Practice Focus
People seeking greater ease and regulation in their bodies
Body-Mind orientation
Grief and loss
Trauma (including ongoing trauma)
Generational/Developmental/relational trauma
LGBTQI+SB / Queer / Gender Exploration / Transition
Chronic Pain / Illness
Approach, Influences + Values
Evidence based clinical practice
somatic / movement oriented
polyvagal + attachment informed /interpersonal neurobiology.
lighthearted/creative/silly/playful
parts/plural welcoming
embodied anti racist “practising” / anti oppressive / decolonising
intersectional, sex positive, pro choice
nuerodivergent welcoming
Why is a somatic mind-body oriented approach important?
In "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma" Bessel A. van der Kolk writes;
“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.” (p.97)”
The Australian Childhood Foundation now recognises the importance of a neurobiologically informed approach to working with stress and trauma that involves both the things we think and how we feel in our bodies.
What can I expect?
A mutual shared practice grounded in consent, collaboration and working together to find a pace that works for you.
A “welcomeness” to express your authentic experience.
A deeper cognitive understanding of trauma and (hopefully) a reduction in shame, guilt, and self judgement.
A support to develop a relationship with yourself that creates opportunities for comfort, and release,
Exploring a “felt sense” of safety before re-working any trauma.
Support to take the BRAVE STEP to explore your inner world of sensation, emotion, movement, belief, motor patterns, gesture.
Gentle invitations to explore the inner sensory systems and their relationships to each other.… heart, kidneys, tummy, throat, lungs, eyes, ears, jaw neck or whatever else shows up in session.
The use of self touch for greater regulation and internal organisation
An opportunity to work with your boundaries and start to feel a sense of strength.
Support to find new emerging narratives that positively impact how you see yourself and your life now.
I practice embodied anti racism and welcome First Nations folks and People of Culture to my practice. I acknowledge the ongoing harms of colonisation. I practice embodied anti racism and am open to explore our cultural differences, where I might holding what Ashira Darwish (Palestinian Activist/Speaker/Therapist) calls “supremacist consciousness”. I understand colonisation and cultural segregation denies opportunities for cross cultural relationships.
If you are experiencing ‘global grief’, I will not tell you to look away or put your phone to down to ‘self care’. I will help you to find a way to show up to hard things in a way that honours both your needs and the collective need.
….. Practices of ‘taking refuge’ such as lying on the earth and noticing a sense of being held, ‘we need to experience being held by something’ whether that holding be through teachers, mentors, or sensing into a connection with our ancestors Rod Owens- Buddhist Minister, Authorised, Lama, Author, Activist & Black Buddhist Southern Queen” (Owen & Star, 50:45).
Acknowledging roots in Indigenous and First Nations understanding of “somatic practice”.
As a result of “imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy” (Hooks, B 2004) there has been an erasure of Indigenous non western contributions to somatic inquiry. I acknowledge that many somatically oriented modalities have their origin stories in First Nations and Indigenous culture.
As a white bodied person I am committed to respecting (not appropriating) First Nations and Indigenous traditions. I also believe in the transformative power of collaboration and us working together towards a most just society. I am grateful for the ways in which Indigenous worldviews inform my ongoing practice of decolonisation.
My professional practice walks delicately between two worlds.. being informed by many ‘fields of knowing’ including Evidence bases for practice, First Nations Worldviews, Queer voices, Women’s voices, Animals, Plants, Nature and spirit. As well as scientific grounding in interpersonal nuerobiology, neuroscience, polyvagal theory and attachment theories.
In a way “somatics” has emerged as a response to the fragmentation, and separation cause by industrialised neoliberal capitalism which has disembodied all of us in cycles of workaholism, violence, overconsumption and “supremacist consciousness” (Ashira Darwish). As we collectively face a world in “polycrisis” I believe somatic modalities are needed and offer robust, evidence based and effective practices for managing global grief, burnout, and ongoing trauma .
We contain multitudes and in returning to a holistic mind-body-spirit approach I find over and over that we are creative, resilient, intelligent, and that “our bodies are intent on healing” (Ariel Giaretto).
Our bodies are intent on healing
-Ariel Giaretto
Fee Schedule
50 min appointment $150
75 appointment $190
2 hr appointment $230
I am an AASW accredited Social Worker and NSW Victim Services approved counsellor. The Victims Support Scheme is available to anyone who has experienced an act of violence in NSW.
I offer face to face sessions through my clinic in (Baalijin) Bellingen, NSW as well as Telehealth services.
Please send me an email to discuss consulting work
contact@elizazanuso.com
