Somatic Therapy & Trauma Therapy

1. What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach that helps you notice and release patterns of tension, stress, and stored survival responses. Instead of focusing only on thoughts, we work with the nervous system, breath, sensations, and movement to support healing and regulation.

2. How is somatic therapy different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy focuses on thoughts, insight, and understanding. Somatic therapy includes the body because trauma and chronic stress live in the nervous system, not just the mind. We still talk, but we also slow down, notice what your body is doing, and help your system feel safer and more regulated.

3. What issues does somatic therapy help with?
Somatic therapy can support trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, emotional overwhelm, relationship patterns, panic, burnout, chronic tension, medical trauma, and the “wired-and-tired” feeling. It can also help with symptoms rooted in the nervous system like tightness, shutdown, irritability, or emotional numbness.

4. What does a somatic therapy session look like?
Sessions are a blend of talking, grounding exercises, guided awareness, gentle movement, breath work, and connection with physical sensations. You’re always in control—you choose what feels comfortable, and we go at your pace.

5. Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No. Somatic therapy does not require you to retell your trauma story. We focus on what your body is doing in the present moment so your system can move toward safety and regulation, without forcing you to revisit overwhelming memories.

6. Is somatic therapy safe if my trauma feels overwhelming?
Yes. Somatic therapy is specifically designed to work with dysregulated nervous systems. We go slowly, build safety, and never push your body past its capacity. The goal is stability, not re-traumatization.

7. What is trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy helps people process and heal the impact of overwhelming or long-term stress, childhood experiences, medical events, relationship trauma, emotional neglect, or anything that changed how your nervous system learned to survive. Techniques vary, but the goal is the same: integration, regulation, and reclaiming your life.

8. How do somatic therapy and trauma therapy work together?
Trauma doesn’t just affect thoughts—it affects breathing, muscles, sleep, digestion, mood, and stress hormones. Somatic therapy gives your body tools to safely discharge survival energy while trauma therapy helps make sense of how those experiences shaped you.

9. Will this make me cry or shake?
Possibly, but it’s not required. Some people feel warmth, tears, shaking, or deep exhales as their body releases stored tension. Others feel calm, grounded, or simply more aware. Everything is welcome, and nothing is forced.

10. How long does trauma therapy take?
It depends on your history, goals, and nervous system. Some people feel shifts in a few sessions; others benefit from longer-term support. The goal is sustainable change—not rushing a body that has been in survival mode.

11. What if I feel disconnected from my body?
Totally normal. Disconnection is a survival skill. We move slowly and gently rebuild your ability to notice sensations without overwhelm.

12. Do you use EMDR or other techniques?
Yes. Depending on your needs and goals, sessions may include EMDR, inner-child work, parts work, somatic and nervous-system regulation, attachment-based approaches, and trauma-informed mindfulness. We choose tools together based on what feels safe, effective, and aligned with your healing process.

13. Can somatic therapy help with physical symptoms?
Yes—because stress and trauma often show up physically. Somatic therapy may help reduce chronic tension, digestive distress, fatigue, pain related to bracing patterns, jaw tightness, sleep disruption, and the constant “on edge” feeling.

14. Is this therapy evidence-based?
Somatic and trauma-informed approaches are grounded in neuroscience, polyvagal theory, attachment research, and decades of clinical work on how the nervous system responds to stress.

15. What if I’ve already done years of therapy?
Many clients come to somatic therapy after traditional therapy and say, “I understand my trauma, but my body still reacts.” Somatic work helps shift the patterns that talking alone can’t reach.

16. Can I do somatic therapy online?
Yes. Somatic therapy is very effective via telehealth. I guide you through grounding, body awareness, and regulation tools while you stay in your own comfortable environment.

17. Do I have to be “ready” to start trauma therapy?
You just have to be willing. Part of the work is building safety, pacing, and capacity. We begin exactly where you are.

Transgender & Gender-Affirming Care

1. Do you work with transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive clients?
Yes. We all work with LGBTQIA+, we are trauma-informed, and supportive of people across the gender spectrum. You are welcome here, and your identity is respected and prioritized in treatment planning.

2. What kind of support do you offer for gender-affirming care?
I provide:
• education about nervous system impacts during transition
• emotional and somatic support for the physical and psychological changes that occur
• guidance on stress regulation, trauma healing, and body-based integration
• collaboration with medical providers who prescribe gender-affirming hormones
• letters of support for hormone therapy or surgical procedures

3. Can somatic therapy help with dysphoria or discomfort in my body?
Yes. Somatic therapy can gently help reconnect you to your body in a way that feels safe, empowering, and non-pathologizing. We work at your pace, building capacity and reducing dysphoric tension patterns without forcing you into experiences that feel dysregulating.

4. Do I need a letter for hormone therapy?
Some providers require a letter, while others use an informed consent model. Most insurances require a letter if you are under the age of 18. As an adult it depends on your provider, with Treva Reshier it is not required (she does not see anyone under 18 for hormones.)
If a letter is required, I can provide assessment and documentation following WPATH-informed guidelines. Only one session required.

5. What if I'm questioning my gender or not ready for hormones?
You don’t need to have everything figured out. Therapy can help you explore identity, embodiment, and safety in a nonjudgmental space. There is no pressure to make decisions. You set the pace of your journey.

8. Are sessions private and confidential?
Yes. Your gender identity, questions, medical decisions, and transition process are protected and confidential.

9. Can trauma therapy support gender exploration or transition?
Absolutely. Many transgender and gender-expansive clients have experienced invalidation, discrimination, or trauma. Trauma therapy and somatic work help restore safety, reconnect you with your body, and support deeper self-trust throughout the process.