Somatic Work
& Ableism
in a Body-Phobic Society
It is a core belief of mine that living in our top-down, power-over society has placed burdens on each of us – regardless of our intersections. Very often, those come with a sense of disconnection to (or commodification of) our bodies. Whether through reproductive health, racism, classist burdens, transphobia, aging, access needs, illness, or neurotype, capitalism perpetuates a body-phobic society that all of us have a task to unlearn, if we want to befriend our physical form. My role as your therapist is to help you recognize that unique hurt and build a unique toolkit that’ll help you move towards your liberation.
Befriending our bodies can be a radical act of resistance to systems of oppression and our body-phobic society. I use a trauma-informed approach to embodied practices, which welcomes folks at any point of building embodied curiosity. I especially welcome folks with histories of physical trauma, disability, or disassociation; somatic practices are for you as well! In session I regularly use mindfulness to strengthen a client’s capacity to explore discomfort; this is especially helpful around themes like whiteness and the process of building a sustainable relationship with dismantling oppression. Wherever you are, we can work together to help you build your relationship with your embodied experience more.
As a white, transgender, disabled provider, I know how hard it is to explore getting back in our bodies. We live in a world that shuns body needs, denies body knowledge, and commodifies marginalized bodies in intensely violent ways. It can be scary! I also believe that we heal in relationship, and therapy is a great place to unpack the nuances of what your body can teach you about yourself and your relationships.
Living with chronic pain, you may notice me adjust in my chair periodically during the session. You are always welcome to move around in my sessions! Ableism is deeply embedded in our society and I will always advocate for listening to body needs as a means to undo its tether on us a bit more.
As with all aspects of therapy, we’ll collaborate on a modality that is appropriate for the work you want to do. Engaging in somatic practices with me is always optional and not a requirement for my services.