Amy Hagerstrom Therapy PLLC
Build More Capacity to Live Fully
Online Somatic therapy for thoughtful adults across Florida and Illinois
Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Somatic Therapist
Florida (SW 23332) & Illinois (149026921)
I help adults with trauma and stress patterns feel safer in their bodies and build more resilience so they don't live in fight, flight, or freeze.
What You’re Dealing With Makes Sense
When trauma, anxiety, or old emotional patterns show up in both your mind and your body, it can feel exhausting to keep pushing through or trying to figure it out alone.
The adults I work with are thoughtful and self-aware, and their reactions make sense in light of what they have lived through, even when those reactions are painful now. Therapy that includes your nervous system, along with your thoughts and emotions, can create space for something different.
Welcome. I’m Amy.
I help adults move through trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and burnout with somatic and integrative therapy that works with both mind and body. In this short video, I share a bit about how I work so you can see whether it feels like a good fit for you.
Healing goes deeper when all of you is included in the process.
Mind and body both carry your story.
This kind of therapy makes room for the parts of you that talking alone hasn't been able to reach.
Meet Your Therapist, Amy Hagerstrom, LCSW, SEP
Hi, I’m Amy, a licensed therapist offering somatic and integrative therapy in Florida and Illinois.
I work with thoughtful adults who look high‑functioning on the outside but feel like something deeper is shifting underneath. You may have done therapy before and understand yourself well, yet stress still shows up in your body as tension, fatigue, shutdown, or emotional overwhelm.
I do this work because including my body in my own therapy many years ago made a profound difference in my mental health. Talk therapy alone helped me understand my patterns, but things began to change when my body was included in the healing process.
That experience shapes the way I work now. I care about offering a space where your body is included in the conversation and where we move at a pace that respects your nervous system and everything you have already tried.
How I Work With You
My work is grounded in Somatic Experiencing and a developmental, nervous-system-informed approach.
Your body and nervous system are part of every session, not just your thoughts and stories.
We explore your history, trauma, and long‑standing patterns at a pace that feels workable for you.
There is room for all of you to be seen, including sensations, emotions, and the stress responses that once kept you safe.
We move in a way that respects your nervous system instead of forcing change or rushing the process.
My Core Approaches:
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This is always part of our work together. SE helps your body process and release stress that’s been stored, so you don’t stay stuck in cycles of reactivity, overwhelm, or shutdown. Learn more →
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I pay attention to how early experiences shaped you, your patterns, and your nervous system today. That awareness helps us work not just with symptoms, but with the roots underneath.
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I always think in a whole-person way — bringing in lifestyle factors like sleep, food, movement, and other wellness practices alongside therapy. We can do more or less of this depending on what fits. Learn more →
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An optional listening program designed to help your nervous system register safety, which can make it easier to connect, regulate, and do deeper work. Learn more →
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Another optional sound-based approach, focused on helping your system return to its natural rhythm after chronic stress or overwhelm. Learn more →
Why People Choose Somatic Therapy
Many people realize their patterns are not just ‘in their head’ and want support that includes the body.
Overthinking or spiraling, even when you understand what’s happening
Overwhelming physical symptoms like tension, fatigue, and pain
Pushing through emotions, rather than feelings them fully
Feeling shut down, numb, or overwhelmed faster than you expect
Shame or self-blame that lingers beneath the surface
Relationship reactivity that doesn’t fully make sense
What Many People Are Carrying
You may recognize parts of yourself in more than one of these areas.
Sometimes people arrive here feeling anxious or burned out. Other times, they come because something deeper feels unsettled, even when life looks stable on the outside.
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Reactions that feel out of proportion or a kind of numbness that lingers. Even if you don’t fully understand why, your body might be letting you know that something old is still present.
Learn more about trauma therapy -
Sometimes it shows up as racing thoughts. Other times it’s a tightness in your chest that doesn’t ease. It might feel like full-body panic, or a constant bracing for something to go wrong. These signs often reflect more than just stress. When anxiety lives in your body this way, it often needs more than strategies or insight. It needs a different kind of attention.
Learn more about anxiety therapy -
You’ve built a good life, but something still feels off. This season is bringing up old patterns, emotions, or even memories you thought were behind you. Sometimes what's surfacing now has been waiting for this kind of attention, the kind that includes your body, not just your thoughts.
Learn more about Midlife crisis therapy.
Online Somatic Therapy Across Florida and Illinois
I offer online somatic therapy to adults throughout Florida, including West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and nearby areas. Working online means you're in your own space, which for a lot of people actually makes it easier to tune into what's happening in their body and to keep showing up consistently.
I’m also licensed in Illinois and work with clients across the state, including Chicago.
The body is our greatest ally in the healing process, as it holds the wisdom and resources necessary for healing.
Dr. Peter Levine
FAQs About Somatic Therapy
These are some of the questions people often bring when they’re considering mind-body therapy.
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Somatic therapy is a mind-body approach that pays attention to what is happening in your body, not just what you think or feel. Many experiences, especially stress and trauma, are held in the body as automatic responses. Rather than relying only on insight or coping strategies, somatic therapy helps you notice those responses and gives your body more room to move through them, at a pace that feels safe.
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Every session looks a little different because everybody is different, and what your nervous system needs can shift each time. Some days we talk more. Other days we slow down together and notice what's coming up in your body. Sessions are experiential. I may guide you through pushing against a cushion, squeezing your hands together, grounding through your feet, self-supportive touch, or other somatic practices.
The goal is to help your nervous system have space to settle, complete stuck responses, and experience something new. Over time, you build capacity to be with bigger feelings without getting overwhelmed.
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Yes. Somatic therapy translates well to online sessions because the work involves awareness, pacing, and attunement rather than hands-on techniques. Through video, I pay attention to your voice, facial expressions, and body language, and help you stay connected to what's happening internally. Many people find that being in their own space actually helps them feel more grounded and stay with the work.
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Somatic therapy is a broad term that includes many mind-body approaches. Somatic Experiencing is a specific model developed by Dr. Peter Levine that focuses on how the nervous system responds to stress, overwhelm, and trauma. In my work, Somatic Experiencing provides the foundation. It's how I track what's happening in your nervous system and support your body in completing responses that may have been interrupted.
I'm also trained in the Safe and Sound Protocol, Rest and Restore Protocol, and polyvagal-informed practices, and I draw from these when they fit what we're working on.
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Somatic therapy is often a good fit for people who have done therapy or personal growth work and still feel like something hasn't fully shifted. You may understand your patterns logically but notice that your body still reacts quickly to stress, relationships, or change. Many people come to this work feeling overwhelmed, anxious, burned out, or disconnected from themselves, even while holding a lot together on the outside. You don't need to be in crisis to benefit. What matters most is a willingness to slow down and explore healing that includes your body, not just your mind.
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It varies from person to person. Some people begin to notice meaningful shifts within a few months, while others stay longer to explore deeper patterns. Because somatic work includes the body, the pace is often steady rather than rushed. Many of the people I work with are looking for depth, not quick fixes, and weekly sessions give the work room to settle and take hold.
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Somatic Therapy That Includes Your Whole Self
You may already understand yourself well and still feel like something hasn’t fully shifted. When patterns live in the nervous system, therapy that includes the body can create space for deeper change.
Our work moves at a steady pace and stays connected to what is happening in real time, not just insight after the fact. Some people come with clear goals. Others begin with a sense that they want to feel more grounded, more connected, or more fully themselves.
If this sounds like what you've been looking for, the next step is a free 10-minute consultation.
More About Amy Hagerstrom, LCSW, SEP, CIMHP
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), and Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional. I have over 15 years of experience supporting adults through yoga, body-based work, and psychotherapy, with specialized training in how trauma and stress live in the body.
Somatic Experiencing is the foundation of my work, along with the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), and integrative mental health approaches.
You can also find my professional profile on Psychology Today.