Client Testimonials
“Shana was personally invested in my wellness, creative in her approach, listened well, and helped me heal both body and spirit. She Is both humble and confident, and I felt totally at ease with her as we developed a healing program together. Thank you!!” – Sky Nelson
“As someone who has had anxiety working with psychotherapists in the past wondering what they think of me, trying to people-please them, and intellectualizing my experience/emotions, I find Shana’s approach and disposition super refreshing. Shana is very present during our sessions (whether in person or virtual) and helps me feel at ease by showing up in an authentic, compassionate manner. I never feel judged or pressured by her, and I find it easy to think about topics to discuss, and emerge from sessions seeing them in a new, more embodied light. Shana is skillful at guiding me through “dropping in” (similar to hypnosis or a deep meditation) to identify sensations in the body, build regulation skills, and explore emotions. She is always aware of the lived realities of our late capitalist society and brings a systemic perspective that shifts blame to curiosity and compassion. For anyone who feels “tapped out” in traditional talk therapy, I would thoroughly recommend Shana.” – Jessa (they/them), 27
“I worked with Shana to help release trauma in my body through somatic work. She led me through beautiful meditations and somatic practices to help me get in touch and release some of the deep seated trauma. She helped me create a beautiful sanctuary in my being to feel safe and comforted. She is a loving and beautiful soul that you would be blessed to work with.” – Rachel
Support for your journey
Intellectual | Political | Ancestral | Emotional | Self-Inquiry
What is Somatic Therapy?
Most people know the term “psychosomatic”–it refers to a person feeling pain or symptoms in their body which are generated by psychological processes rather than “real” physical ailments. This form of suffering is often spoken about dismissively, suggesting that psychosomatic pain or illness is “fake.” Somatic therapy offers a reframe of this concept, asking us to consider the “realness” of what we feel within our bodies so that we can address some of the sources of our suffering and begin to heal it. Somatic approaches emphasize the innate power of our psyches to produce effects in the body. Somatic practitioners help people move away from the repetitive stories and narratives many of us carry, and to shift our focus into the hidden places where pain, fear, regret, and other challenging emotions can wreak havoc on our sense of wellbeing.
What I Do
I offer an intimate, nonjudgmental container for somatically-informed, compassionate, engaged, active listening. I support you as a peer and relate to you as a fellow human. Mostly what I will do in our sessions is bear witness, offering gentle reflections, prompts, and guided visualizations to increase your somatic awareness. I help clients practice making contact with the “hidden places” in order to begin softening and untangling the roots of suffering. I bring over 250 hours of training in somatic modalities to our sessions. I’ll guide you through simple but powerful practices that can help gently quiet the stories swirling around in your mind. By reconnecting with the “felt sense” of being in your body, you can master nervous system regulation and take control of your emotional reactivity. You can develop the capacity to self-regulate during moments of overwhelm or distress.
My training as an anthropologist allows me to deeply attune to what you share with me (both verbally and nonverbally). Ethnography, the main methodology used by cultural anthropologists, is the art of engaged listening and empathic connection to people as they share their thoughts, beliefs, and stories. As a way of knowing the world, anthropology emphasizes a nuanced understanding of the systemic cultural and economic forces that create the conditions of human existence on planet earth today. These realities factor into how I offer support to clients.
Education & Training
- Zendo Sitting and Integration Training (Psychedelic Peer Support and Harm Reduction course, Zendo Project, 2024)
- 60hr Somatic Attachment Therapy Certificate (The Embody Lab, 2023)
- 200hrs Intensive Somatic & Psychedelic training (Center for Consciousness Medicine, 2021)
- PhD in Anthropology and History (University of Michigan, 2017)
- MA in Social Sciences (University of Chicago, 2006)
- BA in Anthropology and Religious Studies (Skidmore College, 2002)
- The Guiding Presence (online training program for working with expanded states of consciousness)
- Workshop with Dr. Peter Levine: Mind, Brain, and Body in the Transformation of Trauma
- Reiki Level 1 certification
Connect
Curious? Want to find out more about whether somatic modalities can help you? Email, text, or click the button below to book a free 15-minute Intro Session! I offer somatic peer support sessions on a sliding scale from $90-$150/hour. Custom packages are also available for new clients upon request!