“Like a lotus flower,
we too have the ability to rise from the mud, bloom out of darkness, and radiate into the world.” - Thich Nhat Hahn
Body of Wisdom represents the inherent wisdom stored in our bodies and my commitment to accessing that wisdom to facilitate healing.
Nicole Stewart, LCSW
Hello! I’m Nicole, and I am so glad you’re here. I started my career in community mental health, working primarily with people surviving homelessness, severe mental illness, and substance use. As I climbed the middle management ranks, I felt burnt out and disconnected from what drew me to social work in the first place. I decided to grow my private practice, prioritize slowing down, and seek balance in my life.
My intention to slow down wasn't really enough to make it happen. My nervous system was wired for achievement, productivity , and perfectionism, and after years of living like this, slowing down felt unsafe and scary. The logical part of my mind knew that these changes would be good for me, but my body and nervous system felt so uncomfortable when I actually tried to make the changes. This disconnect is very common and may be your experience as well.
Leading research in trauma healing repeatedly finds that one of the most effective ways to rewire our nervous systems is to use somatic, or body-based, approaches. In other words, at times, thinking and talking about what happened to you and what you want for your life are not enough for healing. We have to invite the body into the healing process. We have to rewire our nervous systems so that the changes we want actually feel safe and accessible to us.
If we choose to work together, my approach incorporates my personal experiences and the latest research on how to gently and safely access our emotional experiences as they live in the body. Then, we use that information to rewire our nervous systems toward safety, connection, meaning.
My Approach:
So what does somatic/ embodied therapy look like in session? Well, at first, our work might not be that different from a traditional talk therapy process. I will ask questions to explore what is bringing you to therapy and what you would like to be different in your life. And it’s okay if you don’t yet know the answers to these questions! We can figure it out together. I will direct you to notice where good and painful experiences have settled in your body, and we will work with whatever arises to increase your self-awareness.
Through this exploration, I will help you attend to, witness in the moment, and discover the subtle shifts of your nervous system and the information your body is offering. There is often a disconnect between the mind and body, and as we work to reconnect those, we can access a healing resource you haven’t yet discovered.
As a licensed psychotherapist, certified Yoga teacher and level III Reiki Master, I draw from all of these modalities for guidance in how to improve that mind-body connection. We might start by noticing where emotions live in our body or learning where we hold tension in our bodies and what feelings are associated with that sensation. We can then use meditation, breathwork, movement or healing touch to work on releasing that pain or tension from the body. Throughout the process, we will learn about your nervous system, how that impacts how you show up in the world, and when and how that begins to shift.
Learn more about Embodiment in this article: Embodiment While the way we live as humans has—for many of us—become less embodied, there is much the body can teach the mind. By Willa Blythe Baker
Can somatic therapy help me?
I believe that anyone and everyone can benefit from an increased mind-body connection. In my practice, somatic therapy is often a good fit for people having these experiences:
You have found yourself struggling to be present in the moment.
You struggle to focus on the things that truly matter to you.
You find yourself “losing time” or dissociating from your life with numbing and distraction.
You find yourself wanting more calm or groundedness in your life.
You are feeling stuck in your healing process after getting only so far with other modalities.
You are vaguely aware that your body may hold information, but don’t know how to access yet.
What happens next
Connect
If you’re curious about working with me, you can get started by reaching out to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. We can chat by phone or video to see if we might be a good fit for working together.
Meet
If we feel we're a good fit, we can schedule an intake meeting to explore what you would like to discover, change, or heal in our work together.
Discover
If the intake meeting feels right, we'll make a collaborative plan for ongoing work together using a combination of the offerings that feel best for you.