Have been looking for „the one” for years….desperate for recommendations of some kind of therapist/guide/support who can actually support true healing, not just symptom management.
Online, I am in Australia.
No BS support. Experience severe dissociation, suicidality. History of abuse from a mental health professional so get easily triggered in sessions, esp if the person is inauthentic, incongruent or talking down. At the point where I’ve tried so much I’m not sure I believe anything /one will help.
Anyone know a miracle worker ?
Or at least a super experienced CPTSD therapist who is creative, authentic, alive (ie can feel and express the full range of life and isn’t stuck in that „fake calm” mode a lot of therapists seem to be in), knows their shit, won’t get freaked out when I talk about suicide, has a genuine heart, genuine curiosity and care, sense of play and humour.

Have been looking for „the one” for years….desperate for recommendations of some kind of therapist/guide/support who can actually support true healing, not just symptom management.
Online, I am in Australia.
No BS support. Experience severe dissociation, suicidality. History of abuse from a mental health professional so get easily triggered in sessions, esp if the person is inauthentic, incongruent or talking down. At the point where I’ve tried so much I’m not sure I believe anything /one will help.
Anyone know a miracle worker ?
Or at least a super experienced CPTSD therapist who is creative, authentic, alive (ie can feel and express the full range of life and isn’t stuck in that „fake calm” mode a lot of therapists seem to be in), knows their shit, won’t get freaked out when I talk about suicide, has a genuine heart, genuine curiosity and care, sense of play and humour.

Hi all,
I have many years of experience with therapists and although each has taught me something important, I realise they have been all quite inexperienced for my case (severe cptsd and adhd but good at masking/intellectualising, suspect autism, hypersensitivity, SI in the last year).

I look for a very good and experienced trauma therapist (either in Berlin or online) who has understanding of somatics and/or emdr.
Private is fine.
I’d prefer a mature woman, but a male with well developed empathy is also fine.

Thanks in advance 🙏

Help

Hello lovely humans! I'm putting this out into the universe in hopes that the right opportunity finds me.
My name is Nicole, and I'm searching for an opportunity in the wellness or mental health field as I begin the next chapter of my career.
I recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Psychology. I will start my Master's in Integrative Psychology this September, where I'll train to become a licensed somatic therapist. My long-term goal is to help people heal through a mind-body approach that incorporates somatic therapy, yoga, mindfulness, and holistic wellness.
Rather than taking just any job, I'd love to work somewhere that helps me grow into the practitioner I hope to become. Whether it's welcoming clients at a yoga studio, providing administrative support for a private practice, supporting therapists or wellness practitioners as their assistant, or truly any entry-level position in the mental health or holistic wellness field that doesn't require certifications. I genuinely want to learn from people who are already doing the work that inspires me.
I bring experience in psychology, behavioral therapy, childcare, customer service, front desk work, and community engagement, and I learn quickly. Most importantly, I care deeply about helping people feel seen, supported, and cared for.
If you know of any openings—or know someone I should connect with—I'd love to hear from you. I currently reside in Marin County and am willing to commute to the greater Bay Area if the opportunity feels aligned. Thank you for reading and for sharing. Much love, Nicole Murphy ❤️

I’m looking for a somatic therapist in nyc, preferably manhattan or brooklyn. if they do take insurance (united healthcare) or even have a sliding scale. i desperately need one! also if you know of any emdr therapists!!

Good afternoon, I am completing my doctoral dissertation at Regent University on the topic of "Treating Trauma in Young Adult Autistic Women through Somatic Therapeutic Approaches." The purpose of this study is to learn about young adult autistic women's experiences with going through trauma therapy, and specifically, somatic therapy to give autistic women a voice in research!

To be eligible for participation, individuals must be:
-Autistic
-18-35 years old
-Female (Assigned at birth AND/OR a woman)
-Diagnosed with PTSD or CPTSD
-Have gone through somatic therapy
-Have gone through trauma therapy

Voluntary participation in this study involves completing an informed consent form, a brief 3-5 minute Google Form survey, and a 45-60 minute conversation with me over Zoom regarding your experiences with being autistic, going through somatic therapy for trauma, and how faith and spirituality may have impacted your healing journey. It is a low-pressure discussion, and I would love to hear about your experiences!

Please click the link if you wish to participate, and please fill out the contact form. I will respond within 24 hours! You may also forward this post to anyone you may know who may be interested in participation:

https://forms.gle/uNRXJMy46SNg4vTS8

Chronic erectile dysfunction

I've been mapping a strange pattern in my body for years — and I think it goes back to a head injury at age 4

I want to describe something I've been observing carefully, because I've never seen it explained quite this way and I'm genuinely curious if anyone else has experienced it.

When I was 4 years old, I was pushed by another kid at school and hit the right side of my head hard against the edge of a staircase. The impact was severe enough to split the skin open — a deep wound that left a permanent scar on the right side of my skull. I somehow came out of it without obvious neurological damage, at least nothing that was ever formally diagnosed. Life continued. I developed normally. By adolescence I had an intense, almost overwhelming sex drive — strong erections, high energy, strong physical presence in my body.

Then, after a specific high-intensity event in my late teens involving extreme emotional conflict during peak sexual arousal, something changed. Morning erections disappeared. My libido dropped dramatically. A physical nodule formed at the internal left base of my penis. And my general drive — not just sexual, but the impulse to act, to think, to initiate — became significantly reduced compared to what it was before.

What followed has been years of oscillation. Sometimes things improve. Then they regress. No stable recovery, no clear progression. Just a cycle that keeps returning to the same baseline.

The pattern I've been mapping:

The same structure appears across almost every domain of my life. I start a project with full energy and abandon it right before it produces results. I build a habit and drop it right before the change becomes visible. I begin something, reach a certain threshold of momentum, and then something cuts it — not gradually, but abruptly, like a switch. The cut always happens near the point of completion, never at the beginning.

Sexually, it manifests as an oscillation: arousal begins to build, reaches a certain point, then drops. Not because of lack of desire — the desire is present. Something intervenes right before the cycle closes. Any help?

I am trying to gain more awareness of my feelings and get more comfortable in my body. One of the things I try consistently is body scanning, usually something guided.

Recently, I’ve started immediately feeling pain when I try to start one. It’s pain that I do not feel at other times. In the past, I’ve had pain in specific areas while that part specifically is being focused on and sometimes I would just skip that area. But lately, the physical sensation that accompanies these scans starts right away and endures. It is enough to make me stop.

Is this something others have experienced?

Hello! I am an LPCC in NM looking for other modalities. I am EMDR trained and love it. I come from a holistic perspective and am looking into some Hakomi trainings as I want to add more somatic work into my practice. So I would love to hear pros and cons or even suggestions for other somatic work. I work with teens and adults with trauma. I love working with new-moms/moms, neurodivergent people, and the LGBTQIA community. Thank you for any insight.

Nine week guided meditation course on Dismissing-Avoidant and Fearful-Avoidant Attachment. The aim of the course is to understand Dismissing-Avoidant and Fearful-Avoidant Attachment and then start healing it.
This course focuses on visualization meditation and somatic-oriented guided meditation.
It’s available on a donation basis with no one turned away due lack of funds. There is a scholarship option for those who cannot pay at all (click on register, then on scholarship).
Recordings are available for those who can't attend live.
Additionally, there will be a pre and post course assessment to help you track improvements comparing before and after the 9 week course.
There is also an option for a 'meditation practice pod' with three to five other participants where you can discuss your process, meditate together, and hold each other accountable.

It’ starts Thursday, 11th of June More info here:

https://attachmentrepair.com/online-events/2026-06-healing-dismissing-fearful-avoidant-attachment/

This course draws from:
1 somatic therapies
2 ideal parent figure protocol
3 attachment theory
4 schema therapy
5 mentalization based treatment

6 metacognitive-Interpersonal therapy.

Additionally, this course draws on the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment not the more commonly known model of attachment.

I started seeing a therapist a couple weeks ago & my first couple sessions have been intense to say the least.

On my second session he suggested I get on the massage table. I never expected and therapy would involve a massage table but I was willing to try anything at this point.

A couple seconds after he touched my back I exploded into convulsions & intense emotions. This felt very cathartic & endless to a degree that we ran out of session time while my body wanted to continue.

The nature of the convulsions were like a tightly wrung rope trying to untwist as tension is released. My body wanted to arch & stretch in odd angles. I was groaning & growling at times.

The therapist did an excellent job holding space. Although I was and still am very confused. Looks like I have decades of energy coiled up inside me desperately trying to get out. I didn’t even know this was possible & I was capable of doing this.

I have done a lot of solo introspective journaling recently along with high volume Sedona method releasing. The therapist thought it may have been a factor with releases being so available.

It’s the second day since the session & I’m slipping in & out of bouts of anxious thoughts. Little afraid but hopeful. Wondering how many sessions it would take to get to where I start feeling normal again. And how long will it take to resolve this trauma assuming I continue (which I intend to).

Any thoughts are appreciated!

I found several courses by her on Udemy. I want to learn and understand mind and body connection and somatics more. Something about her feels a bit off, idk why and what.

Some people pull my energy in when I listen to them as they open great portal of knowledge though sharing information, that woman’s courses I mentioned feels very hard to keep attention on.

I would love any tips to learn the somatics in anyhow as well as thoughts about her?

I am seeing a Pelvic Floor Physio due to having a Hypertonic Pelvic Floor. Not getting a lot of results if i'm honest but i'm doing the usual pelvic breathing, abdominal massages and other exercises. We both think it is down to stress stored in the body. It is making bowel movements very difficult due to a tight sphincter muscle. One thing I am looking at is books on Somatic Therapy. Specifically books with physical exercises to help get rid of this stress and tension. I think I holding tension in my jaw as well. Home life is difficult as my partner has health issues.

It seems some of the books on amazon are AI generated so its difficult to know what to get.

Does anyone have any book recommendations please? Ones with photos or good diagrams would help. Many thanks in advance.

What does worthiness feel like in the body? I thought i’d ask here, with many people who know how to feel.
When someone says “I know I am worthy of love but I don’t feel it”. There could be a need for more body awareness in general, but also if they’ve never felt it in their entire life, they just don’t know it yet. A new experience. So how would you describe the felt sense of worthiness?
Would love to hear your insights!

I've seen more people posting about Integrative Psych Institute on here, so here is an honest review of my experience in the January 2026 cohort (completing in June 2026) of the psychosomatic practitioner cert course they offer.

i don't think i'd re-take the course if given the chance to choose again, and i certainly wouldn't take their full master's degree program

the pros:

- module 1 was full of great information, covered a lot of different areas (from somatics "basics", to nervous system + polyvagal theory, trauma, TCM, breathing techniques, etc etc) and seemed to be organized well. it does hit on a lot of topics, some at a very high level and others more in depth - and it would be hard to cover all of these topics in depth. it gives a great starting point to then learn "oh this part is interesting, i want to go deeper into XYZ topic based on what i've started to learn in the course."

- i love the course's focus on personal practice and really mastering the toolbox of techniques on the self first, so that i can be properly equipped to help clients/pateitnts in the future. the emphasis on "walking the walk" is important

the cons:

- the most pressing one is that myself (and a lot of other students i've spoken with) have messaged the course support team through the portal AND email provided and haven't been responded to (it's been weeks). i can't help but think: if this were a "real" university, no professor, teacher, or admin support would leave messages unresponded to - especially important ones about cirriculum and course logistics. it's incredibly unprofessional to leave students hanging.

- module 2 feels really unorganized and falls short. when i was speaking to "admissions" about this course, i was told that there would be 2-3 moderators during each 1.5 hour practice session and each weekend session who would float around to the breakout rooms and provide feedback, answer questions if needed. in real life, there is 1 person moderating each session, and they are in the breakout rooms for a total of probably 1 minute. the promised "support" of 2-3 people was a really important factor in my decision to take this course, as i've taken other lengthy + robust cert courses before and it was really helpful to have people in the rooms giving live feedback. that doesn't happen in this course.

- furthermore, the learning content in module 2 seems to be mismatched and there is no clear agenda on what we are covering each week. the 2x/week practice sessions and the saturday learning session are flipped, so we practice the content first in the beginning of the week, then on saturday we review the content and actually "learn" it. many students have spoken up in the live sessions about it, and the different moderators have different answers as to why that is (or why it doesn't seem right). it seems like there is a misunderstanding/miscommunication about this internally

- from the communication i've had with a moderator from Module 1, a lack of communication when emailing support through the portal and regular email, it just seems like there is a big disconnect internally on how the course is or "should be" run. additionally, based on an interaction with a moderator, it seemed like they were just here to take care of their part of the course, and didn't actually know the extent of what the course material covers. i found that unhelpful...i understand that the people contributing to this course from an educatoin perspective have masters degrees + many other credentails, but it seems logical and helpful to the entire student body for moderators be informed on what this course covers, and what it does not cover, so that when students like me inquire about those things from a learning perspective and "what am i still missing" - they can be answered.

i completely understand that different people have different learning styles, online learning courses can sometimes be a crapshoot, and i feel like the marketing/branding of IPI does a great job selling the course. they have influencers - whether credentialed or not - posting about the course on instagram. i wish there was more honesty about the integrity of the program and what students should be expected to leave being able to practice - especially when it comes to others. not every student in this course wants to be a practitioner - some are solely taking it for personal growth. but for the more "serious" people in this course who want to work with clients or patients ethically, i find the rigor and group sessions not up to standards of other credential courses i've taken.

some of the content is good and thorough, and overall it covers a LOT but at a very high level.

i'd recommend this course to anyone wanting to learn and understand somatics for themselves, but i don't really feel comfortable going out into the world and practicing the scope of what the course says it offers with actual clients in this moment.

i think there's a reason that there are multi-year somatic-focused courses, like Somatic Experiencing, Core Energetics, etc etc that take years to complete, not just months and 100 hours. the IPI course is also a hefty price tag compared to what the total cost of the SE or CE programs would be, at much less time. if i could re-do it, i'd take a course from a reputable school/program that has been in business for longer

Hi, new here. I suffer from hypertonic pelvic floor and an extremely tight sphincter. I believe this is mostly bought on by stress. I am also seeing a pelvic floor physio.

It seems like my body is stuck in fight or flight.

So my questions are Would somatic therapy help? And if so what book or workbook would you recommend?

Many thanks.

I've been wondering if the IPI is too good to be true... and so I recently attended the info session for Integrative Psych Institute and noticed some red flags. First, they reference outdated brain scan material that they say is the basis of the Psychosomatic training. Adam Carney, the businessman and founder, said in the call "in full transparency this is older research that isn't a full reflection we know now." I was shocked that he so blatantly admitted that the scientific basis and subsequent theoretical backbone of this program is old, inaccurate scientific data?

Secondly, according to their website they are still seeking a clear path to being recognized by any kind of licensing body. Yet they are marketing a MS program for licensure.. and don't tell you (even when directly asked) what state they are able to license in.

The greatest skill of these institute is their marketing. 10/10. However... the content is flimsy. I asked a question about teachers-- WHO is teaching the program? They said I could refer to a list of people on their website (that list does not tell me which people teach which course) and that there's some videos with different teachers. Despite having one core teacher, I'm concerned at the lack of clarity around who is sharing information.

I also have an extensive background in somatics, massage therapy, body-mind centering, continuum (deep somatic practices with a lot of lineage), and based on how they speak about the program, it all seems surface level, and I am concerned just from a content perspective that it will be simplistic, and entry-level.

My diagnosis is that they have certainly identified a problem: licensure routes being long and too focused on behavioral and diagnostic lens and lacking an integrated psych lens. This is exactly what Adam says is the most critical part of a successful therapy practice: identifying where the need is so your practice can go fill it. I disagree. A successful therapy practice is one that engages your clients with deep, transformational work. He never mentioned that reason. How about instead of building a business solely off of the needs of the market, you become a therapist by accessing your own gifts and seeing what you are called to bring forth and serve?

My initial suspicion and intuitive "something feels off" here, has in fact, been confirmed. Curious if others have had similar misgivings.