What is somatics?

Somatics is a methodology that helps us change in lasting ways. In somatics we work through the body to build awareness of our current habits and behaviors, of our deeply felt longings, and of how to change in order to have more of the lives we want and are called to. In somatics we understand emotions, sensations, thoughts, politics, beliefs as interconnected experiences within our living body, and we include all of those domains in our work. I hold societal conditions and systems of oppression as deeply impacting how we are shaped in the world and how we operate today, and I bring a politicized lens to healing and transformation. 

What is somatic coaching?

Somatic coaching takes place in 1:1 sessions in-person or on zoom. The goals for our work are driven by the client. In our first session, I will ask you questions about what you want to change in your life and what you want to get out of coaching, like: 

What do you want to have that you don’t have now? 

How do you want to feel that you don’t feel now? 

Why does that matter to you?

What would be different in your life if you had that? 

What might get in your way of having this? 

Our work together will orient around depthful exploration and concrete actions to help you fulfill these longings. Somatic coaching is different from other forms of coaching in that it grounds our attention and transformation in the body. Somatics helps us identify and heal what is in the way of change, and discover what we need to practice, or do repeatedly, to build new skills and habits that will eventually become embodied.

Lineage

I was first introduced to somatics by Susan Raffo in 2011, through her workshops on dismantling white supremacy. I have participated in generative somatics courses since 2013, and am a graduate of the Strozzi Institute Somatic Coaching Program.

Somatics is a broad field of psychology and has grown in popularity over the past decades. I am a practitioner of a somatic methodology called generative somatics or Strozzi somatics. It was first developed by Richard Strozzi and the Strozzi Institute. Richard Strozzi studied with teachers like Moshe Feldenkrais, Ida Rolf, Wilhelm Reich, Aikido master Morihei Ueshiba, meditation teachers including Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and many others. generative somatics is an organization started by Staci Haines and Spenta Kandawalla, who, along with many others, continued to develop that methodology and brought it to social movements with a politicized lens. Some of my direct teachers have been Staci Haines, Spenta Kandawalla, Mawulisa, Liu Hoi Man, Alta Starr, Paolo Laird, Morgan Bassichis, Richard Strozzi, Stephanie Meux, Wendy Haines, Dara Silverman, Cari Caldwell. This is a living lineage and organizations like BOLD, and Prentis Hemphill’s the Embodiment Institute, adrienne maree brown and many others continue to develop it. Here locally in Minneapolis I want to acknowledge and honor other lineages of somatics that are being practiced and forwarded by people like Resma Menakem and Susan Raffo, to name a few.  

As an organizer and organizational leader inside of social movements, I have learned from…

 FAQs

  • What do people work on in somatic coaching? 

    There are many things you can work on in somatic coaching! Some examples are:

    • You have repeatedly gotten feedback from coworkers, a partner, or friends, but you are struggling to make change

    • You want to feel more connected to people and have deeper community

    • You are working across differences of race, gender, class, etc. and you want to show up in more grounded, empowered, and connected ways

    • You are burned out in your job and something needs to change  

    • You have big goals but are struggling to make meaningful progress toward them 

    • You want to find a healthy partnership and to feel more open and available to love 

    • You want to feel more present to joy and ease in your day-to-day life

  • Sessions last 50-60 minutes. We will start by identifying how today’s session can most serve your goals. We’ll explore that topic through conversation, through becoming present with your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, and engaging in exercises that support you to access information and wisdom in your body, release contractions in the body, and to develop new embodied skills. 

  • My fee structure is on a sliding scale in order to create greater access to coaching. I ask clients to pay based on their financial ability. Here’s a helpful way to think about sliding scales. My rates are:

    • Individuals: $85-150 per session 

    • Organizations or companies: $125-250 per session

    • If you cancel more than 24 hours before an appointment, there is no charge.

    • If you cancel within 24 hours of an appointment or are a no-show, I charge full cost for the appointment.

  • I am committed to disability justice and to making somatic coaching work for as many bodies as possible. Let’s discuss any access needs that pertain to our work together, and I will do my best to address them with you. I offer sessions in person at my office in Minneapolis, as well as over zoom.