feel unusually intense.
• Do I constantly overthink conversations, responsibilities, or possible problems? Persistent mental scanning and hyperawareness can be signs that the body does not fully feel safe or settled.

I approach somatic therapy by helping clients better understand the connection between their emotions, nervous system, and physical experiences. Many people have learned to stay in survival mode for so long that stress begins to feel normal in the body. My work focuses on creating a space where clients can slow down safely, build emotional awareness, and develop healthier ways of responding to stress, anxiety, trauma, and overwhelm without judgment or pressure.

Sessions are collaborative, grounded, and paced with care. Together, we may explore physical tension, emotional triggers, nervous system responses, and the ways stress shows up in daily life. I often incorporate mindfulness, grounding exercises, breathwork, body awareness, and nervous system regulation tools to help clients feel more connected to themselves and more emotionally supported during difficult moments.

Over time, many clients begin to notice they feel less emotionally reactive, more present in their bodies, and better able to manage stress without shutting down or becoming overwhelmed. The goal is not to force healing or “fix” emotions quickly, but to help clients build a stronger sense of emotional safety, self-trust, and regulation over time.

• Strengthening nervous system regulation: Learning how to respond to stress with more steadiness instead of constantly operating in survival mode.
• Rebuilding emotional safety
• Creating a stronger sense of safety within yourself, your emotions, and your body over time: Processing stress and trauma safely
• Exploring difficult experiences at a pace that feels manageable without becoming emotionally flooded.
• Improving mind-body awareness: Recognizing how emotions, tension, exhaustion, or anxiety show up physically in daily life.
• Reducing chronic overwhelm: Developing healthier ways to cope with emotional overload, overstimulation, and constant mental pressure.

• Try noticing your body without immediately trying to change it: Many people move through stress by disconnecting from physical sensations altogether. Small moments of awareness, like noticing tension in your shoulders or how your breathing changes when you're stressed, can help gradually rebuild nervous system awareness.
• Focus on regulation before productivity: When the nervous system is overwhelmed, pushing harder often increases exhaustion. Prioritizing small moments of grounding, hydration, nourishment, rest, or slower pacing can support emotional stability more effectively than forcing yourself to “power through.
• Use gentle grounding techniques during overwhelm: Simple practices like placing both feet on the floor, slowing your breathing, holding a comforting object, or orienting yourself to your surroundings can help signal safety to the nervous system during stressful moments.
• Pay attention to patterns, not perfection: Healing through somatic therapy is often gradual. Instead of expecting yourself to feel calm all the time, notice small shifts in awareness, emotional recovery, or your ability to respond differently to stress.