Frequently Asked Questions

Call (480) 677-1198 and leave a voicemail with your name and phone number, and I will return your call within 24 hours.

My cancelation fee is $87.50 for less than 48 hours’ notice and $175 for less than 24 hours’ notice for a scheduled 50 minute appointment.  There is no fee if you cancel 48 hours before your appointment.

I offer contemporary bioenergetics, somatic experiencing, trauma/tension-releasing exercises, EMDR, and touch work. If we decide to change modalities, we will also do that. All of these modalities work well together.

 Bioenergetics releases unconscious holding patterns in the body through breathing, movement, and emotional expression.

Many people seek Bioenergetic therapy because they have experienced the benefits and limitations of traditional talk therapies and feel there is still something more in themselves that needs attention. Working with the body in psychotherapy helps draw out an inner knowledge that no amount of reading or talking could ever do.

Somatic Experiencing is a new approach to treating PTSD based on the assumption that trauma is an experience that affects and imprints the body, so engaging the body in the healing process is essential.

Somatic experiencing is a short-term naturalistic approach to resolving post-traumatic stress reactions. It is based on the ethological observation that wild animals utilize innate mechanisms that regulate and neutralize the high levels of arousal associated with defensive survival behaviors. Somatic Experiencing alleviates trauma symptoms, binds this arousal, and offers the steps to resolve activation and heal trauma.

Touch work sessions may start with a supportive touch contact on the small of the back. The client is always fully clothed. This touch can help the kidneys release and drop the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) into more regulated activity, leading to overall neurological smoothness. Our adrenal glands are important in helping stress hormones often build up after a prolonged period of brace, and physically wash out of our system. As part of our fight/flight (threat) response system, if our adrenals are not functioning well, stress hormones that remain in our bodies can become toxic, leading to many physical symptoms and health concerns. In trauma, the body often is in a state of high alert, startled, or fear more than in a non-traumatized system. Kidney/adrenal work helps the body remember its parasympathetic response, eventually teaching the body to choose relaxing over bracing.

While you are lying on the massage table, face up and fully clothed, I will place my hand under the small of the back. The hand does not move for 10 – 15 minutes, less if indicated.   This is repeated on the opposite side. No further movements will occur without discussion with the client until a plan is in place.

Trauma/tension-releasing exercises help individuals release stress due to difficult life circumstances, immediate or prolonged stressful situations, or traumatic life experiences.  These exercises have been used successfully in over 35 countries to recover from chronic stress or post-tension symptoms due to generalized life situations, accidents, natural disasters, and political violence.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing and helps to process stuck memories and allows the body’s healing process to resume and take effect. The processing done in EMDR therapy is not the same as processing in talk therapy, in which you disclose details of a stressful or traumatic situation. The processing in EMDR is done through the movements, and disclosing the details of a situation is not necessary. Since EMDR is effective without this, if you struggle to open up or feel that retelling the story is too difficult, EMDR could be a great option.

Please don’t hold back. We are two people in a room.

There is no judgment here. Safety is our priority, so telling me what you need to feel safe is very helpful. You may not know initially, and we will discover this together. Sometimes clients don’t like to cry in front of someone, and I encourage you to let the tears come. I have an ample supply of Kleenex. Vulnerability is the key to growth in therapy.

I know it can be difficult and scary. I encourage you to take risks. If you aren’t sure whether or not to tell me something – tell me.

Clients often tell me they are nervous when arriving at the first session. This is perfectly normal. I’m new, and the modalities are new to you. In the first session, we will sit in chairs and get to know each other. You are welcome and encouraged to ask me anything you’d like.