Somatic work
Starting with the body, gently
Somatic work pays attention to breath, posture and sensation, so that you can notice what your body is telling you and help it settle. It involves no touch: you stay seated or standing, fully clothed.
For people living with illness, the body can feel like the problem. We begin with small things: feeling your feet on the floor, finding a place in the body that feels neutral, and noticing when you start to go numb. We go as far as you want.
Six things to know
What a session is like
You may stay in your chair the whole time. Yvette offers a practice, you try it for a minute, and you say what you notice, if anything.
The method
Practices from body-based approaches to trauma, such as grounding, noticing sensation and moving attention between ease and tension. Yvette's training is on her About page.
What it is not
It is not massage, bodywork or physical therapy, and there is no touch. If a practice brings on pain or dizziness, we stop and choose another.
How long and how often
Somatic practices can be part of any session or all of it. Yvette sets the pace with you, and there is no set number of sessions.
How it is paid
By the session, self-pay, with a monthly receipt you can send to a plan that reimburses. Your fee is given in writing before you start.
How fees workWhen to see a doctor first
Practices are adapted to what your body can do that day. Ask your doctor before trying breathing exercises if you have a lung or heart condition.
Three questions about this work
Do I have to close my eyes?
No. You can keep them open, look at the room and change a practice or stop at any moment.
What if my body hurts during a session?
Say so, and we change position, switch to a different practice or stop. Pain is information, and you do not have to push through it.
Do I need to move or stretch?
No. Most practices are small and seated. Nothing asks for flexibility, strength or stamina.
Write to Yvette to begin
The fees page explains how paying works, with a written estimate before you start.