Trauma-Informed Somatic Bodywork:
A Whole-Person, Nervous System-Oriented Approach
I currently offer one type of session: Nervous System-Oriented Therapeutic Massage (60 or 90 min). For more details, see Rates and Services
In my understanding of bodywork, the practitioner isn’t just working on a person’s muscles or fascia—they are working with another human being, mind, body, and spirit. Massage acts on the whole nervous system, facilitating changes in multiple aspects of the physical body as well as in the mind and subjective experience of the client.
My goal is to facilitate a greater feeling of ease and comfort for my clients that they can carry with them off my table and into the rest of their lives. For some clients, this may take the form of a deeply attuned, relaxing session that allows the nervous system to unwind. Other clients may be seeking help with anxiety or emotional regulation. Yet others may be dealing with chronic pain or have specific problem areas they would like addressed in a more technical, targeted way. Thanks to my broad experience and training, combined with my sensitivity and intuition, I am able to help with a wide range of issues.
Thanks to my training in trauma-informed bodywork and somatic therapy, I have a deep understanding of the way that the nervous system’s stress response can have long-term impacts on the body, leading to deeply held patterns of tension. Through deep attunement and a sensitive, individually-tailored approach, I aim to find and unwind these patterns of tension.
Somatic therapy emphasizes the client’s experience of their own body. I use assisted movement and gentle assisted stretching to encourage my clients to bring their awareness to their bodily sensations, helping them experience their body in new and empowering ways. This exploration and re-learning can lead to less pain, increased range of motion, and an improved sense of well-being, both physically and emotionally.
Additionally, through my experience working with athletes and my training in somatic movement practices, I have an excellent grasp of kinesiology—the mechanics of body movement. In many cases I am able to help assess underlying patterns of use that might be leading to chronic issues and recommend simple somatic exercises to help with specific areas of concern.
In my Nervous System-Oriented Therapeutic Massage sessions, I draw on all of these modalities and skillsets to provide a session that is tailored to the individual needs of my client.
Modalities I draw from:
Trauma-informed therapy
Somatic therapy
Deep tissue massage
Myofascial release
Neuromuscular Proprioceptive Facilitation (PNF) stretching
Training and Certification
I received my primary training at the Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork on the island of Kauai, in Hawaii. In addition to bringing students top-notch bodywork instructors across a variety of modalities and providing the thorough education on anatomy, kinesiology, and physical pathologies necessary for competency as a bodyworker, the program also included a heavy emphasis on affective neuroscience and somatic psychotherapy.
The PCAB program incorporated the most up-to-date information on the neuroscience of pain and trauma. We learned about stress responses and their impacts on the body, as well as how to track and help regulate these stress responses as a therapist.
Since May 2023, I have been training with Richard Pozzuto of The Audacious Spirit in clairvoyant energy healing. I look forward to incorporating clairvoyant psychic readings and healings into my practice in the near future.
In 2022 and 2023, I trained with Janet Evergreen, completing Level 1 and Level 2 of Exploring the Vagus System: The Health that is Never Lost.
I have also pursued continuing education in Thai massage at Carolina Thai Healing Arts.
I am a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Virginia.