Somatic Experiencing
A gentle, body-based approach that helps you work with the physical responses connected to stress and earlier experiences, building greater capacity and flexibility in how you respond.
Midlife Crisis Therapy
A Deeper Way to Work with What’s Surfacing in Midlife.
Online therapy that includes mind and body for midlife stress, transitions, and personal growth for adults in Florida and Illinois.
Book a 10-Minute ConsultationWhy the Body Matters in Midlife
Midlife can bring questions and changes that are difficult to make sense of on your own.
Relationships shift. Parents age. Children need you differently. Your health, body, career, or sense of who you are may be changing too.
All of this can affect more than how you think and feel emotionally. You may notice changes in sleep or energy, more tension, stronger reactions, or less capacity for stress. Earlier experiences and longstanding patterns may also begin to surface in new ways.
Somatic therapy gives us a way to work with all of this together, including what’s happening in your life, what you’re feeling, and how your body is responding.
Meet Amy Hagerstrom, LCSW, SEP
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner specializing in therapy for adults navigating midlife.
I’m also in midlife, so I understand personally how this stage of life can bring unexpected questions and changes, even when life looks full from the outside. My own experience, together with years of supporting adults through similar transitions, has deepened my appreciation for how much this stage of life can affect both mind and body.
Discovering Somatic Experiencing changed how I thought about therapy. I began to see how much can be understood by including the body alongside insight and conversation. That perspective is at the heart of my practice today.
My approach is thoughtful, collaborative, and attentive to what you’re experiencing. Together, we can explore what’s coming up for you in midlife, understand familiar patterns more deeply, and build greater capacity to navigate this stage of life with more clarity and choice.
What Midlife Can Bring Up
Many people arrive here because midlife has started to feel heavier, more confusing, or harder to navigate than it once did. You might recognize parts of yourself in more than one of these experiences.
- Feeling disconnected, stuck, or unsure of who you are now
- Changes in relationships, family roles, or what you want from your life
- Caregiving pressures or the weight of being in the “sandwich generation”
- Stronger emotional reactions than you’re used to, including overwhelm, irritability, or shutdown
- Changes in sleep, energy, or stress tolerance
- Body or hormonal shifts that affect how you feel (perimenopause/menopause)
- More physical tension or pain, or a nervous system that feels on edge
- Old patterns resurfacing, even after personal growth or past therapy
For some people, midlife also brings anxiety or the effects of earlier trauma closer to the surface, especially during periods of stress, loss, or significant change.
If any of this feels familiar, you don’t have to sort it out alone.
What Therapy Can Look Like
In sessions, we begin with what’s happening in your life right now. We might explore changes in your relationships, career, identity, health, or family, while also noticing how those experiences are showing up in your body.
At times, we may slow down and notice what happens as you talk. You might become aware of tension, changes in your breathing, a tightness in your stomach, or an impulse to look away, move, or brace. Sometimes we stay with those experiences for a few moments. Other times we might explore a small movement, grounding practice, or shift in posture to see what your body needs.
These gentle experiments can help you recognize familiar patterns earlier, feel more connected to yourself, and develop greater flexibility in how you respond to the challenges that often arise during midlife.
My Mind-Body Approach
My work is grounded in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based approach that helps people understand how stress and past experiences continue to shape the present. Depending on your needs, we may also incorporate additional approaches that support regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.
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Safe and Sound Protocol (Optional)
A listening therapy that can help your system register safety when connection feels difficult or overwhelm rises quickly.
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Rest and Restore Protocol (Optional)
Support for deep rest and recovery when stress shows up as exhaustion, shutdown, or a wired-but-tired feeling.
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A developmental lens
Earlier life experiences or painful events may surface as midlife unfolds. When they do, we work with them gently in the present while staying connected to who you are now.
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Integrative approach
When helpful, we may explore lifestyle rhythms such as sleep, movement, nutrition, or nervous-system regulation from a whole-person perspective.
Each approach is integrated thoughtfully, based on your needs and the work we’re doing together.
Finding Your Ground During Midlife Change
As therapy unfolds, many people begin to feel steadier in the middle of uncertainty. Experiences that once felt confusing or overwhelming often become easier to understand, and it may feel easier to stay connected to yourself as life continues to change.
You may begin to notice more space to pause, reflect, and respond intentionally, even when familiar reactions arise. Many people also find they have a clearer sense of what matters to them now and feel more confident navigating this stage of life.
You might begin to notice:
- A greater sense of steadiness during change
- More clarity about what matters at this stage of life
- More space between feeling and reacting
- A deeper connection to your body and inner experience
- A growing sense of direction and confidence in what’s next
With consistent support, midlife can become an opportunity to understand yourself more deeply and move forward with greater clarity and flexibility.
Online Therapy Across Florida and Illinois
I work with adults online throughout Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, and surrounding areas. Meeting online allows you to join sessions from a familiar space, making it easier to fit therapy into your life without the stress of commuting.
I’m also licensed in Illinois and work with adults online throughout the state, including Chicago.
Midlife Crisis Therapy FAQs
Why do so many people struggle emotionally in midlife?
Midlife often brings real shifts in identity, relationships, health, or direction. Hormonal and body changes, evolving family roles, or the weight of responsibility can make stress feel more physical and less predictable than it once did.
Experiences from earlier in life may also come closer to the surface. Many people find themselves asking deeper questions about how they want to live and who they are becoming.
Therapy offers a place to slow down and make sense of what is changing without rushing toward quick answers.
What is your approach to Midlife crisis therapy?
My work includes both mind and body, with Somatic Experiencing at the foundation. We talk about what’s happening in your life, relationships, and emotions while also paying attention to how stress and earlier experiences may be affecting you in the present. As responses arise during our sessions, we can slow down and work with them in manageable ways, helping you build greater capacity, felt safety, and flexibility.
What does it mean to include the body in therapy?
There is still plenty of space to talk, reflect, and process thoughts and emotions. We also pay attention to what happens in your body as we talk. At times, we may slow down, explore sensations or impulses, or use gentle movement and other experiential practices. This gives us another way to work with patterns that may be difficult to change through understanding alone.
How long can I expect Midlife crisis therapy to last?
There is no fixed timeline, but consistency matters. Most clients begin with weekly sessions so the work has enough continuity to support real change and nervous system regulation. Some people come for a focused season of support during a transition, while others continue longer as deeper layers unfold. We move at a pace that feels steady and supportive rather than rushed.
Do you offer online therapy in Florida and Illinois?
Yes. I work with clients virtually throughout Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach, as well as across Illinois. Meeting online allows you to engage in therapy from your own space, without commuting or disrupting an already full schedule, while still doing meaningful mind-body work together.
How much do sessions cost?
Sessions are 55 minutes and cost $200.
Payment is due at the time of each session, and I accept credit or debit card, HSA, or Zelle.
If you’re interested in adding the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) or Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), the additional fees are listed on the SSP and RRP pages. We can talk about whether either option is a good fit for you during our consultation or as we work together.
Ready to See If We’re a Good Fit?
If what you’ve read here feels familiar, you’re welcome to reach out. We can talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you’re hoping to work through or change, and whether my approach to midlife therapy feels like a good fit.
Book a 10-Minute Consultation
