Sabrina Santa Clara, BA, RYT, CMT

I am a Somatic Psychotherapist which means that I incorporate body experience into the healing process. The word Soma means body, but in therapeutic vernacular it means the whole state of a human being: spirit, psyche and body. Somatic Psychotherapy, also known as Body Psychotherapy or Body-Centered Psychotherapy, includes a wide variety of body-centered approaches, including Dance Movement Therapy

I work with the body for two main reasons. The first is that I found body-centered therapy critical to my own healing process. I spent several years in therapy and had learned to understand the root of my issues, however, understanding my issues didn't help me actually move through them. It was through body-centered psychotherapy that I actually noticed a difference in my life.

The second reason I work with the body is that somatic therapy is strongly supported by clinical research, trauma research and the latest discoveries in neuroscience. Because the roots of many dysfunctions are nervous system disregulations and a cultural overemphasis on cognitive processes, I use breath, movement, vocalization, dialogue and sometimes touch to help people regulate overactive and under active nervous system responses, as well as to provide relief to an overactive mind. I work with the body because, unlike our minds which can often circulate in confusion and defense mechanisms, the body never lies. Working with the body in a mindful state can often produce more clarity and healing than working on the cognitive level alone.

Somatic Psychotherapy is particularly relevant to trauma. When I work with clients suffering from the aftermath of trauma, I am often working with nervous system regulation. Traumatized people often enter into states of hyperarousal, that is, an elevated sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) response. This is particularly true for those suffering from PTS & PTSD. When the sympathetic nervous system is in full gear, the hippocampus becomes relatively inactive. Since the hippocampus is responsible for incorporating memory and meaning making, the hippocampus must be online in order for therapeutic interventions to have lasting effect on the client. I used body-centered interventions to help the client lower their state of hyperarousal. I then use other therapies (body-centered, cognitive and behavioral) to work with the unresolved trauma.

Though it is less common, traumatized individuals can also experience recurrent states of hypoarousal (that is, an underactive response system). Hypoarousal also interferes with necessary hippocampus function, so I use body-centered techniques to elevate the client's arousal.

I work with couples, children, families and individuals. I work with people to help them understand their own behaviors and reactions while also teaching them skills to develope a better relationship to themselves and thier loved ones.

I have been a bodyworker since 1990 and I incorporate a wide variety of methods into my sessions. I started my undergraduate work in Spanish and graduated with a BA in Sociology from San Francisco State University with an emphasis on Human Sexuality. I am curently in my third year at Naropa Universty where I amworking on my Masters in Somatic Counseling Psychology - double majoring in Dance Movement Therapy and Body Psychotherapy. I have also completed a Certification in Human Resources Management. I've been practicing yoga since 1995 and am a Registered Yoga Teacher (#15395). I became an Affiliated Anusara Yoga Instructor in 2006.

I am an unlicensed psychotherapist practicing in the state of Colorado. I will not be a licensed psychotherapist until I complete my Masters, which means I do not accept insurance nor will your insurance company reimburse you for your sessions with me. However, I do offer a sliding scale for those whose financial situation warrants it. I am fully insured for bodywork through the American Massage Association (#207456) and for somatic therapy through HPSO-CNA (#296268524-8).

For more detailed information, please see my resume and academic record.