About The Work
Your body is your most valuable resource in recovery.
Healing from trauma requires more than just working with the mind—it requires including the body, emotions, and nervous system in the process. Somatic trauma therapy recognizes the deep connection between mind and body, offering a holistic approach to healing. Without addressing the body, healing remains incomplete.
Trauma, like stress, triggers physical responses in the body—tightness, changes in breath, digestive issues, or even long-term illness—all stemming from shifts in your nervous system. Yet, many of us have been conditioned to ignore these physical symptoms and emotions, leaving us to rely solely on the mind to heal.
Somatic trauma therapy invites us to shift this narrative. By including your body in the healing process, you create the conditions for lasting recovery and deeper self-connection.
Trauma Lives in the Body
Trauma, just like stress, causes a physical response - sometimes showing up as sensations, rigidity, change in our breath, or long term illness - all stemming from changes in your nervous system. We have been conditioned to ignore physical symptoms and emotions, and therefore we have been trying to heal by working solely with the mind and ignoring the body.
What Trauma Can Feel Like
Trauma is personal and unique—what feels traumatic to one person may not feel the same to another. Its impact can show up in many ways, including:
Emotional overwhelm
Physical discomfort: tension, pain, tightness, exhaustion, burnout symptoms
Cognitive and mental patterns: ruminating thoughts, negative beliefs (I’m not lovable, I’m not worthy), flashbacks, nightmares, PTSD
And so much more
A Holistic Approach to Healing
Together, we’ll work on resetting and regulating your nervous system to release trauma energy stored in your body. Healing is not about separating the mind, body, and emotions—it’s about addressing them as one interconnected whole.
By reconnecting with your body and emotions, you can begin to feel safer, more present, and more at ease in your life. Your body is not only where trauma is stored—it’s also your greatest resource for healing.
Trauma Recovery
What Does a Session Look Like?
Every session at Metta Healing Arts is as unique as the individual. Trauma and chronic stress affect each person differently, so your healing journey is tailored specifically to you.
Our work together focuses on reconnecting with your body, rebuilding trust in its wisdom, and rediscovering your innate capacity for healing. Whether you’ve learned to dissociate or feel unsafe in your own skin, somatic therapy provides a path to reclaim your body and your life.
A Holistic, Empowering Approach
I am deeply passionate about empowering you to reconnect with your strengths and live with confidence, purpose, and freedom. Through a holistic approach that addresses the body, mind, and spirit, we will explore and release trauma at its root.
Using tools and practices from modalities such as:
Trauma-informed yoga: a specialized approach to yoga that considers the impact of trauma on an individual's mind, body, and spirit. This practice is designed to create a safe, supportive, and empowering environment where individuals can reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, practice autonomy and facilitate healing.
Somatic experiencing: body-based therapy that tracks the felt sensations in your body and invites the exploration of unsettled trauma using the language of the body. Sometimes we need to talk, sit with what’s here, and encourage and allow the body to release and discharge any stuck energy.
Breath training: identifying unhealthy patterns/habits which prevent us from breathing fully. The restoration of controlled breath helps return the body to a regulated state/alert relaxation.
Mindfulness: learning to stay in the present moment while recognizing and accepting our thoughts, feelings, sensations as is.
Strength-based practices: incorporating simple strength building exercises to help people get out of immobility – using emotional skills to support the fears and trauma issues that are blocking people from their own strength.
Expressive Arts/Creative movement: invites the exploration of unsettled trauma using the language of the body- following your bodily sensations and natural impulses, rather than suppressing them, to create your own form of bodily expression.
Self-defense: incorporating basic self-defense tools (striking, releases from grabs, verbal self-defense, setting healthy boundaries, etc.) creates empowerment, builds confidence, and releases suppressed instinctual responses to threat.
Family Constellations: energy work that explores how our ancestral patterns are present and affect us today
Skydiving Therapy: Want to skydive? And use it to heal unresolved wounds and trauma? We use skydiving therapy to overcome the emotion of fear and increase our capacity to tolerate big and often uncomfortable emotions.
Each session is guided by a deep respect for your unique needs and readiness. Together, we will explore what feels unsettled in your body, creating space for healing and transformation.
The Heart of the Work
Somatic trauma therapy is about more than releasing trauma—it’s about reclaiming your power, reconnecting with your authentic self, and building a life of confidence, alignment, and embodied purpose.
Since 2012, Metta Healing Arts has grown from offering Trauma-Informed Yoga to a fully integrative practice that combines ancient wisdom with modern, body-centered healing techniques. The work is always grounded in compassion, safety, and empowerment, supporting you to take aligned action and create lasting change.
Your Journey to Independence
Our work together is not meant to be long-term. While some clients may choose to continue our work, my intention is to provide you with the knowledge, tools, and practices to feel confident in managing your emotions and nervous system on your own.
This is a partnership designed to empower you—helping you develop self-trust, resilience, and the ability to navigate life’s challenges independently. As we work together, you’ll build a strong foundation that allows you to integrate what you’ve learned and embody your healing, even after our sessions have ended.
For some, continuing our work together offers an opportunity for deeper exploration, guidance through ongoing life transitions, or support in focusing on growth-oriented goals. These can include expanding emotional capacity, breaking patterns, strengthening relationships with themselves and others, building confidence, or navigating new challenges as they arise. Whether our time together is short-term or evolves over time, my focus remains on empowering you to create lasting transformation that extends beyond our sessions.
“I came across Julie during a time in my life when I felt hopeless- I tried everything to heal from my past trauma but still felt filled with anxiety every day and felt like I couldn’t move forward with my life. Julie truly changed my life in such a short amount of time! She helped me regulate my nervous system & step out of constant fight or flight mode so that I could be present in my life again and enjoy it again. I went from feeling constantly sick and crippled with anxiety to peaceful, present, happy & aligned. She helped me heal in more ways than I ever thought possible and I’m forever grateful! If you are feeling crippled by anxiety & the trauma of your past and have no idea how to move forward and find the light, I have no doubt that Julie will help you get there. I will never be able to express enough how grateful I am💖 THANK YOU”
“My anxiety has dropped, I’d like to feel it’s thanks to all the tools you’ve given me. I wouldn’t be where I’m at now without all our time together and all your guidance. I love you Julie”