About Me
Hi, I’m Stephanie
I’m a licensed therapist who has spent more than 20 years supporting people in their growth and healing. My own journey has taught me that lasting change often becomes possible when we include the body in the healing process.
If you’d like to know more about me, below is the story of how I came to somatic work, both personally and professionally.
My Journey To Somatic Work
For most of my career as a therapist, I practiced cognitive-behavioral therapy and other traditional approaches. These methods helped people understand their patterns, but I often noticed that insight alone did not necessarily change how someone felt or responded in the moment.
My clients often knew why they reacted certain ways, but still found themselves caught in the same patterns. That limitation led me to step away from therapy for a few years and work as a healthcare strategy consultant. Later, an unexpected personal experience brought me back to this work as a somatic practitioner.
A Turning Point
In 2018, I experienced a significant shift in how I understood healing and human potential. It led me to explore approaches I had never considered before, looking for ways to work with change not only through insight, but through the body.
One of the first resources I discovered was The Presence Process, a 10-week program centered on presence, twice-daily breathing practices, and a structured process of feeling and working with emotion in the body. Although it did not use the language of somatic therapy, I recognized something important happening.
I went through the process six times. Each round revealed another layer of what body-based emotional work could make possible. As I began studying somatic therapy and Internal Family Systems, I realized I'd been seeing related principles through a different framework.
Expanding My Understanding
My commitment to my own growth has led me to explore a range of intensive experiences. I completed a three-day darkness retreat in complete isolation, which deepened my understanding of nervous system regulation and inner awareness. I have also participated in sound healings, shamanic journeying, and psychedelic therapy, which expanded my understanding of consciousness and embodied healing.
These experiences, along with personal therapy and more than 25 years of yoga and meditation practice, have shaped how I understand transformation: not only as something we understand intellectually, but as something we can experience through the body, nervous system, and whole self.
My Philosophy on Healing
Although I hold a master’s degree and license in Marriage and Family Therapy, along with several certifications, my most useful expertise comes from integrating clinical training with my own ongoing exploration of what supports meaningful change.
As a single mother to a teenage son and an only child with aging parents, I also understand the challenge of making room for inner work within a full, practical life. That experience informs how I support clients in integrating this work into their own lives.
I've discovered through both professional training and personal experience that the body holds the key to the transformation we are looking for. When we include the nervous system, and not only the thinking mind, we can create conditions for change that feels more sustainable.
I believe our healing journey, including the challenges that arise through family patterns, generational trauma, and life circumstances, can become part of our growth. Our difficulties are not simply obstacles to overcome; they can also become pathways toward understanding ourselves more fully and reclaiming our capacity for joy, connection, and purposeful living.
Professional Credentials
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Texas LMFT)
Certified Breathwork Teacher
Certified Spiritual Life Coach
20+ years clinical experience
Extensive training in somatic approaches
Personal practitioner of contemplative and healing arts for 30+ years
Want to learn more?
Click below to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss my 1:1 services.