As a somatic practitioner, Katie serves as an attuned and supportive presence. She will assist with learning tools for managing big emotions, recover from stress and overwhelm more easily, build emotional awareness and resilience. Every session is approached in a safe and collaborative manner. Talking about problems or issues isn't the main focus and is not necessary in sessions.

Somatics address present moment sensations/emotions that come up vs. talk therapy. Sessions can be used on their own or in tandem with other therapeutic modalities, depending on the individual need. Some choose somatics because it can be very effective in releasing distressing symptoms straight away.

Sessions begin with resourcing to build a sense of safety by orienting to the space around you. Establishing resourcing holds a critical step in every session. No mater the sensations that come up, we can always come back to the felt safety in the beginning.

Trauma is not something we intentionally hold on to. It is a natural response of the nervous system, shaped by our biology and survival mechanisms.

When we perceive a threat, the body mobilizes automatic self-protective responses- commonly understood as fight, flight, or freeze. These responses are designed to help us move through and resolve danger. However, when these responses are interrupted, overwhelmed, or unable to be completed, the body may retain that unresolved activation.

As a result, the nervous system can remain in a prolonged state of sympathetic arousal or shutdown. Over time, this can show up as symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, or disconnection and isolation.

After something stresses the body of a wild animal, they typicaly release trauma from their bodies by shaking, moving, taking deep breaths etc. They do this to reset the stress experience and return to a sense of safety in their body. Humans are built similarly, but in order to complete our stress response cycles we get interrupted by environment and social expectations. This can happen when a situation is too overwhelming and ongoing or we can’t express our emotions in a safe and healthy way or perhaps we have to stay in an unsafe situation and can’t physically leave the space etc..

When the body doesn’t get to fully finish its stress response, instead of resetting. We may struggle with big emotional reactions, trouble with anxiety, difficulty sleeping or shut down etc..

The good news is that somatic approaches work to help gently support the completion of self protective responses allowing the nervous system to return to a more regulated and over time, resilient state. When the nervous system is able to lean into felt safety, healing becomes possible again.

Katie graduated as a Somatic Practitioner in April 2025, and is SYT certified. She obtained a Somatic and Yoga Certification working with Young Children and Teens (including Autism, Neurodiversity and Diverse needs) and a Trauma-Educated Certification working with Youth and Young Adults. Both certifications are YACEP certified.

Katie graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Social Work. Her background includes clinical work as a mental health clinician for a community outpatient service. This included psychiatric evaluations, psychotherapy and psychiatry. Until recently, she has been full-time at home raising her three children.

Her training as a Somatic Practitioner included a clinical supervised internship working with mothers and women. As her passion and knowledge for somatics grew she decided to include and specialize working with children and teenagers.