When I first embarked on my journey to become a therapist, I had only a vague understanding of the various therapeutic modalities available. I knew about talk therapy, behavioral therapy, and had personal experience with spiritually-based therapy. Somatic therapy, however, wasn’t even on my radar until I stumbled upon it by chance during graduate school.
It all started when I was searching for a part-time job to support myself while studying. I came across an job advertisement for a support position with a healthcare practitioner. The description was incredibly vague, and I had little idea of what I was getting into. To my surprise, the practitioner turned out to be Dr. Scott Walker, a holistic chiropractor in North County San Diego.
Working with Dr. Walker opened my eyes to the fascinating world of mind-body therapies, now more commonly known as somatic therapies. He developed a technique called Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), which integrates muscle testing, Chinese Medicine, and trauma work. As I delved deeper into this field, I eventually became certified in NET and discovered a wealth of less mainstream, yet highly effective techniques for understanding the profound connection between our minds and bodies.
When I began my private practice, I was eager to master and integrate somatic and spiritual approaches. However, while I was still in the early stages of building my practice, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed everything. With in-person sessions no longer possible, I could no longer rely on techniques that required physical presence.
Although this was a daunting time for many practitioners, I saw it as an opportunity to evolve. I dedicated myself to learning approaches that didn’t require touch, such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), which I view as a psycho-spiritual-somatic approach. I also honed my skills in guiding clients to trust their intuition and attune to their physical sensations. Additionally, I adopted energy work as an extra tool in helping clients release unhelpful energies and install positive ones.
After several years of intense study and refinement, I developed a unique blend of somatic and spiritual techniques that feels authentically me. This approach has been transformative, both for me and my clients.
This style of working has enabled clients to more quickly identify the root of their issues, facilitated deep trauma and inner child healing, and taught them effective emotional regulation skills.
