Power Through Process

Confidence in Early Adulthood: Growth, Challenges, and Opportunities

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:00:15 GMT

Finding Your Footing When Everything Feels New

The Challenge: Anxiety and Self-Doubt

Many young adults struggle with social anxiety and low confidence. These challenges show up in ways that deeply affect their success:

Academically : difficulty speaking up in class or fully engaging in learning.
Socially : hesitation to form connections, join groups, or cultivate belonging.
Developmentally : avoidance of new experiences that foster autonomy and identity.

When anxiety leads to avoidance, students miss out on the very opportunities that help build mastery, belonging, and confidence. For parents, caregivers, educators, and youth leaders, it can be hard to know how to encourage growth without adding pressure.

Why Psychoeducation Helps

One powerful way to bridge this gap is through psychoeducation, offering young people tools, context, and language to understand what they’re going through. For analytically oriented or hesitant students, this often feels safer than diving into raw emotional work.

Key messages include:

Emerging adulthood is unique : uncertainty and exploration are part of the process.
Confidence is a skill, not a personality trait : it grows with practice.
Anxiety is normal, but manageable : it doesn’t have to dictate behavior.

When students, parents, and educators all have access to this knowledge, it creates shared understanding and reduces shame around the struggles of early adulthood.

From Avoidance to Action

Growth happens in the stretch zone , that space between comfort and overwhelm. The role of educators, caregivers, and mentors is to help students identify what feels like a meaningful “stretch.”

Some strategies that work well include:

Values Lens : Encourage them to choose activities that align with personal values like curiosity, creativity, or connection.
Experiment Mindset : Frame new experiences as “curiosity experiments” instead of high-stakes tests of identity.
Micro-Steps : Break social goals into small, doable steps (e.g., attending one club as an observer, asking a single question in class).
Reflective Integration : Pair psychoeducation with reflection prompts to help students connect theory to lived experience.

When adults are equipped with these tools, they can encourage exploration while respecting each young person’s pace.

Supportive Language Matters

Sometimes, the most powerful shift comes from how we talk about this stage of life:

“This stage of life is supposed to feel uncertain; it’s a time for experimenting with identity, relationships, and independence. Confidence doesn’t grow by waiting until you’re ready. It grows by practicing, step by step.”

Educators, parents, and mentors can use this kind of language to validate what young adults are going through while also nudging them toward growth.

Why Schools, Families, and Community Orgs Should Care

Supporting confidence-building during early adulthood has ripple effects far beyond campus life. Students who learn to take small risks, tolerate uncertainty, and lean into their values are more likely to:

Persist academically and socially.
Build resilience and adaptability.
Enter adulthood with a stronger sense of identity and belonging.

Equally important, when parents, caregivers, educators, and youth leaders gain tools for support, they can reinforce these lessons at home, in classrooms, and in community spaces, creating an ecosystem of encouragement.

How I Can Help

As a therapist and educator specializing in holistic mental health, I design psychoeducational workshops and experiential sessions that help students:

Normalize uncertainty and self-doubt.
Learn practical strategies to navigate anxiety.
Build confidence through micro-experiments aligned with their values.

And equip parents, caregivers, educators, and youth leaders with insights and tools to:

Better understand the unique challenges of early adulthood.
Support confidence-building without pushing students into overwhelm.
Use developmentally supportive language that fosters belonging and resilience.
Create environments that encourage growth and exploration.

By working with both our youth and the adults around them, we build a stronger network of support that makes confidence-building a shared effort, not an individual burden.

If you’re a leader, educator, or caregiver interested in equipping young adults with tools for confidence and resilience, I’d love to connect.

Early adulthood, roughly ages 18 to 25, is one of the most exciting and uncertain stages of life. It’s a time marked by identity exploration, independence, new social circles, and the first taste of real-world responsibility. For many students, this period unfolds in college or through other pathways to adulthood, serving as a “practice ground” for the skills they’ll need beyond school.

But the journey isn’t always smooth.

Want to help young adults build real confidence?

Let’s collaborate, reach out below to discuss a workshop or presentation for your group or organization.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

How sound healing works: how vibration helps your nervous system release tension and return to balance

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:00:05 GMT

Sound healing often enters your life at a very specific moment. Not when you are curious, but when rest no longer comes naturally. Your body feels tired, yet your nervous system stays alert. Your mind slows down, but something inside you remains tight, braced, or on edge.

This experience is common for people who have spent years functioning in high responsibility, emotional awareness, and constant responsiveness. Your nervous system learned to stay prepared. Even when nothing is wrong, it does not fully stand down.

Sound healing does not ask you to change this pattern through effort. It meets your body exactly where it is and offers it something different to respond to.

In case you are new here, I am Chelsey Reese. I support women of color who have learned to carry a lot while staying composed and capable. My work focuses on helping the nervous system soften safely and consistently. You can learn more about my approach as a relational & somatic therapist or explore embodied practices through our sound baths services .

What sound healing actually is and what it is not

Sound healing is a therapeutic approach that uses vibration, frequency, and rhythm to support nervous system regulation. It is not about positive thinking, visualization, or forcing relaxation. It does not require belief, effort, or mental focus.

Instead, sound healing works through sensory input. Your body receives sound as physical information. Long before language existed, sound helped humans assess safety. Rhythm and tone told the nervous system whether it was safe to soften or necessary to stay alert.

Sound healing works because it speaks directly to this ancient system. You do not have to understand it for it to work. Your body already knows how to respond.

Why your body responds to sound before your mind does

Your nervous system is designed to respond to vibration automatically. Sound reaches you faster than thought. It moves through tissue, fluid, and fascia, communicating with your body at a level beneath cognition.

When steady sound enters your system, muscles receive it as a cue to soften. Breath begins to slow without instruction. Internal bracing loses its purpose. This is not something you decide. It is something your body does when it senses stability.

This is why sound healing can feel effective even when your mind is restless, skeptical, or distracted. Regulation begins in the body, not the mind.

Healing sound frequency chart

Before we go deeper into how sound healing works inside the body, it can be helpful to ground this experience visually. In the next image, you will see the healing sound frequency chart, which breaks down how different tones interact with your body. It offers a simple visual map showing why certain sounds feel grounding, why others create emotional openings, and how vibration supports your nervous system. This chart helps you make sense of the internal shifts you feel when sound begins to move through your system.

Source: 2026 Blisspot

How does sound healing work: vibration reorganizes tension inside your body

Sound healing works by engaging the body through vibration rather than instruction. Your nervous system responds to rhythm and frequency automatically, without needing effort, belief, or conscious focus. When steady sound enters your system, it provides an external structure that your body can orient to.

Tension inside the body is often the result of unfinished stress responses. When your system was unable to fully react or recover, it learned to hold. Vibration offers a way out of that holding. As your nervous system entrains to consistent sound, muscles begin to soften, breath expands, and internal pressure reorganizes.

This reorganization does not happen all at once. It unfolds gradually as your body recognizes safety. Sound does not force release. It creates the conditions where release becomes possible. Your system lets go of what it no longer needs when it feels supported enough to do so.

The role of crystal bowls and gongs in sound healing

Different instruments affect the body in different ways. Sound healing is intentional, not random. Each instrument offers a specific quality of vibration that interacts with the nervous system uniquely.

Crystal bowls produce clear, steady tones that support stabilization and clarity. They help the nervous system settle into a predictable rhythm, which supports emotional regulation and internal spaciousness.

Gongs produce layered sound waves that reach deeper holding patterns. Their complexity helps disrupt long standing tension and invites the body into reorganization rather than collapse. Together, these instruments create balance between grounding and release.

Sound healing and emotional release without overwhelm

Emotions often surface during sound healing not because sound causes them, but because safety allows them. When the nervous system downshifts, it no longer needs to suppress emotional material.

Sound healing does not push emotions out. It creates enough internal stability for feelings to move through without becoming overwhelming. Emotional responses are regulated, not explosive.

Common experiences include gentle tears, emotional clarity, relief, or a sense of lightness. These responses signal integration, not loss of control.

Sound bath meditation benefits over time

Sound bath meditation benefits extend beyond the session itself. With consistency, your nervous system learns a new baseline for safety and rest.

Over time, people often experience deeper sleep, reduced reactivity, less chronic tension, and improved emotional regulation. These shifts happen gradually and sustainably.

Sound healing teaches your body that calm is not temporary or conditional. It becomes familiar.

Sound bath sessions near me: What to expect during a sound healing session in Los Angeles and Atlanta

A sound healing session in Los Angeles is designed to offer nervous system relief within a city that rarely slows down. From the moment you arrive, the environment is intentionally quieter, softer, and more grounded than the world outside. This contrast is part of the work. Your body immediately senses a shift.

Sessions typically take place in calm, contained spaces that prioritize safety and comfort. You are invited to lie down, supported by props, and settle into stillness without expectation. There is no requirement to focus, perform, or clear your mind. The pace is slow on purpose, allowing your nervous system time to recognize that it does not need to stay alert.

As sound begins, instruments are played with care and attunement. In a city where stimulation is constant, this guided containment allows your body to release control gradually. You may notice your breath deepening, muscles softening, or your thoughts becoming less urgent. Everything unfolds at a pace your system can tolerate.

When the session ends, there is space to transition slowly back into the external world. This gentle reentry matters in Los Angeles, where the contrast between stillness and stimulation can be stark. You leave grounded enough to carry the effects of rest back into the city with you.

How your body integrates sound after the session ends

Sound healing continues working after the sound fades. Your nervous system integrates gradually as you move through your day.

You may notice slower reactions to stress, increased body awareness, and a greater sense of internal steadiness. Integration is quiet and cumulative.

Let sound become a place where your body can finally rest

Sound healing is not about fixing you. It is about giving your nervous system something stable enough to respond to. When your body feels supported, it remembers how to soften.

You deserve spaces where rest does not require effort and where your body is allowed to exhale through sound baths services .

What is a sound bath meditation? Benefits, what to expect, and how it supports nervous system healing

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Sound bath meditation for the woman who needs a moment where her mind finally quiets

Sound bath meditation often becomes meaningful in the moment when you realize you cannot quiet your mind on your own. You know you need rest, yet your thoughts continue racing even after the day is over. Your body feels tired, but your nervous system stays alert, as if it cannot fully stand down.

This experience is common for women who carry responsibility, emotional awareness, and constant mental engagement. Noise does not end when the room goes quiet. It continues internally. You crave a pause that feels real and a kind of quiet that reaches deeper than your thinking mind.

If you are new here, I am Chelsey Reese, and I support women of color who are tired of carrying excessive tension, noise, and emotional pressure in their bodies. My work offers grounding experiences that help your mind slow down and your body feel safe again. If you want to understand what guides my work, you can explore my page as a relational & somatic therapist . And if this topic speaks to something inside you, you can also discover our restorative offerings through our sound baths services .

How does bath meditation work?

Your body responds to sound before your mind has time to interpret it. Sound bath meditation works by communicating directly with your nervous system, bypassing the mental loops that often keep you stuck in overthinking. Low tones and steady rhythms reach places words cannot touch.

Sound creates a sense of orientation and safety inside your body. As vibration enters your system, your nervous system begins to downshift without effort. This is why sound bath meditation benefits often appear even when you are not trying to relax.

Slower, deeper breathing
Softened muscles and jaw
Reduced mental noise
A steadier heartbeat

What happens during a sound bath meditation

During a sound bath meditation, you lie down comfortably and allow sound to move around and through you. There is no requirement to focus, visualize, or control your experience. You simply receive.

In guided sound bath sessions, instruments are played with intention and pacing that support safety and regulation. The experience is gentle and contained. Your body is invited to rest, not pushed into release.

Sound bath sessions near me, and what makes Los Angeles & Atlanta a unique place to receive sound work

Searching for sound bath sessions near me often occurs when your body needs more support than self-guided rest can provide. You may feel overstimulated, emotionally complete, or unable to settle independently. This search is about safety and containment, not convenience.

In Los Angeles, sound bath sessions offer a powerful counterbalance to a fast-paced, high-output environment. The contrast between external stimulation and intentional stillness allows your nervous system to soften more deeply. When sound is offered with care, your body senses permission to rest.

At Power Through Process, sound bath sessions in Los Angeles and Atlanta are designed as nervous system care, not performance. Each session offers a grounded container where you are supported through sound rather than asked to manage your own rest. You can explore these offerings through our sound bath services .

Sound bath meditation benefits when your body is tired of trying to relax

The benefits of sound bath meditation extend far beyond surface calm. They support your nervous system in releasing chronic alertness and returning to a baseline of ease. Unlike practices that require concentration, sound allows your body to receive without effort.

As sound moves through your system, breathing slows, and muscles soften. Mental noise quiets without force. Over time, your body learns that rest does not require vigilance or control.

Sound bath meditation benefits often include deeper sleep, emotional clarity, reduced physical tension, and a greater sense of internal safety that carries into daily life.

Your body processes sound long after the session ends

Does sound bath work beyond the session? Yes. Your nervous system continues integrating sound after the experience ends. The effects unfold quietly over time.

• Deeper sleep
• Emotional openness
• Reduced reactivity
• Steady, sustained energy

The emotional relief that emerges when your body finally quiets

When your body calms first, your emotions follow. Sound bath meditation supports emotional settling by reducing the need for internal guarding. As the nervous system slows, emotional intensity softens naturally.

Emotional shifts often include:

Softened defensiveness
Eased overthinking
Heightened presence
Lowered urgency

Sound bath meditation supports long-term nervous system healing

Sound bath meditation benefits become more pronounced with repetition. Your nervous system heals through consistency, softness, and safety. Sound offers all three.

Over time, your body learns that slowing down is not a threat. Rest becomes familiar. Regulation becomes accessible rather than rare.

Different instruments shift your body in different ways

What is sound bath meditation without understanding the role of sound itself? Each instrument carries a distinct quality that interacts with the body differently. Bowls, chimes, drums, and voice tones each invite a unique response.

Some sounds ground you, others soften emotional edges, and others encourage expansion or rest. Together, they create a layered experience that allows different parts of you to unwind safely and gradually.

Building a relationship with rest when you are used to pushing through

Learning to rest can feel uncomfortable when urgency has been your default. Sound bath meditation gently interrupts this pattern without confrontation.

Urgency
Guilt
Overthinking
Hyper Responsibility

Sound teaches your body that slowing down is safe.

Letting sound reconnect you with feelings you have stored away

Does sound bath work emotionally? Yes. Sound creates permission for emotions to surface without pressure. When your body feels safe, feelings rise naturally.

Some emotions return quietly. Others bring clarity. Sound holds them without requiring explanation or control.

Your nervous system deserves a place where it can rest without effort

Sound bath meditation offers a space where your mind softens, your breath slows, and your body remembers ease. You deserve a place where sound carries you back home to yourself through our sound bath services in Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Are You Breathing Wrong? How Shallow Breathing Keeps Stress in Your Body

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:00:14 GMT

Quick Test: Chest vs. Diaphragm Breathing

Want to know if you engage in deep or shallow breathing? Here’s a quick test.

Sit or lie down comfortably.
Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly (just below the ribs).
Take a normal breath in (don’t force it).

If the chest hand rises more, you’re mostly chest breathing.
If the belly hand rises more, you’re engaging the diaphragm.
Ideally, you’ll see a gentle belly rise first, then a little chest expansion second.

�� Do this for 3–5 breaths. It gives you quick awareness of your default pattern.

What type of habits and stress cause shallow breathing over diaphragmatic breathing?

Chronic stress, trauma, and cultural conditioning can contribute to a reliance on alternative muscles (chest, neck, shoulders, etc.) for breathing. Lifestyle, posture, stress, and emotional holding patterns can all contribute to this shift.

For example:

Cultural messages like “stand tall” or “suck in your stomach” can reinforce holding in the stomach for appearance or posture, limiting the diaphragm’s movement.
Modern lifestyle for school aged children and adults involves sitting at a desk or in a vehicle. Sitting for long periods can shorten the hip flexors and tighten the diaphragm.
Even subtle stressors can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which cues faster, chest-centered breathing.
Postural stress: sitting hunched at a desk, driving for long periods, or standing with the belly “sucked in.”
Environmental stress: background noise, constant notifications, fluorescent lighting, or crowded spaces.
Emotional micro-stressors: running late, worrying about your to-do list, minor conflicts, or feeling unseen in a conversation.
Sensory overload: scrolling through social media, switching between tabs, or multitasking without pause.
Physiological stress: dehydration, low blood sugar, shallow sleep, or too much caffeine.
Social stress: subtle code-switching, microaggressions, or pressure to perform/present in certain ways.

These stressors always trigger a full fight-or-flight response, but they layer over time , keeping the nervous system slightly activated. Stress disrupts our breathing mechanisms as the breath responds automatically: getting faster, moving higher into the chest, and recruiting neck/shoulder muscles instead of letting the diaphragm expand fully.

�� That’s why even a few intentional grounding breaths during the day can help *reset* and remind the body it’s safe.

What's the long term impact of chest breathing?

Chest-dominant breathing can increase tension in the shoulders/neck, reduce oxygen exchange, and keep the nervous system in a subtle activated stress state (via the sympathetic nervous system).

Under sympathetic activation, breathing gets faster and shallower (chest breathing). This can actually reduce CO₂ levels in the blood making it harder for oxygen to be released from the blood into our bodies muscle tissue.

Stress can make the body feel oxygen-starved even when oxygen is available, which can signal to the body that we’re under threat, tricking the body into feeling unsafe and under-resourced.

�� That’s why slow, diaphragmatic breathing is so regulating: it balances oxygen + CO₂, calms the nervous system, and signals safety.

Daily “Micro-Practice Menu” (30–60 seconds each)

Here are 5 quick resets you can sprinkle into your day after emails, between meetings, or even while waiting in line.

1. 3-3-3 Grounding Breath

Inhale through your nose for 3 counts, letting your belly expand.
Hold for 3 counts.
Exhale slowly through the nose or mouth for 3 counts.
Repeat for 3 rounds.

2. Shoulder Drop Reset

Inhale deeply into your belly.
As you exhale, consciously drop your shoulders away from your ears.
Repeat 2–3 times. (Great if you’ve been at a computer.)

3. Hand-to-Heart Check-in

Place one hand over your heart, one over your belly.
Inhale into the belly, then let the breath rise into the chest under your top hand.
Exhale slowly, softening the jaw.
Do 2–3 rounds.

4. Sigh of Relief

Inhale normally.
Exhale with an audible sigh, like a gentle “haaah.”
Repeat 2–3 times to release tension quickly.

5. Box Breath (for focus)Inhale for 4 counts.

Hold for 4 counts.
Exhale for 4 counts.
Hold for 4 counts.
Repeat 2–3 rounds.

�� These little resets send micro-messages of safety to your nervous system. You can set timers to remind you to engage in these mini moments of grounding and layer the practices into what you’re already doing.

Lastly, if you struggle with accessing diaphragm breathing, know that with awareness and practice (like breathwork, yoga, or somatic exercises), we can re-train the body to restore diaphragmatic breathing at any stage of life. By noticing your breath and practicing these mini-resets, you can gradually restore diaphragmatic breathing, calm your nervous system, and feel more grounded throughout your day. Which one of these practices can you try today?

Ever notice yourself holding your breath when you’re stressed? Most adults spend their days breathing shallowly, without even realizing it. Did you know that when we are born as babies we are diaphragmatic breathers, due to the diaphragm being the most efficient breathing muscle? Over time habits and stress change our patterns of breathing and many adults breathe in a way that focus on expanding the chest, this is called chest or shallow breathing.

Ready to explore mindful breath practices that free your body from stress?

I’ll help you slow down, tune in, and find steadiness through the wisdom of your own breath.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

Somatic release therapy and the mind-body connection for healing

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:15:00 GMT

Somatic release therapy often becomes relevant when you feel something stirring inside you that you cannot explain. In the first quiet seconds, somatic release therapy does not feel like relief. It feels like movement. A flutter in your chest. A warmth rising. A subtle trembling that feels both unfamiliar and deeply known.

There may be no clear memory associated with how you feel. No obvious story. Yet your body begins to signal that something long contained is asking to move. This is not a collapse or depletion. It is the moment your body stops compressing what it has been carrying and begins to bring it toward the surface.

In case you are new here, I am Chelsey Reese, and I support women of color who notice these internal shifts and want to understand what their bodies are ready to release. My work offers a calm, grounded space where your body can soften and let go at its own pace. If you want to learn more about what guides my work, you can explore my approach as a relational & somatic therapist . And if this topic resonates, you can also explore deeper embodied work through somatic therapy .

Stored stress does not disappear. It waits. And then it asks to be released.

Somatic release therapy is grounded in a simple truth. Your body remembers what your mind learns to move past. Stress that never had space to resolve does not vanish. It settles quietly into muscles, breath, and nervous system patterns.

Over time, emotional experiences that were never fully processed become physical residue. The body holds them not as stories, but as sensations. This is often why stress resurfaces later without a clear cause. Your body is not malfunctioning. It is communicating.

Common sensations that signal the body is trying to release include

Pressure or heat building internally
Tightness that shifts or pulses
Spontaneous sighing or yawning
Gentle shaking or trembling
Emotional waves without a clear trigger

What is somatic release therapy, and what does it do inside your body

Somatic release therapy is a body-based approach that supports your nervous system in letting go of stress that was never fully processed at the time it occurred. Instead of working primarily through words or analysis, it focuses on how experiences are held in your body as sensation, tension, and physiological response.

At its core, somatic release therapy helps your body complete stress responses that were interrupted or suppressed. When your system was unable to react, rest, or recover fully, that energy was stored. This work creates the conditions for that stored stress to move, soften, and release without forcing emotional intensity.

Inside your body, this process often looks subtle. Muscles gradually relax. Breath becomes fuller. Sensations begin to flow instead of feeling stuck or compressed. Emotional understanding may follow, but the primary shift happens in the body first. Your system no longer has to stay prepared for something that has already passed.

Somatic release therapy works by restoring communication between your body and your sense of safety.

When your nervous system feels supported, release happens naturally, at a pace your body can tolerate and integrate.

How somatic release interrupts the pattern of holding

When the body releases stored stress, it no longer needs to remain braced or anticipatory.

Common shifts include

More expansive breathing
Reduced muscle tension
Less internal bracing
Increased presence and ease

Your body stops preparing for something that already ended.

What a release session may feel like in real time

How you feel after somatic release varies from person to person. Release is not forced. It happens when your body feels safe enough to let go.

During a session, people may experience

Warmth spreading through the body
Gentle shaking or movement
Spontaneous tears without distress
A sense of grounding or lightness
Emotional clarity without overwhelm

These experiences are supported through somatic therapy in a paced, contained manner.

Simple release practices you can try on your own

Self-guided release practices create small openings rather than big emotional events.

Gentle practices include

Slow breath waves through the body
Micro-shaking in the legs or arms
Grounding through the feet
Hand to chest connection
Vocal toning or gentle sound

Small somatic movements create openings that thinking cannot.

Creating safety inside your body so release can happen

What actually is somatic therapy at its core? Safety. Your body lets go only when it feels it will not be punished for speaking.

Slowness matters and permission matters. When safety is present, release does not need to be forced. Your body already knows what to do. Somatic release therapy offers a gentle way to return to your body’s natural rhythm. Your body has carried enough. You deserve support that allows you to soften into a life that feels safe. If you’re in Los Angeles and ready to explore somatic therapy , I’d be honored to guide you home to yourself.

Somatic counseling for women in Los Angeles who’ve spent years putting everyone else first

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:15:02 GMT

Somatic counseling often begins the moment you realize your life has been organized around other people’s needs. You know how to show up, hold space, anticipate, and care. Yet in quiet moments, something feels missing. You are present for everyone else, but not fully present with yourself.

This is not about failure or burnout. It is about identity. About noticing that the woman who gives so much no longer feels familiar inside her own body. Somatic counseling offers a way to reconnect with yourself without needing to abandon the people you love.

In case you are new here, I am Chelsey Reese, and I support women of color who have spent years centering everyone else while slowly losing touch with their own internal world. My work invites the body back into the conversation so you can feel grounded, whole, and present again. You can learn more about my approach as a relational & somatic therapist and explore embodied support through somatic therapy .

What is somatic counseling (and how does it help women reconnect to themselves)?

Somatic counseling is a body-based approach that focuses on how your experiences live in your nervous system, not just in your thoughts. Instead of asking you to analyze your life, it helps you notice what is happening inside your body in real time.

For women who have spent years prioritizing others, reconnection often does not happen through insight alone. It occurs through sensation. By noticing your breath, your posture, and the subtle ways your body has learned to orient toward others.

Somatic counseling helps gently rebuild this relationship. It teaches your body that it is safe to take up space again, to have needs, and to be included in your own life. Over time, this creates presence, clarity, and self-trust.

Why a lifetime of prioritizing others rewires your body

Caring for others is not just a role. It becomes a bodily orientation. Your nervous system learns to stay outwardly focused, scanning for cues, needs, and expectations beyond you.

Over time, caregiving becomes instinctive. Your body responds before you think. You feel responsible for emotional balance and stability even when no one asks you to. This is not a flaw. It is an adaptation.

Your body may learn patterns such as

Emotional scanning and anticipation
Holding tension in readiness
Self-minimizing to preserve the connection
Constant monitoring of others’ reactions

How being the dependable one reshapes your internal world

Living as the dependable one shapes how you relate to yourself. You become skilled at regulating quickly, moving on, and staying composed. Your emotions are managed efficiently so they do not disrupt anyone else.

You learned to stabilize others even when it destabilized you internally. Over time, this reshapes your inner world.

Common shifts include

Suppressing your own reactions
Recovering emotionally at an unnatural pace
Managing others’ feelings as a priority
Shrinking discomfort instead of addressing it

Somatic counseling brings awareness to these patterns without judgment.

When caring becomes instinct, and your own needs become invisible

After years of being the one who shows up, self-neglect no longer feels like a choice. It becomes automatic. Your body learns that your needs can wait and that attention must stay outward to preserve belonging.

You may struggle to identify what you want or need. Not because you are disconnected, but because your body learned that noticing yourself was secondary.

Somatic counseling does not force self-focus. It rebuilds safety around noticing yourself again, slowly and respectfully.

The bodily cost of shaping yourself around other people

Your body reflects the expectations placed on you. Over time, this shows up as constriction rather than crisis. Sensations become muted. Awareness narrows.

Common somatic expressions include

Shallow or restricted breathing
Tightness in the chest or throat
Reduced internal awareness
Emotional flattening
Chronic muscular tension

A somatic therapist understands these signals as communication, not dysfunction.

How somatic counseling helps you return to yourself

Returning to yourself does not mean becoming less caring. It means no longer disappearing inside your roles. Somatic counseling supports this return by helping your body feel safe enough to stay with itself.

As your nervous system regulates, subtle changes appear. You pause before reacting. You sense when something is too much. You recognize your limits without needing to justify them.

Somatic counseling restores access to your internal cues, guiding your life from the inside rather than managing it from the outside.

What does a somatic therapist actually do?

A somatic therapist listens beyond words. They track breath, posture, pauses, and nervous system responses as you speak. These cues guide the pace and depth of the work.

Rather than pushing for emotional release, a somatic therapist prioritizes safety and regulation. They help you notice sensations, track shifts, and stay present without becoming overwhelmed.

The role of a somatic therapist is not to fix you. It is to support your body in remembering how to feel, respond, and rest again. Explore somatic therapy in Los Angeles.

Somatic counseling techniques that rebuild your inner home

Somatic counseling uses grounded practices that rebuild trust between your body and your identity. These methods are slow by design.

Common techniques include

Interoceptive tracking
Slow breath syncing
Gentle micro-movements
Boundary sensing through sensation
Emotional pacing for safety

You have cared for everyone else long enough. Now it is your turn to come home.

Your body has waited years for you. You are allowed to return to yourself with care, gentleness, and support through somatic therapy .

Somatic therapy: what happens when you start listening to your body

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:00:01 GMT

Somatic Therapy often begins when listening finally feels safer than pushing through. In the first quiet moments of noticing your body instead of overriding it, Somatic Healing Therapy shifts from an idea into an experience your nervous system has been waiting for.

You may have spent years managing stress through logic, discipline, and strength. Yet your body keeps responding in ways your mind cannot fully control. Tight breath. Subtle tension. Emotional fatigue that does not lift. This is where listening becomes the turning point.

I am Chelsey Reese, and I support women of color who have learned to survive by staying capable, composed, and emotionally contained. My work centers the body as a place of truth, safety, and reconnection. You can learn more about my approach as a relational & somatic therapist or explore body-based support through som atic therapy.

What is somatic therapy and how does it work?

Somatic Therapy is a body-based approach that works with sensation, breath, and nervous system response rather than relying only on conversation. Instead of analyzing your experiences, it focuses on how those experiences live in your body right now.

While talk therapy helps you understand your story, somatic therapy supports your body in feeling safe enough to release what it has been holding. Healing happens through awareness and regulation, not force.

Why the body holds what the mind forgets

Your body learns through experience. Long before you had words, your nervous system adapted to keep you safe. Those adaptations can remain active even when circumstances change. Somatic Therapy helps the body update these patterns rather than override them.

What happens when you start listening to your body

The early phase of Somatic Therapy often feels subtle. Nothing dramatic happens, yet everything begins to shift underneath the surface.

You may notice moments of awareness where there used to be disconnection. Sensations become clearer. Reactions slow down. Your body begins to participate in your healing instead of being managed.

Your breath begins to shift on its own

Many people notice their breath deepening without effort. The body releases tension it no longer needs to hold. This is often the first sign of regulation returning.

Your body reveals where it’s been holding tension

As awareness grows, areas of tightness become clearer. Jaw, shoulders, chest, stomach. These sensations are not problems. They are information.

Emotions rise when it finally feels safe

When the body senses safety, emotions may surface gently. This is not overwhelm. It is release happening at a pace your nervous system can tolerate.

What happens inside a somatic healing therapy session

Somatic Therapy sessions are slow, intentional, and deeply attuned to your body’s cues. There is no pressure to perform, explain, or relive your past.

Sessions focus on what is happening now rather than retelling everything that happened then.

What your therapist is tracking beyond words

Your therapist tracks breath, posture, nervous system responses, and subtle shifts in sensation. These signals guide the pace of the session.

Gentle techniques that help your body communicate

Somatic therapy techniques may include grounding, breath awareness, gentle movement, and tracking sensation. These tools help your body express what words cannot.

How safety allows release to happen naturally

Release is not forced. It happens when the body feels supported and safe enough to let go. Regulation comes first. Release follows.

The benefits of somatic healing therapy

Over time, Somatic Therapy creates changes that extend beyond sessions and into daily life. Clients often describe feeling more present, less reactive, and more connected to themselves.

Emotional regulation and deeper rest

As the nervous system regulates, emotional swings soften. Sleep improves. Rest begins to feel restorative rather than elusive.

Releasing survival patterns that no longer serve you

People pleasing, hypervigilance, and chronic overfunctioning lose their grip as the body no longer needs them for protection.

Reconnecting with self-trust and calm

When your body becomes a source of information rather than a source of tension, self-trust grows. Calm becomes accessible instead of effortful.

Is somatic therapy evidence-based?

Somatic Therapy is supported by growing research on the nervous system and trauma. Studies on body-oriented approaches show consistent early evidence that working with the body can reduce trauma-related symptoms and improve overall well-being.

Research continues to highlight what many clients experience firsthand. Healing becomes more sustainable when the body is included rather than bypassed.

Living differently through somatic healing therapy

Somatic Therapy is not about fixing yourself. It is about restoring your body’s natural capacity for regulation, connection, and ease.

As you learn to listen instead of override, life begins to feel less like something you manage and more like something you inhabit. If your body is signaling a different approach, you can begin with somatic therapy .

How somatic trauma therapy frees what your mind cannot forget

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:00:31 GMT

When your body speaks the truth you have been trying to ignore

Somatic Trauma Therapy often becomes relevant long before you consciously search for it. You wake up already tired, and your chest feels heavy before the day even begins. This is often the moment when Somatic Trauma Therapy shifts from a general idea into something your body quietly longs for.

You tell yourself to keep going. You remind yourself that you are capable, strong, and resilient. Yet your body keeps telling the truth your mind has tried to move past. Your shoulders tense. Your breath shortens. Your throat tightens when you want to speak.

In case you are new here, I am Chelsey Reese, and I support women of color who have spent years carrying the emotional weight of everyone around them while slowly disconnecting from their own needs. My work centers on your body, your truth, and your lived experience. If you want to understand who we are and what guides this work, you can explore my approach as a relational & somatic therapist . If this topic speaks to something inside you, you can also explore more profound body-based healing through somatic trauma therapy .

Your body holds the memories your mind tries to move past

What does somatic mean, and why does your body remember

To understand Somatic Trauma Therapy, it helps first to understand what "somatic" means. Somatic refers to the body and lived experience as felt, not just remembered. Your body reacts before your thoughts can catch up.

Somatic work for trauma recognizes that your nervous system stores experiences as sensation. Even when your mind knows the danger has passed, your body may still respond as if it has not.

Research on body-oriented approaches continues to grow. A review of somatic therapies looked at dozens of studies and found consistent early evidence that working with the body can reduce trauma-related symptoms and support overall well-being. This helps explain why healing often happens when the body is included, not just the mind.

Sensation as a form of memory
Survival states such as fight, flight, freeze, or collapse
Body signals that communicate safety or threat
Patterns shaped by lived experience rather than logic

The quiet physical signs of trauma you have learned to dismiss

How somatic release therapy reveals what you normalized

Somatic release therapy often begins with noticing what you have learned to ignore. Many people learned early that slowing down or feeling deeply was not safe, so the body adapted by holding tension quietly.

Common somatic indicators include:

Tightness in the throat or jaw
Knots or discomfort in the stomach
Chronic hypervigilance
Emotional numbness or shutdown
Persistent exhaustion

The churning in your stomach is your body protecting you in the only way it knows how.

Why your nervous system cannot be reasoned out of its pain

What is somatic therapy, and why is insight alone not enough

Somatic Trauma Therapy recognizes that cognitive insight and physiological safety are not the same. You can understand your story and still feel your body reacting as if danger is present.

Your nervous system learned these responses through experience, not logic. This is why talking about trauma does not always release it from the body.

How unresolved emotions become physical patterns

Somatic work for trauma and stored survival responses

Somatic work for trauma shows how emotional suppression becomes a physical habit. Each time you silenced yourself to keep the peace, your body learned to brace.

These patterns often show up as:

Shallow or restricted breathing
Collapsed posture
Chronic alertness even during rest
Your body remembers every moment you had to be strong when you needed care.

Healing begins when your body is invited into the conversation

Why somatic trauma therapy creates absolute safety

Somatic Trauma Therapy invites your body into healing instead of asking it to be overridden. When sensation is met with curiosity rather than judgment, your nervous system begins to soften.

Healing begins when you stop overriding your body and start listening to its signals.

Somatic therapy techniques that help your body release what it has held

Somatic release therapy in practice

Somatic therapy techniques support the body in completing responses it never had space to finish. These practices restore regulation rather than forcing catharsis.

Breathwork that supports nervous system regulation
Grounding practices that anchor you in the present
Gentle movement to release stored tension
Body scans that build awareness
Co-regulation that allows safety to be felt in connection

You can explore this work more deeply through somatic trauma therapy.

Learning to hear your body without judging yourself

What does somatic mean when applied to compassion

Your body is not dramatic. It is honest. Somatic work for trauma helps you meet sensation with compassion rather than criticism.

As judgment softens, your body no longer needs to shout to be heard.

Releasing patterns of overgiving and finally choosing yourself

How somatic trauma therapy supports people pleasers

Somatic Trauma Therapy often reveals how people pleasing lives in the body as a survival response.

Common patterns include
Saying yes when your body says no
Carrying responsibility that was never yours
Staying hyper alert to others’ needs
Ignoring exhaustion until burnout
As safety returns, these patterns begin to loosen.

If your body is asking for relief, it is time to listen

Begin your healing through somatic trauma therapy in Los Angeles, where your body finally feels safe to rest somatic trauma therapy .

How Attachment Styles Develop — And How to Heal Insecure Attachment

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 19:18:36 GMT

A gentle introduction to attachment styles, relational patterns, and the path toward secure connection.

Attachment styles shape how we experience closeness, conflict, safety, and emotional intimacy in relationships. Many of the patterns we struggle with as adults—overthinking texts, avoiding vulnerability, people-pleasing, or fearing abandonment—can often be traced back to our earliest relationships.

This post explores how attachment styles develop, how insecure attachment shows up in adulthood, and practical, compassionate steps toward healing and secure attachment.

How Attachment Styles Develop

Attachment styles form during our earliest relationships, most often with caregivers. Attachment is fundamentally about survival—it helps us get our needs met and stay connected to those we depend on.

A clear example of this is how a baby instinctively cries to communicate an unmet need, such as hunger, discomfort, or the need for closeness. When caregivers respond consistently, attuned, and emotionally available, a child learns:

My needs matter
I am safe to express myself
Others can be trusted

This forms the foundation of secure attachment .

When caregivers are inconsistent, emotionally unavailable, intrusive, or unpredictable, a child may develop an insecure attachment style . Over time, this can lead to deeply held beliefs such as:

“My needs are too much.”
“If I express myself, people will leave.”
“I have to earn love or stay small to stay connected.”

Because attachment is relational, a parent or caregiver’s own attachment style often influences how they show up—meaning these patterns can be passed down intergenerationally . Children then grow into adults who may unconsciously seek out relationships that reinforce familiar attachment dynamics, even when those dynamics are painful.

What Happens When Attachment Patterns Go Unexamined

Without awareness, insecure attachment styles tend to repeat themselves.

For example, someone with an anxious attachment style may have learned early on that care or affection could be withdrawn at any moment. To protect the relationship, they learned to:

Suppress their emotions
Anticipate others’ moods
Avoid expressing needs or boundaries

As an adult, this person may continue ignoring their feelings when a partner does something that feels hurtful. And if they do finally speak up, they may find themselves in relationships where their concerns are dismissed or met with anger—reinforcing the belief that speaking up is unsafe.

This isn’t because they are doing something wrong. It’s because the nervous system is wired to seek familiar attachment experiences , even when they no longer serve us.

Can Insecure Attachment Be Healed?

Yes—but healing insecure attachment is not about “fixing” yourself. It’s about creating new relational experiences that challenge old beliefs and help your nervous system learn safety in connection.

Healing happens through what therapists call reparative or corrective relationships —relationships where your needs are acknowledged, your emotions are welcomed, and your boundaries are respected.

Four Tips to Begin Healing Insecure Attachment

1. Recognize Where Your Beliefs Came From

The first step is acknowledging how your early relationships shaped your view of yourself and others. This isn’t about blaming caregivers—it’s about understanding the context in which your attachment patterns developed.

Awareness creates choice.

2. Gently Challenge Old Narratives

As adults, we can remind ourselves:

Not everyone will relate to me the way my caregivers did.

This reminder alone doesn’t rewire attachment, but it opens the door to new possibilities and interrupts the assumption that past dynamics are inevitable.

3. Seek Out Emotionally Safe, Attuned Relationships

Healing insecure attachment requires relational safety. This may look like:

Choosing partners or friends who are emotionally responsive
Noticing how your body feels around certain people
Allowing yourself to move more slowly in relationships

It's critical to understand you cannot heal attachment wounds in environments that continue to reinforce them.

4. Practice Showing Up Differently (Even When It’s Hard)

This is often the most challenging—and most transformative—part.

Healing may involve:

Expressing needs in real time
Naming discomfort instead of suppressing it
Setting boundaries without over-explaining

For someone with anxious attachment, this might mean risking honesty instead of self-silencing. Over time, when needs are met rather than punished, new beliefs begin to form:

“My needs are important.”
“I can express myself and still be loved.”

You cannot heal attachment wounds in environments that continue to reinforce them.

Why Change Can Feel So Hard

It’s important to name that showing up differently requires courage .

Trying to shift patterns that once protected you can activate fear, stress, or resistance. Parts of you may warn:

Don’t rock the boat.
This isn’t safe.
You could lose the relationship.

These parts aren’t the problem—they developed to keep you connected and safe.

Healing insecure attachment isn’t about forcing yourself into discomfort. It’s about building capacity , resourcing your nervous system, and trusting that what’s on the other side of the discomfort—greater security, authenticity, and connection—is worth it.

Moving Toward Secure Attachment

Secure attachment isn’t perfection. It’s the ability to repair, communicate, and remain connected—even when things feel messy.

If you’re on this path, you’re not behind. You’re responding to patterns that once made sense—and now you’re choosing something more aligned.

Want Support Healing Attachment Patterns?

If you’re interested in exploring attachment styles, nervous system regulation, and relational healing in a supportive space, I offer therapy and somatic-based support designed to help you move toward greater emotional safety and secure connection.

You can book a free connection call with me to learn more.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

How to Move Forward When Not Everyone in the Relationship Is Willing to Repair

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 15:00:20 GMT

Honoring your heart’s ache while learning to listen to your body’s wisdom .

There’s nothing more disorienting than reaching for connection with someone you care about. Only to realize they’re not reaching back. Whether it’s a romantic partner, a close friend, or a family member, it can feel deeply painful when you’re the one willing to mend the cracks, but the other person has checked out, shut down, or walked away.

This moment, when you’re left holding the pieces, is tender, complicated, and incredibly human.

Acknowledging the Hurt: Grieving the Repair That Won’t Come

Before moving forward, it’s important to make space for grief. Not just the grief of the relationship itself, but the grief of what could have been if both people were willing to do the work.

Maybe you imagined long talks, therapy sessions, or simply a heartfelt apology. Maybe you waited for a text that never came. It’s okay to mourn the future you were hoping for. You don’t have to rush your healing.

Reminder: Acceptance doesn’t mean approval. You can accept that someone isn’t ready to repair without condoning their behavior or denying your own needs.

Understanding Why Some People Avoid Repair

Not everyone has the emotional tools or willingness to repair ruptures. This doesn’t mean they didn’t care.

Sometimes, people:

Lack the self-awareness to recognize the harm
Avoid conflict due to fear or trauma
Struggle with accountability or vulnerability
Believe silence is safer than confrontation

This isn’t an excuse. But understanding can offer a kind of softening, especially when anger threatens to harden your heart.

The Work of Repair Doesn’t Go to Waste

It’s heartbreaking when the relationship itself can’t be saved, but your willingness to reflect, reach out, and take accountability isn’t wasted.

Your capacity to repair is part of your relational integrity. It speaks to your values. And it will shape how you show up in future relationships: with clearer boundaries, deeper wisdom, and more grounded self-trust.

How to Move Forward Without the Repair

Here are a few steps that might support you in navigating this tender place:

1. Validate Your Experience

You’re not being “too much” for wanting repair. You’re not “weak” for feeling hurt. You’re human. Let yourself name what you needed and didn’t get.

2. Release the Fantasy of Closure

Sometimes the closure we crave won’t come from the other person. But we can still create our own closure through ritual, reflection, or a final boundary-setting moment that centers your truth.

3. Set Loving Boundaries

Boundaries aren’t punishments; they’re grief-honoring. They let you say: This mattered. I’m protecting what’s left of my heart while I heal.

4. Tend to the Parts That Blame Themselves

When repair doesn’t happen, we often turn inward: Was it my fault? Should I have tried harder? Offer compassion to the younger part of you who just wanted connection. You did the best you could with what you knew.

5. Reclaim Your Energy

The loop of replaying, rehashing, and waiting can drain your emotional reserves. Redirect your energy into places that do nourish you: art, nature, movement, spiritual practice, community care.

You Deserve Relationships That Heal, Not Harm

You deserve mutual repair. You deserve care that doesn't leave you guessing. And you deserve to move forward, not with resentment, but with radical self-honoring.

Even when repair isn’t mutual, your healing still is. You get to move forward. You get to grow. You get to let go with grace.

A soft place to land for anyone navigating a breakup, the end of a friendship, family estrangement, or other unresolved relational ruptures.

Want to talk through a relationship rupture or explore your patterns in connection?

I offer supportive therapy for individuals navigating relational grief, boundary repair, and self-trust.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

Does Asking for What You Need Make It Less Meaningful?

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 15:00:04 GMT

A Reframe on Needs, Care, and Communication in Relationships

It’s a common and vulnerable question: If I have to ask for it, does it even count?

Whether it’s asking for words of affirmation, more quality time, or better communication, it can feel disheartening to speak our needs aloud, especially when we wish our partner, friend, or family member would “just know.”

But here’s the truth:

Needing to ask for what you need doesn’t mean someone cares less. It means you’re giving them the chance to care more intentionally.

The Myth of Mind-Reading

Many of us hold onto the romanticized idea that love means knowing what someone else needs without having to be told. But no matter how intuitive someone may be, no one can read minds.

Expecting others to intuit our needs sets them up to fail and often leaves us feeling disappointed.

Healthy relationships rely on clear communication, not clairvoyance.

What Asking Actually Means

Asking for what you need is not a sign of weakness or insecurity... it’s a sign of self-awareness and relational courage.

It says:

I know myself.
I want us to do better.
I believe our relationship is worth tending to.

In fact, when someone listens, responds, and follows through after we express a need, it can be even more meaningful than if it happened without asking. Why? Because it’s intentional .

When Asking Becomes Repetitive

That said, needing to ask for the same thing over and over... especially when it relates to core needs or basic respect, can be a sign that something deeper is missing.

You might begin to ask:

Are my needs being heard but not honored?
Is there capacity or willingness to meet me in this?
Am I staying in hope that someone will become someone they’re not?

Repeated unmet needs can point to a mismatch in values, emotional availability, or relational effort.

Reflective Prompts

If you’ve been grappling with this question, consider:

What do I need, and why does it matter to me?
How does the other person respond when I share this need?
Am I feeling dismissed, heard, or met halfway?
Is this a pattern that’s creating resentment or emotional burnout?

Want to learn more about navigating communication in relationships?

You deserve to ask for what you need and to be met with care and effort.

Being brave enough to ask gives people the opportunity to rise, to show you their capacity for love, respect, and reciprocity.

If they can’t or won’t meet you there, that’s not your failure... it’s clarity.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

When the World Feels Too Heavy: Nervous System Reflections + Resources for Realignment

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:00:03 GMT

Understanding your response to global overwhelm and finding your way back to center.

From climate change to humanitarian crises, it can feel like the world is spiraling out of control. Maybe you’ve found yourself feeling angry, helpless, or totally disconnected. If that’s you, I want you to know — you’re not alone. There is a collective grief felt all around the world.

In this post I'll be sharing some insight into what might be happening with the nervous system and invite reflection on how these things may be showing up for you and what can be done about it.

How the Nervous System Responds to Crisis

The way we feel or how we respond to external chaos falls somewhere along the scale of shut down to activation.

There's no right or wrong to whatever you're feeling right now. Our bodies are designed to protect us. That’s why when crisis hits, we might collapse, freeze, fight, or flee. These states aren’t bad — they’re biological. The problem is when we get stuck there.

Get curious about where you might fall along this scale currently or under certain circumstances.

As humans we have a wide range of emotions and responses all engineered to help us feel safe. Safety and survival are the ultimate primordial needs for living beings. And when those needs are threatened, survival becomes the focus and it can seem like nothing else matters. Things that usually matter a lot can fade into the background: connection, creativity, sleep, nourishment, joy, etc.

Guided Reflection on What Gets Lost in Chaos

We don't even have to imagine what a world with sleep deprived, creatively blocked people would look like. Many of us are living it or witnessing it.

Take some time to journal or briefly pause to check in about how this may be showing up for you?

What areas of your life tend to fall out of focus for you when things get chaotic?
What do you tend to do to help you feel safe?
Are there people, places, or things that support you?

A Personal Note on Cultivating Safety

Only when you feel safe and connected can your nervous system settle into what we call the Ventral Vagal response. This is where healing, growth, social engagement, and sustainability thrive.

Personally I've been practicing mindfulness around areas of my life I tend to let fall behind. I'm working on tending deeply to my most basic needs so I can function with more ease. I've been engaged in protests, spreading awareness and staying informed while continuously checking in with my capacity and also acknowledging rest as another form of resistance. I've been anchoring into people, spaces, and practices where my nervous system feels grounded and calm. And I've been leaning into gratitude for even small moments of joy and fun, savoring what I can in a constantly shifting world.

Messages of Hope

Is there the possibility for healing and collective care, even in the chaos? I believe so. Nothing in this world is permanent and I think we are seeing the rise of some profound shifts. As disempowering as it can feel at times,

the more we tend to our own well-being, the more capacity we have to show up — for change, for justice, and for each other.

Crisis often triggers radical innovation, coordination, and change. People are questioning and deconstructing long standing systems that don't serve the greater collective. The value in community building and space holding is growing. We have to do the work of taking care of ourselves and each another to get to the Ventral Vagal (Safety & Connection) window. This is where we will be able to imagine and create a better more sustainable future for ourselves.

Practical Tips for Nervous System Care

Want to practice these tools in community?

I'll be hosting a virtual space for community dialogue, journaling, and meditation on Thursday, September 25 at 5:30PM PDT/8:30PM EDT. This event is free and open to all.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

Black owned yoga studios & meditation resources in Los Angeles

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 23:34:54 GMT

Black owned yoga studios & meditation resources in Los angeles

Black Mental Health is often overlooked and underserved due to a lack of culturally sensitive and representative resources. And while the number of black healthcare and wellness practitioners is increasing, most tend to be women, leaving a gap in services for black men looking to engage in wellness spaces where they are not the minority. If you are in the Los Angeles area (or planning to visit soon) check out these black-owned and black-led wellness spaces offering yoga, meditation, and other community wellness programming.

The Tree Yoga Cooperative

The Tree Yoga Cooperative ("The Tree") is a Black and Brown owned yoga studio and wellness hub in South Central Los Angeles. The Tree offers a wide range of studio classes and workshops throughout the week. Ja Cole ( @10thletter ) is one of the four co-founders and was the co-facilitator for my own yoga teacher training program at The Tree. On Saturdays he leads a Meditation class (8:30am) and teaches Soul Flow , and RnB and Hip Hop yoga class (9:30am). You can use my referral link and enter promo code: REFERRAL to attend your first class at The Tree for free!

Hands In The Soil

Hands In The Soil is a community organization fulfilling a mission of connecting mind, body, and nature. Founder, Yancy "Yogee" Comins ( @yancy.is.wellthy ), hosted a weekly wellness lounge for Men of Color called Check-in & Chill . The last one took place in December 2023 and I am hoping this offering continues. Currently Yancy hosts movement based yoga practices @thepostclimbing in Pasadena on Tuesdays 5:30pm and Fridays 10am, and @LincolnParkLB in Long Beach on Saturdays 9:15am.

Health is Wealth Yoga

Founded by Derrion ( @kinginspirit ) and based in Long Beach, CA, Health is Wealth Yoga is cultivating abundance through breath. Derrion teaches a Wind Down Wednesday, a donation based yoga class, on Wednesdays 7-8pm at Green Pines Creative (@ thegpc.space )in Long Beach.

Walk Good LA

Walk Good LA ( @walkgoodla ) formed during the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd. What started off as protest against police brutality has transformed into a Black and Brown led community wellness organization. Walk Good LA is based in LA and hosts various wellness programs such as BreatheGood, RunGood, and HikeGood.

Black Being LA

Black Being LA is all about black liberation. They are a non-profit wellbeing studio located in Inglewood, CA prioritizing the wellbeing of Black People. Currently they hold an evening meditation every Wednesday at 7pm and have a host of other studio classes offered both virtually and in person throughout the week.

Body Art Noir

Body Art Noir is a newly opened studio in Inglewood, CA. They value inclusivity and are culturally affirming, providing a variety of yoga and meditation classes such as heated Vinyasa, restorative yoga, prenatal yoga, and meditation classes.

What to Expect in a Somatic Therapy Session: How Body-Oriented Therapy Supports Stress Relief, Healing, and Nervous System Regulation

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 12:34:46 GMT

For high achievers, deep feelers, and those learning to slow down.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic comes from the root word “Soma” which directly translates to “body” in the Greek language. Somatic therapy is a holistic and body-oriented therapy focused on integrating the Soma or whole body into an individuals awareness to move towards healing . It emphasizes mind-body connection and encompasses a wide range of techniques such as grounding, breathwork, and movement. This article will discuss key principles of the work, explore common themes and real life examples that come up in sessions, and answer frequently asked questions about somatic therapy.

What is the goal of somatic therapy?
What does somatic therapy help with?
What are the key principles of somatic therapy?
What does a somatic therapy session look like?

The goal of somatic therapy is to help individuals build awareness of their internal world including ways that the body relates to emotions and lived experiences. Through guided practices of exploration and nervous system regulation, somatic therapists support individuals in releasing physical tension, stress, and trauma that gets stored in the body.

Somatic Therapy Helps With:

Functional freeze / burnout
Difficulty resting or relaxing
Chronic overthinking or people-pleasing
Reconnecting with your desires, voice, and boundaries
Making space for joy and self-trust

Somatic therapy supports emotional healing by gently tuning into bodily sensations, breath, movement, and nervous system patterns. Rather than focusing only on thoughts, somatic therapy invites you to listen to what your body is trying to tell you—especially when it comes to stress, overwhelm, and old survival strategies.

Seven Body Wisdom Principles

Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body as a source of wisdom, not just something to manage or control. Somatic psychotherapist, Manuela Mischke-Reeds, beautifully frames somatic work through the Seven Body Wisdom Principles :

The body responds to its direct environment.
The body learns and remembers.
The body is flexible and changing.
The body experiences are transient.
The body has innate capacity for repair and healing.
The body wisdom comes forth in a climate of kindness and compassion.
The body is an important place for healing and transformation.

A Typical Session Might Include:

Check-in: We begin with a few minutes of talking about how you’re arriving—emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Grounding Practice: This might include breathwork, orienting (looking around the room), or feeling your feet on the floor to help settle your nervous system.
Body Awareness: You’ll be invited to notice sensations (tightness, heaviness, restlessness, etc.) and reflect on what they may be connected to emotionally or experientially.
Somatic Interventions: Depending on your comfort and capacity, we may explore:
Breathwork
Gentle movement
Self-touch (like hand over heart or belly)
Tracking nervous system responses
Imagery or resourcing practices (drawing on safe, supportive memories or images)
Reflection & Integration: We’ll process what came up, and identify how you might practice this awareness or regulation outside of session.

Personalized & Consent-Driven

Explaining exactly what to expect in a somatic therapy session can be challenging because there's no one size fits all approach .
Somatic therapy is experiential and tailored moment to moment to each individual's unique nervous system.
Where other modalities might offer a linear roadmap of what to do and when to do it, somatic work flows differently. And for some, that idea of slowing down can feel abstract or even threatening.
In somatic therapy we move at your pace and only explore what feels safe and doable in the moment.

A Real-Life Example

You might come into session feeling anxious and overextended. As we slow down together, you're prompted to explore where anxiety and overextension exists in the body. You then begin to notice a tightness in your chest and a clenching in your jaw. We pause to breathe and allow the body to move and adjust in whatever ways feel supportive.

Next, we explore what those sensation might be trying to communicate. We may engage in dialogue directly with those sensations via verbal communication, letter writing, visualization, or even a creative art exercise. Perhaps we reflect on areas of your life where these sensations are most and least present.

Overtime you realize your feelings are connected to the pressure you feel to always “be on.” We might explore where this pressure stems from and what it would feel like to give yourself permission to rest. We won't just talk about rest but we'll bring in regulation tools that support that shift. We actually practice cultivating rest in real time so your body gets familiar with viewing rest as resourceful.

Common Themes in Somatic Work

While understanding barriers to rest is a common theme in somatic therapy it's not the only one. Some people find somatic therapy helpful in letting go of control , amplifying your voice, building meaningful connection or setting healthy boundaries .

If you’ve ever felt stuck in survival mode, feeling activated, or disconnected from your own needs and wants, somatic therapy offers a pathway to rebuild that connection from the inside out.

Reconnect with Your Body. Rediscover Your Power.

You are not too much. Your body is not a problem to fix. It’s a story that deserves to be heard, with compassion and care. If you're curious about how this work might support you, I invite you to schedule a free introductory call. Let’s explore what slowing down and coming home to yourself could look like.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

What’s Blocking Your Rest? 4 Hidden Patterns That Make It Hard to Slow Down

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 18:00:02 GMT

Four common rest-blocking patterns rooted in trauma, overgiving, and survival mode, and how to gently reconnect with ease in your body.

For so many women of color, rest doesn’t come easy. Not because we don’t want it, but because somewhere along the way, we were taught that rest had to be earned. That we had to take care of everyone else first. That being strong meant pushing through, even when our bodies begged us to slow down. But the truth is:

✨ Rest isn’t laziness.

✨ Rest is resistance.

✨ Rest is reclamation.

✨ Rest is remembering that your worth isn’t tied to your output.

If you’ve ever found yourself exhausted yet unable to stop moving, or lying down only to feel your mind start racing, you’re not alone. There are often deeper reasons (unseen emotional patterns, internalized survival strategies, or nervous system imprints) that make rest feel unsafe, unfamiliar, or even guilt-inducing. In this post, we’ll explore four common patterns that block rest, and offer gentle, somatic-centered ways to begin releasing them. Because you deserve to feel at ease in your body and at peace in your life.

Each of these reflects a rest-blocking pattern, rooted in internalized expectations or survival responses:

These patterns don’t come out of nowhere—they’re often shaped by trauma, culture, and systems that have taught women of color that stillness is unsafe, selfish, or unearned. Research from trauma experts, somatic therapists, and Black feminist scholars all echo this truth: rest isn’t just a lifestyle shift... rest is a radical act of healing, and a sacred reclaiming of what was lost.

�� You Deserve to Rest

If rest has felt out of reach for you, know this: it’s not because you’re lazy, broken, or not trying hard enough.

The struggle to rest is often a sign of something deeper—something protective your body or mind learned to do to help you survive. But survival isn’t the whole story. You’re allowed to soften. You’re allowed to shift. You’re allowed to choose a new way forward.

Whether you’re unlearning hyper-independence, releasing guilt, facing long-held emotions, or setting boundaries with care — remember that rest is a right, not a reward.

Ready to explore what rest can actually feel like in your body?

Download the Somatic Guide for Nervous System Regulation to access three gentle body-based practices that help you slow down, reset your nervous system, and come home to yourself. Let this be the beginning of a softer, slower, more self-honoring season.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

Leaning Into Life’s Unknowns and Choosing Without Certainty

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 18:00:05 GMT

When There’s No Easy Answer & Every Option Feels Risky

What if there’s regret either way?

When we face big decisions in life, about relationships, career, family, or the direction we want to take, there’s often a quiet (or loud) hope that we can find the “right” answer. The one path that will protect us from regret, loss, or discomfort. The brain is a predictability machine that craves certainty and seeks knowledge.

But life doesn’t always offer guarantees or clarity. Sometimes, we have to come to accept that either choice may carry its own version of grief or uncertainty. Either choice comes with a cost. That realization can feel like a kind of heartbreak, but it can also feel like an invitation.

An invitation to shift from trying to outsmart regret…

To release our need to get the perfect outcome...

To learning how to lean into grace and compassion no matter the situation.

When we try to control every outcome, we live in a scarcity mindset: one that fixates on risk, loss, and the worst-case scenario. It keeps us planning for an imagined future, while holding back from living in the present and listening to our deepest desires.

Discomfort doesn’t always mean something is wrong or that it's not the right choice. Ever heard of growing pains? Sometimes, discomfort is a sign we’re growing.

Growing through discomfort means making peace with what’s outside of our control, while anchoring into what's within our reach: our inner resources and resilience, our support systems, our safety nets, our capacity to choose again.

The more we practice trusting ourselves to navigate what arises, the more we begin to live from a place of abundance… not because the path is clear, but because we’ve remembered we are not powerless. We have the ability to do hard things.

✨ You don’t need perfect certainty to move toward a meaningful life. You only need enough self-trust to take the next step.

And if you don’t fully trust yourself yet… that’s okay too.

Start with a willingness to be curious.

Start with one brave step and build from there.

Questions to Consider When Things Feel Uncertain

If you’re in a season of uncertainty or navigating a decision that feels heavy, take a moment to pause. What part of you is seeking protection? And what part longs for possibility? What might you miss out on if you wait for complete certainty? These are questions worth sitting with. And if you’d liked to explore this more in a therapeutic space, I’m here to support.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

When Boundaries Feel Like a Threat: Understanding Power & Control in Relationships

Tue, 20 May 2025 22:10:38 GMT

Recognize red flags, restore safety, and communicate your needs with clarity and care

In relationships, disagreements are inevitable. Its not about avoiding disagreements all together, but instead focusing on how we navigate them. Sometimes, what seems like a difference of opinion can actually be a red flag... especially when it involves power, control, or the disregard of personal boundaries.

What is controlling behavior?

As described in an article on PsychCentral , controlling behavior can look a lot of different ways, ranging from subtle signs of coercion and influence, to more direct and threatening attempts to exert power over someone else.

Let's take a situation, for example, where one partner decides who the other can or cannot follow on social media. At face value, this might seem like a simple request or even a display of how much they care. But when we look deeper, it can signal something more troubling... an imbalance of power or a need to control the other person’s connections, choices, and autonomy.

If you’ve ever found yourself feeling like you're “walking on eggshells,” having to get permission for your friendships, or being made to feel guilty for asserting your needs, it may be time to reflect on the power dynamics in your relation.

Common Power & Control Red Flags

While setting boundaries is healthy, controlling behavior disguised as “just asking” can be a form of emotional manipulation . This often shows up subtly, such as:

Demanding access to your phone or accounts
Telling you who you can or can’t talk to
Guilt-tripping you when you express needs or emotions
Threatening to withdraw love, attention, or the relationship if you don’t comply
Claiming that their controlling behavior is how they show they care

These patterns erode trust and autonomy, and over time, can signal a toxic or emotionally unsafe dynamic.

When “Care” Becomes Control

One of the most subtle and confusing ways power and control show up in relationships is when someone claims that their controlling behavior is a sign of how much they care. You might hear things like:

“I just worry about you — that’s why I need to know where you are all the time.”
“I’m only asking you to cut off that friendship because I love you.”
“If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be this upset.”

These statements may sound loving on the surface, but true care honors your autonomy . It doesn’t cross your boundaries, isolate you from others, or make you feel small.

�� Care that violates your boundaries is not care. It’s control.

If someone consistently uses their love as a reason to limit your freedom, that’s a red flag worth paying attention to. Healthy relationships are built on trust, mutual respect, and the ability to navigate discomfort without resorting to coercion.

How to Communicate your Boundaries Assertively

In contrast, assertive and compassionate communication invites mutual respect and understanding... even when there’s tension. Here are a few steps you can practice to help shift the dynamic:

Name the behavior, not the person.

☞ “I felt really uncomfortable when went through my phone.”

Express your feelings and needs clearly.

☞ “Trust is really important to me, and I want to be in a relationship where we can respect each others privacy.”

Set a boundary and name the outcome.

☞ “If that trust isn’t there, I’m not sure this relationship can work.”

Hold space for nuance.

☞ “I understand this may feel hard for you, and I still need to be with someone who respects my autonomy. Is this something you can accept?”

You Deserve Safe, Respectful Love

Power struggles often show up when one person feels threatened by the other’s independence. But healthy love doesn’t require control... it invites choice, trust, and accountability. You can be understanding and assertive. Compassionate and have boundaries.

If someone consistently reacts to your boundaries with defensiveness, manipulation, or control? That’s not just a “communication issue.” It may be a sign of something deeper that needs to be addressed.

Ready to build healthier relationships with yourself and others?

If you’re noticing any of these patterns in your relationship, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. Therapy can help you reconnect with your values, rebuild your boundaries, and find clarity about your relational needs. If you're ready to take the next steps, let's explore working together during a free connection call.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

Let Go of People-Pleasing and Set Boundaries with Confidence

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 23:54:00 GMT

Break free from guilt, speak your truth, and create space for authentic connection.

“What if they think I’m selfish?”

“Will they be upset with me?”

“I don’t want to let them down.”

If these thoughts sound familiar, you’re not alone. People-pleasing often disguises itself as kindness, care, or responsibility for others, but at its core, it can be a response to discomfort of someone else’s disappointment, frustration, or disapproval. Setting boundaries means confronting this discomfort, especially feelings of guilt, and learning to sit with it rather than letting it dictate our actions

Why Does People-Pleasing Feel So Hard to Let Go Of?

At its root, people-pleasing is a learned behavior often shaped by early experiences where we felt safer, more accepted, or more valued when we prioritized others over ourselves. Over time, this pattern becomes automatic:

We take responsibility for other people’s emotions
We avoid conflict too keep the peace (often at the expense of our own needs)
We feel guilt when we set a boundary (even if that boundary is necessary)

But here’s the truth: letting go of people-pleasing does not mean becoming uncaring or selfish. It means recognizing that you are not responsible for how others feel.

The Role of Guilt in Boundary-Setting

Many people struggle to set boundaries because guilt gets in the way. Guilt makes us feel like we’re doing something wrong even when we’re simply protecting our time, energy, or emotional well-being.

Letting go of people-pleasing means:

Releasing the need to control how others react.
Allowing people to be responsible for their own emotions.
Building tolerance for distressing feelings, like guilt or fear of letting someone down.

If you’ve set a boundary before and it wasn’t received well, you may have internalized the belief that “boundaries hurt people” or “I should have handled it differently.” But boundary setting isn’t about controlling someone else’s reaction... it’s about honoring your own well-being.

Practicing Boundaries & Sitting with Discomfort

Rather than avoiding guilt, the goal is to get comfortable with it. Recognize guilt as a natural response rather than a sign that you’re doing something wrong. Try these reframing strategies to help navigate guilt when setting boundaries:

Acknowledge the guilt without letting it control your actions. Instead of thinking, “I shouldn’t have said no,” try: “I feel guilty, but that doesn’t mean I did something wrong.”
Use a grounding mantra. When you feel pulled to take on someone else’s emotions, remind yourself: “I recognize your hurt without attaching myself to it. Your emotions are not mine to carry.”
Tune into your body’s response. Guilt often shows up physically as tightness in the chest, a pit in the stomach, or tension in the shoulders. Engaging in somatic practices (like deep breathing, stretching, or EFT tapping ) can help regulate these sensations rather than reacting impulsively to ease discomfort.
Investigate what the guilt is protecting. If you feel guilty after setting a boundary, ask yourself:

Am I making their disappointment mean something about me?
Do I believe I’m only valuable when I meet others’ needs?
Am I afraid this boundary will lead to rejection?

These reflections can reveal hidden fears that keep you stuck in people-pleasing cycles.

The Rewarding Side of Boundaries

The truth is you're going to feel discomfort no matter what. The difference is, when you feel discomfort because you don't honor your needs, those needs continue to go unmet and you may experience long term effects on your mental health, physical health, and on your relationships as a result. On the other hand, discomfort caused by doing something that is right for you and helps you get your needs met, is temporary and can be managed through emotional regulation. When you learn how to sit with the discomfort of guilt and challenge internalized fears and messages, you unlock the more rewarding side of boundary-setting , where you experience:

Inner peace instead of resentment.
Emotional freedom instead of over-responsibility.
Stronger relationships based on mutual respect rather than obligation.

A lot of times we think of boundaries as walls that separate and divide, but the truth is boundaries don’t push away the people who genuinely care, they create space for healthier connections, with both yourself and others.

So the next time guilt creeps in, take a breath. Let it be there, but don’t let it make the decisions. You are allowed to take up space, say no, change your mind, and prioritize your well-being.

Ready to build healthier relationships with yourself and others?

If you're navigating people-pleasing, struggling to set boundaries, or working through the impact of relationship trauma, therapy can be a supportive way to process and create meaningful change. Submit an inquiry to explore how therapy, somatic practices, and mindful boundary-setting can help you step into a more empowered and peaceful version of yourself.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA

Beyond Resolutions: Ways to Honor Your Needs in a Shifting World

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 23:05:14 GMT

Here are some ways to honor your needs in a shifting world

What a wild ride its been as this first month of 2025 comes to an end. The world is changing in so many ways and it can be hard to keep up. From extreme changes in climates and wildfire devestation, to global humanitarian crisis and media censorship, all compounded on top of information overload it's no wonder many are feeling on edge. In a recent threads posts , sociologist Jennifer Walter, writes about how this intentional push towards overhwhelm contributes to reduced civic engagement and democratic oversite, leaving people feeling disengaged and paralyzed.

If you've felt the heaviness of the world and a sense of powerlessness against the rapid changes happening, you're not alone. On top of it all the new year comes with expectations for goal setting and productivity that often feels out of reach and create rigid pressures that don't allow you to honor your needs. Here are some ways to honor your needs in a shifting world.

Regulate Your Nervous System Daily

Instead of focusing on external goals, tune into how your body feels and what it needs. Practices like breathwork, somatic movement, sound healing, or grounding exercises help you stay present and adaptable in uncertain times.

Embrace Rhythms over Resolutions

Instead of forcing strict resolutions, develop flexible rhythms that support your well-being. Whether its a slow morning routine, weekly rest days, or seasonal check-ins with yourself (ladies look into cycle tracking to get in tune with your natural rhythms).

Redefine Productivity & Success

Success is more than our external accomplishments and productivity at the expense of our wellbeing isn't very productive in the end. Allow yourself to measure success by how aligned, rested, and fulfilled you feel rather than external achievements.

Cultivating Intentional Relationships

Prioritize relationships that nourish and support you. Seek out spaces where you feel seen and valued, and practice communicating your needs with confidence.

Set Energetic & Emotional Boundaries

Protect your mental health by limiting exposure to overstimulation news, social media, and draining conversations. Make space for joy, rest, and activities that replenish you.

Focus on Micro-Acts of Care

Self-care doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. Small, daily choices like taking a deep breath before responding to stress, stepping outside for sunlight, or making time for creative expression can be more transformative than you think.

Engage in Collective Care

We need community now more than ever: to organize for change, get resources, and feel supported. Find ways to connect with and support your community, whether through mutual aid, local events, or simply checking in on loved ones. Feeling connected helps counteract the isolation that global uncertainty can bring.

Q&A

Want support in integrating mindful practices into your daily life?

Let's explore how we can work together to help you reconnect and recenter.

RELATIONAL AND SOMATIC THERAPIST IN LA