Somatic and parts therapy is especially helpful if:

• You've tried traditional talk therapy but still feel stuck or symptomatic

• You experience physical symptoms related to trauma (tension, pain, digestive issues, etc.)

• You notice different "parts" of yourself with conflicting needs or reactions

• You struggle with dissociation, numbness, or feeling disconnected from your body

• You want to heal at a deeper, more embodied level beyond intellectual understanding

If any of these resonate, somatic and parts-based approaches may be exactly what you need.

Structural dissociation occurs when your personality fragments in response to overwhelming trauma, creating distinct parts that hold different experiences, emotions, and survival strategies. You might notice that certain situations trigger parts of you that feel, think, or behave very differently from your everyday self. Some signs include: experiencing yourself as having distinct parts with different ages, voices, or perspectives; losing time or having gaps in memory; feeling like you're watching yourself from outside your body; noticing sudden shifts in your emotions or behavior that don't match the situation; or having parts that hold specific trauma memories while other parts have no recollection of those events. If these experiences resonate, a comprehensive assessment can help clarify whether you're experiencing structural dissociation.

Traditional talk therapy primarily engages the left hemisphere of your brain- the logical, verbal, analytical side. But trauma and dissociation are held primarily in the right hemisphere and in your body's nervous system. Somatic approaches like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy work directly with your body's sensations, movements, and implicit memories. Instead of only talking about what happened, we track how your body responds in the present moment. For example, we might notice when a protective part activates by observing changes in your posture, breathing, or muscle tension. This allows us to work with trauma material without requiring you to verbally recount overwhelming experiences, making the process more tolerable and often more effective for resolving dissociative patterns.Somatic approaches allow us to work with trauma without needing to verbally recount every detail. Your body holds the imprints of your experiences, and we can work with those directly through sensation, movement, and nervous system regulation. That said, some people find it healing to share their story, and if that feels important to you, there's space for that too. We'll always move at a pace that feels safe and manageable for your system.

Healing happens through experiencing safety and integration, not through re-traumatization.

Parts work recognizes that we all have different aspects of ourselves- some that protect us, some that hold pain, some that seek connection. When you experience trauma, especially in childhood, parts of you develop to help you survive. These parts might show up as the voice that tells you to shut down, the impulse to people-please, or the feeling of being stuck between conflicting desires. In therapy, we'll get to know these parts with curiosity and compassion. Instead of trying to get rid of them, we'll help them feel safe enough to relax their protective roles. This leads to greater internal harmony and the ability to respond to life from your authentic self rather than from survival patterns.

No. The goal of TIST and parts-based therapy is not to eliminate parts but to foster internal cooperation, communication, and compassion. Many clients find that as parts feel heard and understood, they naturally blend or work together more harmoniously. However, some systems maintain distinct parts throughout their lives, and that's completely valid. What changes is the relationship between parts, moving from conflict and fear to collaboration and care. You'll develop what we call "Self-leadership," where you can engage with parts from a grounded, compassionate place rather than being hijacked by them. The focus is always on what serves your wellbeing and respects your internal system's unique organization.

Treatment length varies significantly based on the complexity of your dissociative experiences and your goals. Stabilization, the foundational phase where we build safety, grounding skills, and internal cooperation, typically takes several months. Some clients work with me for 6-12 months to address specific stabilization goals, while others engage in longer-term therapy (1-3 years or more) to process traumatic material and develop deeper integration. What's most important is that we work at a pace that feels safe for your system. Rushing trauma work before adequate stabilization often backfires. I'm committed to following your system's timeline, not an arbitrary treatment schedule. We'll regularly assess your progress and adjust our approach based on what you and your parts need.

If we decide to work together, we'll start by building a foundation of safety and stability before moving into deeper trauma processing. Your nervous system's capacity and your sense of safety will always guide our pace.

If either of us feels we're not the right match, I'll gladly provide referrals to help you find the support you need.

The first step is to schedule a consultation where we can discuss your experiences, answer your questions, and determine if we're a good fit. Because working with dissociation requires specialized training and a strong therapeutic relationship, it's essential that you feel comfortable enough. During our initial sessions, we'll focus on assessment, psychoeducation about dissociation and the nervous system, and beginning to establish safety and stabilization. I'll help you understand your internal system without judgment and we'll develop a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. If at any point you feel we're not the right match, I'm happy to provide referrals to other trauma-informed specialists.