Nervous System Healing through Somatic Experiencing

A research-backed, naturalistic, neurobiological approach to trauma resolution.

In-Person and Virtual Sessions available.

Somatic Experiencing™ is a collaborative, body-based therapy, and through it you will learn how to track your nervous system and renegotiate nervous system patterns.

SE can be helpful with:

  • Anxiety and general emotional regulation

  • Feeling emotionally numb

  • Sleep issues (Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep)

  • Chronic Pain, Migraines

  • Syndromes — fibromyalgia, Long Covid, etc.

  • A feeling of being lost or stuck

  • Developmental/ Complex trauma

  • Shock traumas such as car accidents, falls, surgeries, etc.

  • Not feeling like yourself

My approach includes:

  • Posture, sound and movement are inherently part of your body’s vocabulary.

  • Art, music, and Animals - When working in person, it can help clients to begin by experiencing something external, such as the feel of clay on the finger tips, or the co-regulation of goats.

  • SE Touch™ is a slow, extremely gentle form of bodywork that settles the nervous system, and you can request this specifically if you’d prefer an In-Person session. I also incorporate it as needed into sessions.

I’m open to incorporating any art/expressive form into our SE™ practice.

We will start by developing a felt sense of safety in your body. This is a calming, grounding, down-regulating process.

Once you have that, we can start to sense the inner landscape more fully. Together, we explore, practicing moving from safety to discomfort. We notice sensations, images, gestures, impulses. This is the beginning of allowing the body to speak.

Like an animal emerging into view, the body begins to lead us where it needs to go. Often, we are gently watching for an incomplete protective response — an impulse to fight or flee, or freeze.

Resourcing Videos

Demo

Watch Peter Levine, the founder of SE work with Iraq War veteran, Ray.

My background

I entered into the field of psychology after taking a Psychology of Music course during my composition degree. I did my final paper on what causes chills (answer: big changes in volume, texture, or pitch). I was fascinated by emotion, especially emotion caused by music — something external and deemed “auditory cheesecake” by Steven Pinker. Why would these organized vibrations in the air matter to our bodies?

I completed my Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania where I read tons of research on topics like forgiveness, gratitude, and meaning. I did my thesis on vitality in life and at work, under the prolific Adam Grant.

Vitality remains at the heart of my interests, and it seems that vitality is not just an energetic feeling. It is dependent on the health of our cells and the mitochondria inside those cells.

Weirdly enough, by mindfully connecting to the body, we can begin to change the biochemical milieu.

Relevant Trainings and Certifications:

  • Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Training (completed 2024)

  • MAPP, University of Pennsylvania (2010)

  • RYT-200, Anatomy for Yoga Teachers, various yoga workshops

  • Facial Action Coding System Training (2013)

  • CTI Coaching Training (2014-2015)

  • Hakomi Fundamentals, Loving Presence, and retreat (2016-2017)

  • Attachment and Neurodevelopment with Amie Apagian, MD (2022)

  • Embody Lab - Somatic Attachment Training Certification (2022-2023)

  • SE Advanced Training with Peter Levine on Long Covid and Syndromes (2023)

 

In-person and Online Sessions

My Bainbridge Island, WA home office nestles up against the lush Grand Forest. It sits above my pottery studio and lets in the light. My two dogs Dash and Leia sometimes like to assist.

Online options are also very effective.

  • “Sessions with Genevieve have been like a cool drink of water for my nervous system. I feel so much more aware of my body and have learned tangible tools to bring about calm when in a state of stress, as well as daily practices for an overall calmer body state. Her grounded presence combined with a true expertise in somatic therapies has helped me move though personal trauma my body was holding I wasn’t even necessarily aware of. She’s keenly aware of how the body speaks even when our words might be saying something else and knows how to gently guide her clients through deep release and into a more grounded state. Driving away from sessions I always felt lighter, more spacious, and more rooted. The work she does is a true gift!"

    — L. M.

  • “I entered into somatic experiencing work with Genevieve after undergoing a double mastectomy, when my typical outlet of yoga was not adequately available to me.  I am practiced in deep breathing and meditation, however starting guided SE sessions helped me see how much those strategies work to take me away from conflicting emotions, rather than practicing fully feeling and being with those emotional resonances in my body to move through them, rather than away from them.  It feels as though I've taken the first step on a monumentally important path of not only paying attention to my body, but also listening to the wisdom it holds and partnering with it to move towards greater self-realization.”

    — A.S., Virtual Client

  • “Genevieve helped me immensely with anxiety and trauma by guiding me into my body, and healing pain I couldn't resolve with talk therapy and other more cerebral modalities. She has a talent for articulating the process, a sense of humor that put me at ease, and incredible patience. She was especially conscious of my resistance and anxiety, and made me feel safe and cared for. I am deeply grateful for the work we have done together. “

    — A.R.