Therapy for Grief & Trauma in Oakland, CA

Somatic Therapy to Process Grief & Trauma

Grief Changes Us

Grief can touch every part of life and leave you feeling untethered. If you’ve lost a loved one, a relationship, a pregnancy, a job, a sense of identity, or even the future you imagined for yourself, you may be navigating a grief process. Some experience waves of sadness while others feel numb, exhausted, disconnected, angry, or unsure of who they are and what matters now, after such a profound experience.

Together we’ll create space for your loss while gently supporting your nervous system through the emotional, physical, and relational impacts of the grieving process. There is no “getting over it” so my goal is to help you find ways to carry your grief while staying connected to yourself and your life.

Trauma affects how safe you feel

In your body, relationships, and everyday life. You may notice:

Chronic anxiety or hyper-vigilance
Difficulty relaxing or feeling present
Emotional overwhelm & irritability
Numbness or disconnection
Shame and self criticism
Difficulty trusting yourself or others
Relationship challenges
Feeling stuck in survival mode

Many people who have experienced trauma become highly skilled at coping, achieving, or caring for others while remaining disconnected from their own needs and emotions. Somatic therapy helps us gently explore these patterns by paying attention not only to thoughts, but also sensations, emotions, and nervous system responses in real time. Through this process, healing becomes less about forcing change and more about creating the conditions for your system to feel safe enough to move towards it naturally.

My Approach to Somatic Therapy

As a somatic therapist, I integrate traditional talk therapy with body-based awareness and nervous system support. Our work may include exploring physical sensations, emotions, patterns of activation and shutdown, boundaries, self compassion, and ways to cultivate a greater sense of safety and ease within yourself. Everything we do is collaborative, trauma informed, and paced according to your needs. You will never be pushed to revisit experiences before you’re ready and I’ll help you track when you’re beginning to get overwhelmed and its time to slow down.

I believe healing happens when we can turn toward our experiences with curiosity, compassion adn support rather than judgement or pressure.

You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone

You deserve more than simply getting through the day. You deserve to feel connected to yourself, grounded in your life, and able to experience greater ease and even joy! If you’re struggling with grief, trauma, anxiety or a sense of disconnection, therapy can offer a space to slow down, feel supported, and begin healing at a pace that feels right for you. I’d be honored to support you on this journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Grief can come from many kinds of loss—not only the death of someone you love. You may be grieving a relationship, pregnancy, family dynamic, job, identity, health change, life transition, or a future you imagined for yourself. There is no hierarchy of grief. If a loss matters to you, it deserves space and care.
Somatic therapy recognizes that grief and trauma can be experienced in the body as well as the mind. Along with talking, we may notice sensations, emotions, patterns of tension or shutdown, and what helps you feel more grounded and supported. The goal isn’t to force your body to relax, but to gently build a greater capacity for safety, connection, and choice.
There is no timeline for grief. It may change shape over time, become quieter for a while, or return unexpectedly around milestones and life transitions. Therapy isn’t about helping you “get over” your loss. Instead, we can make space for your grief while helping you reconnect with yourself and the life that continues around it.

No. Healing from trauma does not require you to recount every detail of what happened. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable and pay attention to what is happening in the present, including your emotions, sensations, and nervous system responses. You are always in control of what you choose to share.
Part of our work is learning to recognize the signs that your nervous system is becoming overwhelmed. I’ll help you notice those signals and slow things down when needed. You won’t be expected to push through something simply because it came up in therapy.
Yes. Healing does not require forgetting, minimizing, or forgiving what happened. Our work can instead focus on helping the experience have less control over your present—so you have more room for connection, choice, ease, and a fuller sense of yourself.

Get started with therapy for grief and/or trauma in Oakland, CA today

1. Reach out

Fill out the short form on the “contact me” page of this website. Tell me a bit about what brings you to therapy at this time and some good times to reach you. I typically respond within 24-48hrs during business days.

2. Book a consultation call

I’ll confirm a time based on your availability. On this call I can answer questions you may have. We will also discuss fee, availability, and your therapeutic needs to see if working together feels like the right fit.

3. Schedule your session

If you feel ready, we can go ahead and get that first session scheduled on the consultation call. If you need some time, you can email me afterwards to get your first session on the books.