Online Somatic Therapy for Individuals in Florida and Illinois

Somatic Experiencing: Gentle yet Powerful Trauma Healing and Nervous System Support

Find relief from overwhelm and physical symptoms while building resilience with this mind-body approach

The beach and ocean at sunset. Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Palm Beach
The beach and ocean at sunset. Somatic Experiencing Practitioner South Florida

Life feels overwhelming, whether it’s rooted in difficult experiences from the past, new trauma, or something harder to define. Even if you don’t connect with the word trauma, the stress, reactivity, or tension in your body is still there.

It’s making it harder to show up for responsibilities, connect with others, or focus on what matters most.

You might notice yourself shutting down, avoiding things that feel too hard, or reacting in ways that don’t feel like you. The heaviness or unease stays with you, no matter how much you try to push through.

But here’s the truth…

It doesn’t have to stay this way.

Somatic Experiencing offers a gentle, body-centered approach to help you break free from these patterns without retraumatization or overwhelm.

Together, we’ll work to regulate your nervous system, build resilience, and reconnect with a sense of ease, clarity, and confidence—helping you feel more grounded, steady, and in control, no matter what life brings.

Headshot of Amy with nature in the background. Somatic Experiencing Florida

Florida Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

Hi, I’m Amy!

I’m so glad you’re here.

Stress and overwhelm can feel relentless. Maybe you’re reacting in ways that don’t feel like you—on edge, shutting down, or struggling to keep up. And the discomfort in your body—like bracing, heaviness, or pain—is hard to ignore.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in Florida, I help people break free from these patterns and find real, lasting change.

Together, we’ll help your mind and body feel safe, so you can regain steadiness, clarity, and a sense of control.

You don’t have to stay stuck. Life can feel easier again.

Common Issues and Concerns of those Seeking Somatic Experiencing

  • PTSD

  • Anxiety

  • Burnout

  • Chronic Pain

  • Chronic Illness

  • Life Transitions

  • Guilt and Shame

  • Family/Relationship Conflict

  • Emotional Reactivity/Overwhelm

  • Substance use and/or other addiction

  • Complex Trauma or Developmental Trauma

Woman walking on beach. Somatic Experiencing South Florida

Why This Work Matters

Somatic Experiencing isn’t just about talking through your struggles or trying to think your way into feeling better. Stress and trauma live in the body, not just the mind.

This work helps you engage with your body’s natural stress responses—fight, flight, freeze—so they don’t keep you stuck in cycles of tension, shutdown, or reactivity. Instead of pushing through or ignoring what your body is telling you, we work with it—helping you release stored stress, shift out of survival mode, and feel more steady.

Over time, you’ll handle emotions and challenges with more ease—without shutting down, lashing out, or relying on coping habits that no longer serve you. You’ll feel more connected, think more clearly, and move through life with greater confidence.

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-focused therapy that helps you release the stress and tension your body has been carrying—often without you realizing it.

Rather than focusing solely on past events, SE works with what’s happening in your body right now. It helps you notice where stress, bracing, or a sense of collapse is keeping you stuck and gently guides your system toward relief.

If you’ve been living with a constant heaviness, emotional exhaustion, or reactions that feel bigger than the moment calls for, SE offers a way to unwind these patterns and find more ease.

This approach helps you feel more grounded, giving your body the space to settle so you can move through life with more clarity and presence.

How Somatic Experiencing Can Help you Find Relief

  • Man sitting by water with hands on head, smiling. Somatic Experiencing Therapist Florida

    Ease Anxiety

    Constant fears, worries, and anxiety can feel overwhelming, showing up as tightness in your chest, knots in your stomach, or a relentless sense of restlessness.

    Somatic Experiencing helps your nervous system recognize when it’s safe, allowing you to feel more confident in speaking up, making decisions, and being present in the moment.

  • woman at beach with and on heart and eyes closed. Somatic Experiencing Florida

    Release Trauma

    Trauma can leave you feeling stuck, constantly on edge, or even completely shut down. These lingering effects are often held as emotional and physical tension in the body.

    Somatic Experiencing gently works with your nervous system to release the trapped energy of trauma, helping you feel safer, calmer, and more connected to yourself and others.

  • Man in jogging clothes sitting on a bench, smiling. Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Florida

    Relieve Chronic Pain

    Chronic pain often goes beyond physical injury or illness; it can be intensified by stress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.

    Somatic Experiencing helps ease your body’s response to stress, which can reduce the intensity of pain and open the door to greater relief and freedom in daily life.

How Somatic Experiencing Can Help You

If you feel overwhelmed, reactive, or shut down, Somatic Experiencing (SE) helps your nervous system separate real danger from past threat, allowing it to return to a steadier, more resilient state. Instead of staying stuck in survival mode, you can experience more presence, connection, and ease.

Man looking in mirror with hands holding face. Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Florida

When your nervous system is caught in old patterns, you might notice:

  • Physical symptoms like pain, tension, or stomach issues with no clear cause

  • Coping habits like zoning out or relying on a nightly drink for relief

  • Strong reactions to stress—or shutting down completely

  • Feeling disconnected or unsure how to move forward

Healing isn’t about managing symptoms—it’s about expanding your capacity to feel, engage, and move through life with more ease.

Through SE, we’ll work with your body’s signals—like the need for movement, rest, or release—to help you process what’s been stuck and create space for healing.

If talking it out hasn’t been enough, this approach can help you shift what’s been holding you back.

 Somatic Experiencing FAQs

  • Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based therapy that works from the inside out. It’s designed to help with trauma, anxiety, stress, and the physical symptoms that come with them. SE focuses on helping your nervous system reset so you can better sense what’s truly safe and what’s not. Trauma—whether big or small—can confuse these signals, making you feel like you’re in danger even when you’re safe.

    SE helps calm your nervous system and resolve trauma-related reactions like feeling tense, stuck, or shutting down. It helps you manage stress better by reducing what triggers you and teaching your body to tell the difference between real danger and things that just feel threatening. Over time, it helps you feel stronger and more capable.

    This process widens your ability to stay calm when things get tough, giving you more space to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting out of instinct. By working through stored stress and trauma, SE helps you handle life’s challenges with more ease and resilience.

  • Somatic Experiencing (SE) focuses on the body and how it holds onto trauma and stress, rather than just talking about your experiences. Instead of spending a lot of time revisiting the past or analyzing your thoughts, SE helps you tune into physical sensations and reactions. This allows your body to release built-up tension and reset your nervous system, helping you feel calmer and more balanced. SE is a gentle, body-based approach that works alongside or as an alternative to talk therapy.

  • Yes, but it’s not like traditional talk therapy. While we’ll spend some time talking about your experiences, the main focus is on how those experiences show up in your body. You’re always welcome to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with—there’s no pressure to dive into every detail of your past. Some sessions, you might not feel like focusing much on your body, and that’s okay too. The most important thing is that you feel in control and have a say in how the session unfolds, so it works best for you.

  • Yes, absolutely! Many people find that Somatic Experiencing (SE) complements traditional talk therapy. While talk therapy focuses on exploring thoughts, emotions, and past experiences through conversation, SE works directly with your body’s responses to stress and trauma. The two approaches can work together to support your overall healing—talk therapy can help you understand your experiences on a mental level, while SE helps you process and release tension stored in your body. Combining the two often leads to deeper and more lasting change.

  • I currently offer virtual sessions only, and Somatic Experiencing (SE) can be just as effective online as in person. During our online sessions, I’ll guide you through the same process of tuning into your body’s sensations and responses to stress. When appropriate, I’ll guide you through somatic practices, which can easily be done through the screen. The most important part of SE is helping you connect with what’s happening in your body, and we can do that just as well in an online setting, ensuring you feel safe and supported throughout.

    Being in your own space makes a big difference too. You can settle into a favorite chair, keep comforting items nearby, or even have your pet close by—all of which can help you feel more relaxed and at ease. Feeling safe in your own environment enhances the effectiveness of the therapy and allows us to focus on your healing.

    Plus, virtual sessions are much more convenient. You don’t have to take time off work, battle traffic, or worry about parking. It’s therapy that fits into your life, with less hassle and more comfort, so you can focus on what truly matters—your healing.

  • Individual 55 minute sessions are $180

    **If you feel like Somatic Experiencing could be the missing piece in your healing but cost is a barrier, I offer a limited number of reduced-fee spots based on availability. If a lower fee would help make this work more accessible, let’s talk and see what’s possible.

    While I don’t accept insurance, I’m happy to provide receipts that you can submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement.

    If you're interested in incorporating the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) into your sessions, it’s available for an additional cost, which you can find listed on the SSP page. We can talk about whether SSP might be a good fit for you during our consultation or at any point as we work together.

Man facing the ocean. Somatic Experiencing South Florida
The beach and ocean at sunrise with colorful sun rays in all directions. Fort Lauderdale Somatic Experiencing

Get help from a Florida Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

Sometimes, it feels like you’re carrying more than you should—reacting in ways that don’t feel like you or caught in cycles of stress and tension that leave you drained. It can be hard to imagine relief when so much feels stuck.

With Somatic Experiencing, we’ll work together to help you release what’s been holding on, so you can reconnect with yourself—this time with more balance and without needing to push so hard to get through the day.

I’d be honored to support you in this process, helping you feel steady, supported, and more like yourself again.

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