Frequently Asked Questions | Embodied Soul Psychotherapy — Embodied Soul Psychotherapy Integrative Therapy: IFS, Brainspotting, EMDR & Yoga

If something here resonates and you want to explore further, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation.

Getting Started

This is one of the most common things I hear. Many people who come to Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ have done good work in therapy before and found that something remained. The insight was there. The strategies were practiced. And still, in moments of stress or intimacy, familiar patterns resurfaced.
The difference here is where the work happens. Most conventional therapy works primarily at the level of thought and narrative. Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ works with the nervous system, the body, and the unconscious mind directly. These are the places where lasting patterns are actually stored, and where lasting change actually occurs.
If you are someone who understands your patterns intellectually but finds that understanding hasn't changed them, this approach was designed with you in mind. Learn more about how this work is different.
This work tends to resonate with people who sense that something deeper is driving their patterns, even when they understand them intellectually. People who are drawn to exploring meaning, not only managing symptoms. People who want their spirituality, their body's wisdom, and their relational history to be part of the healing process.
It also tends to be a good fit for high-achieving professionals, caregivers, therapists and healers, and people who feel like their nervous system runs the show, even when their outer life appears together. If you have been told your anxiety or reactivity is just who you are, or if you sense there is a layer of your experience that hasn't yet been reached, this may be the space you have been looking for.
The free 15-minute consultation is the best place to find out if this is a fit. There is no pressure, and no commitment required. Book a consultation here.
Your first session is about connection, not perfection. You don't need to have a clear plan or explain everything right away. We'll explore what's bringing you here and begin building a foundation of trust. I'll guide the process gently, at your pace.
In practice, this often means a conversation about what has brought you to this moment, what you have tried before, and what you are hoping for, even if those hopes feel unclear or tentative. There is no pressure to perform insight or arrive with a coherent narrative. What matters most in a first session is that you begin to get a felt sense of the space, and whether it feels like somewhere you might be able to open.
Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ is a depth-oriented, somatic approach, which means we pay attention to more than words. From the beginning, we are attuned to the body's responses, the nervous system's signals, and the parts of you that may not yet have language.
Yes. Research consistently supports the effectiveness of virtual therapy across a range of presenting concerns, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and relational difficulties. Many clients find that working from their own environment actually supports a deeper sense of safety and more immediate access to the nervous system.
All sessions are held through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. I work with adults and couples living in California, Colorado, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. If you are in one of these states and curious about whether virtual therapy is a good fit for your situation, the free consultation is a good place to find out.

About the Approach

This is one of the most important questions a person can ask. The short answer is that knowing and changing are not the same thing, because the patterns we repeat are not stored primarily in conscious thought. They live in the nervous system, in the body, in what depth psychology calls the unconscious. Intellectual understanding can name a pattern. It cannot, on its own, change it.
These patterns are often survival strategies that formed early, in environments where they were genuinely necessary. They were adaptive then. They continue to operate now, long after the original circumstances have changed, because the body learned them as a way to stay safe, connected, or in control.
The work of depth-oriented somatic therapy is to slow these patterns down enough to understand their intelligence, locate them in the body, and build enough awareness to begin to choose differently. This is not about willpower. It is about creating conditions in which something new becomes possible.
Somatic therapy is an approach to healing that works with the body as a primary site of held experience. Rather than focusing solely on thoughts or narrative, somatic therapy pays attention to sensation, breath, posture, movement, and the nervous system's responses in real time. The body is understood not as a container for the mind, but as a source of wisdom, memory, and intelligence in its own right.
In practice, this means that a session might include tracking where a feeling lives in the body, noticing how a memory or a story has a physical texture, or working with breath and movement to shift a nervous system state that words alone haven't been able to reach. The body is always in the room. Somatic therapy simply makes that visible and useful.
Within Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™, somatic awareness is integrated alongside depth psychology, evidence-based modalities, and attention to the soul's knowing. The goal is not to bypass the mind, but to bring it into relationship with the body so that healing can happen through all of you. Explore the modalities used in this work.
Absolutely. If it feels supportive for your journey, spiritual and religious frameworks are welcome here. I have worked with clients who hold Christian, contemplative, indigenous, and many other spiritual orientations, and I do not impose a single framework on the work. This space is client-led, non-dogmatic, and soul-honoring.
At the same time, no spiritual framework is required. If you are secular, agnostic, or simply uncertain about where you stand spiritually, that is equally welcome. The work does not depend on belief. It depends on a willingness to be curious about your inner life, whatever language you use to describe it.
Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ draws on depth psychology, yogic philosophy, indigenous wisdom traditions, and somatic awareness. These frameworks are offered as lenses, not requirements. What matters is what resonates for you.
Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ (ESP™) is an integrative approach to healing that was developed by Dr. Chanin Hardwick after more than two decades of personal healing, clinical practice, and doctoral research at Pacifica Graduate Institute. It blends somatic therapy, depth psychology (Jungian), and nervous system science to support healing at the root, not just at the level of symptoms. Learn more about the approach here.
The modalities woven into ESP™ include Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, Brainspotting, Yoga Therapy, Integral Somatic Psychology, and Eco-psychology. These are not applied as fixed techniques. They are integrated responsively, informed by what the body, the nervous system, and the psyche are communicating in each session.
What makes this approach different is its insistence on honoring the whole person: mind, body, and soul. We don't just talk. We listen to the body, the parts within, and the deeper knowing that lives below the level of conscious thought.

Modalities and Methods

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. Unlike approaches that focus on changing thoughts or behaviors, EMDR works directly with the memory itself, supporting the brain to metabolize what has been stored in a way that reduces its emotional charge and its hold on the present.
EMDR has been extensively researched and is recommended by the American Psychological Association and the Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and phobias. It can be done over a course of regular sessions or in an intensive format, and its results tend to be durable over time.
Within Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™, EMDR is integrated alongside somatic awareness and depth-oriented practice, meaning the work is not purely technical. It is relational, attuned, and responsive to the whole person. Learn more about EMDR.
These patterns are often survival strategies that formed early, in environments where they were genuinely necessary. They were adaptive then. They continue to operate now, long after the original circumstances have changed, because the body learned them as a way to stay safe, connected, or in control.
The work of depth-oriented somatic therapy is to slow these patterns down enough to understand their intelligence, locate them in the body, and build enough awareness to begin to choose differently. This is not about willpower. It is about creating conditions in which something new becomes possible.
The difference here is where the work happens. Most conventional therapy works primarily at the level of thought and narrative. Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ works with the nervous system, the body, and the unconscious mind directly. These are the places where lasting patterns are actually stored, and where lasting change actually occurs.
If you are someone who understands your patterns intellectually but finds that understanding hasn't changed them, this approach was designed with you in mind. Learn more about how this work is different.
Brainspotting is a powerful brain-body therapy used to access and release trauma stored in the nervous system. It was developed by Dr. David Grand and is grounded in the understanding that where you look affects how you feel. During a Brainspotting session, we find a specific eye position, called a brainspot, that correlates with a held experience or unprocessed emotional material. From that point, the brain and body are supported to process what has been stored, often below the level of verbal awareness.
What distinguishes Brainspotting is its ability to access material that talk therapy cannot easily reach, including pre-verbal experiences, body-held trauma, and memories that don't have words attached to them. The therapeutic relationship and attunement between client and therapist are considered central to the process, not incidental to it.
Brainspotting is particularly effective for PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and relational difficulties. Read more about Brainspotting.
In practice, this means that a session might include tracking where a feeling lives in the body, noticing how a memory or a story has a physical texture, or working with breath and movement to shift a nervous system state that words alone haven't been able to reach. The body is always in the room. Somatic therapy simply makes that visible and useful.
Within Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™, somatic awareness is integrated alongside depth psychology, evidence-based modalities, and attention to the soul's knowing. The goal is not to bypass the mind, but to bring it into relationship with the body so that healing can happen through all of you. Explore the modalities used in this work.
It also tends to be a good fit for high-achieving professionals, caregivers, therapists and healers, and people who feel like their nervous system runs the show, even when their outer life appears together. If you have been told your anxiety or reactivity is just who you are, or if you sense there is a layer of your experience that hasn't yet been reached, this may be the space you have been looking for.
The free 15-minute consultation is the best place to find out if this is a fit. There is no pressure, and no commitment required. Book a consultation here.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a non-pathologizing, evidence-based approach that understands the psyche as made up of multiple parts, each with its own perspective, intention, and role. Some parts protect us from pain. Others carry the wounds of earlier experiences. The Self, in IFS, is the calm, compassionate core that is capable of relating to all of these parts with curiosity rather than judgment.
In practice, IFS work involves getting to know the parts that drive our behaviors, understanding what they are protecting, and gradually building enough trust that those protectors can begin to relax. This is not about eliminating difficult parts of ourselves. It is about understanding their intelligence and giving them something better than the strategies they learned when they were formed.
IFS is woven throughout the work at Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™, often in combination with somatic awareness, EMDR, and depth-oriented inquiry. Learn more about IFS and all modalities used.
At the same time, no spiritual framework is required. If you are secular, agnostic, or simply uncertain about where you stand spiritually, that is equally welcome. The work does not depend on belief. It depends on a willingness to be curious about your inner life, whatever language you use to describe it.
Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ draws on depth psychology, yogic philosophy, indigenous wisdom traditions, and somatic awareness. These frameworks are offered as lenses, not requirements. What matters is what resonates for you.
In practice, this often means a conversation about what has brought you to this moment, what you have tried before, and what you are hoping for, even if those hopes feel unclear or tentative. There is no pressure to perform insight or arrive with a coherent narrative. What matters most in a first session is that you begin to get a felt sense of the space, and whether it feels like somewhere you might be able to open.
Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ is a depth-oriented, somatic approach, which means we pay attention to more than words. From the beginning, we are attuned to the body's responses, the nervous system's signals, and the parts of you that may not yet have language.
Polyvagal theory, developed by neuroscientist Stephen Porges, describes how the autonomic nervous system organizes our responses to the world through three distinct states: a state of safety and social engagement, a state of mobilization (fight or flight), and a state of shutdown or collapse. These states are not chosen. They are activated by the nervous system's constant, unconscious scan for safety or threat.
Understanding polyvagal theory matters for healing because many people who have experienced trauma, chronic stress, or relational difficulty find themselves living in mobilization or shutdown for long periods of time, not because something is wrong with them, but because their nervous system learned that vigilance was necessary. Polyvagal-informed therapy works by helping the nervous system recognize safety where it genuinely exists, and by gradually expanding the capacity to remain present without collapsing into protection.
Polyvagal-informed approaches are woven throughout the work at Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™. Learn more about polyvagal-informed therapy.

Specialized Topics

Yes, and this is one of the most meaningful areas of this work. Intergenerational trauma refers to the relational, emotional, and nervous system patterns that are transmitted through family systems across generations. These are not simply stories or beliefs inherited from our parents and grandparents. They are embodied, encoded in the nervous system as survival strategies, and often operating far below the level of conscious awareness.
What makes intergenerational trauma particularly complex is that it includes not only explicit stories of hardship but also unspoken rules, attachment strategies, cultural inheritances, and the weight of collective histories that predate our individual lives. For many people, especially those navigating race-based or culturally specific trauma, this layer of the work is where the deepest healing becomes possible.
Depth-oriented somatic therapy is particularly well-suited to this work because it engages the body and the unconscious directly, rather than relying solely on narrative or insight. Healing intergenerational patterns requires more than understanding them. It requires a direct experience of something different in the body and in relationship.
Yes. Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) are individuals with a finely tuned nervous system that processes emotions, sensory input, and relational dynamics more deeply than average. This is not a disorder or a diagnosis. It is a neurological trait, present in an estimated 15 to 20 percent of the population, that carries both profound gifts and real challenges.
HSPs often report feeling overwhelmed by stimulation, deeply affected by the emotions of others, and in need of more time alone to recover from social or environmental input. They may also be unusually perceptive, creative, conscientious, and capable of deep meaning and connection. The nervous system that makes life feel like too much is the same one that makes beauty, meaning, and intimacy feel so vivid.
In therapy, working with an HSP means slowing down, attuning carefully, and building tools for regulation and boundaries that honor the sensitivity rather than trying to eliminate it. The goal is not to become less sensitive. It is to become more resourced within that sensitivity.
Yes. I work with many clinicians, creatives, and space-holders who are doing their own inner work or navigating the particular weight that comes with holding space for others. Therapists and healers carry a kind of complexity that is often unacknowledged in traditional supervision or peer consultation: the ongoing work of being a wounded healer, of remaining present to others' pain while navigating your own.
I also offer mentoring and consultation for therapists integrating somatic, depth-oriented, or spiritually grounded approaches into their clinical work. This is not clinical supervision in a traditional sense. It is a reflective, relational space for practitioners who are deepening their own embodied clinical presence.
Whether you are a seasoned clinician, an emerging practitioner, or a healer navigating burnout or a loss of meaning in your work, this space meets you where you are.
Yes. What you are describing is one of the most common experiences that brings people to this work. A sense that reactions happen before you can choose them. That certain situations, relationships, or even tones of voice can shift everything in an instant. That you spend energy managing your own responses in ways that feel exhausting and sometimes embarrassing.
This is not a character flaw. It is a nervous system that has learned, through experience, to be ready. The question therapy asks is not what is wrong with you, but what happened to you, and what your system needed to learn to survive it. From there, the work is about building enough safety in the body that the nervous system no longer needs to be quite so vigilant.
Polyvagal-informed, somatic therapy is specifically designed to work at this level. It does not ask you to think your way to calm. It gives the body direct, repeated experiences of something different. Learn more about nervous system healing.

Practical Information

I am an out-of-network provider. Many clients receive partial reimbursement through their insurance using a superbill, which I can provide monthly. I recommend contacting your provider before beginning to ask about out-of-network mental health benefits. Full information about rates and the superbill process is available here.
When calling your insurance provider, helpful questions to ask include: Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits? What is my deductible and has it been met? What percentage of the session fee is reimbursed after the deductible? How many sessions are covered per calendar year? HSA and FSA cards are also accepted as payment.
Working with a private-pay provider offers something that insurance-driven care often cannot: a space free from diagnosis-driven, session-limited constraints. The work can move at the pace the nervous system and psyche actually need.
This is one of the most honest questions a prospective client can ask, and it deserves an honest answer. The length of therapeutic work depends on what you are bringing, how long it has been present, and what kind of change you are looking for. Some people come for a focused period of work around a specific transition or challenge. Others engage in longer-term depth-oriented work oriented toward lasting transformation.
Depth-oriented somatic therapy tends to work more slowly than structured, symptom-focused approaches. This is not a limitation. It reflects the reality that lasting change at the level of the nervous system and the psyche happens gradually, through accumulated experience rather than insight alone. What shifts in this kind of work tends to stay shifted.
There is no standard answer to how long therapy takes, and I am wary of any approach that offers one. What I can offer is a space where we assess together what is needed and what pace feels right.
Yes. I work with adults and couples navigating relational challenges, including communication difficulties, recurring conflict, intimacy concerns, intergenerational patterns, and the particular strain that trauma places on partnership. Couples work within Embodied Soul Psychotherapy™ focuses not on techniques or scripts but on helping each person understand what they bring to the relational field and what happens between them when those things meet.
Relational patterns are rarely random. They reflect what each person has learned, often without words, about how to survive closeness, conflict, and vulnerability. The work involves slowing those patterns down, understanding their origins, and building enough safety for something different to emerge between partners.
Couples sessions are 75 minutes and available virtually across California, Colorado, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. Reach out to get started.
I ask for at least 48 hours' notice to reschedule a session. Missed appointments or late cancellations are billed at the full session rate. This policy exists not to be punitive, but to protect the integrity of the therapeutic container. Consistency and reliability are part of what makes this work safe.
If something comes up unexpectedly, please reach out as soon as possible. Life is not always predictable, and I approach these situations with as much flexibility as the clinical frame allows. What matters most is that we stay in communication.

Still have questions? I'm happy to talk through them during a free 15-minute consultation. There is no pressure and no commitment required.

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