Play, rest, & connection for collective liberation
Somatic Occupational Therapy--
practicing power-with:
self & community
nature & the collective
the great mystery
About Studer Somatics
What is somatics?
Why occupational therapy?
Why occupational therapy?
Somatics or “the language of the body”, is the ancient knowing of our cells, fascia, bones, bone marrow, blood, lymph, internal tides, & more— of how to be our unique & collective humanity.
There is no “goal” for somatic sessions,— your system is the guide. Often, folks want to feel more restful, playful, and connected to themselves and o
Somatics or “the language of the body”, is the ancient knowing of our cells, fascia, bones, bone marrow, blood, lymph, internal tides, & more— of how to be our unique & collective humanity.
There is no “goal” for somatic sessions,— your system is the guide. Often, folks want to feel more restful, playful, and connected to themselves and others, which can happen when difficulty is metabolized through relational somatic work together in sessions & with the natural world. We meet sensation and story with compassion & space (power-with) rather than force & control (power-over) to see what might naturally emerge from the inherent healing intelligence of your system.
We create capacity for feeling unfamiliar or uncomfortable sensations by connecting to resource throughout the session to create a sense of “safe-enough”. This supports the body in processing more intense emotional charge and sensations, and supports a new experience of being in the world in your day to day life. We consider pervasive systems of harm as they relate to the difficulty and distress faced in our day-to-day lives, and the impact of these systems on different bodies as they move through the world.
When we are together in session, I am listening for your inherent healing blueprint and capacity, inviting awareness to sensation and physiology, inviting resource to support intensity, and guiding intensity towards completion or more relative safety. We practice somatics not to become more “calm”, but to become more present, open, and connected to whatever is true in each moment. Everything in sessions is an invitation, you always have the choice to say “no”, “that’s not quite it”, or “not right now” to any prompts, offerings, or reflections in sessions.
We work together to create safe-enough space for (brilliant, intelligent) threat responses to “complete” or find more safety— maybe a growl needs to happen where you had to stay silent before, maybe there’s a “push” or some rest your system never got to complete in real-time. The possiblities are endless, and I facilitate a container of time and space to meet your system wherever it is in the present moment.
Somatic ancestors & influences include (and are not limited to): bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Angela Davis, Prentis Hemphill, adrienne maree brown, Toshi Reagon, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Harriet Tubman, Assata Shakur, generative somatics, Joanna Macy, Mary Oliver, Carmen Spagnola (Numinous Network), Alchemical Alignment, Somatic Experiencing, Irene Morning (Pleasure Coven), bodies of water, mineral, fire, earth, and nature (all living and non-living beings)
Why occupational therapy?
Why occupational therapy?
Why occupational therapy?
“The work of life”, our daily occupations, are what make up our days, routines, & so many moments of our lives. My experience in traditional occupational therapy provides me with a unique lens on our lifespans, the importance of play & meaning across life stages, and a love for the intensity of the whole human experience. The majority of
“The work of life”, our daily occupations, are what make up our days, routines, & so many moments of our lives. My experience in traditional occupational therapy provides me with a unique lens on our lifespans, the importance of play & meaning across life stages, and a love for the intensity of the whole human experience. The majority of my occupational therapy career has been spent in the ICU and in home health settings, with varied experience in standard hospital settings, rehab facilities, hand therapy, pediatrics, and long term care.
I love to guide you in unearthing your own healing capacity: you know your body better than anyone else. Much of the healing capacity we build in sessions can serve to support better sleep, more access to hobbies and creative energy, and more capacity and stability for life’s daily tasks (occupations). Improved capacity also serves to ride the waves of life that are inherently not in our control (severe weather, climate collapse, war, pandemics, and other harmful systems). Studer Somatics is not psychotherapy, we do not diagnose or pathologize “symptoms”, but track nervous system states (fight/flight, rest/digest, play/connection, fawn/please/appease) and orient towards more safety & aliveness.
Occupational therapy focuses on accessing “occupations” (meaningful activity) more independently or more easefully with various adaptations. These occupations can include rest, play, cognition, ADL’s (activities of daily living— bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility), and IADL’s (instrumental activities of daily living— pet care, meal making/planning, driving, laundry, dishes, shopping, cleaning, medication management).
All folks deserve dignity, choice, agency, trust, and care in their healing journey, and my work serves to bring more ease, play, rest, and connection to the relationship you have with yourself, your beloveds, and the natural world.
Somatic occupational therapy is often a modality used in addition to medical care and/or traditional psychotherapy, & can address:
- physical injury or pain, chronic pain, acute injury, new or ongoing medical diagnoses, & cardiovascular, neurological, orthopedic, and/or autoimmune changes throughout the lifespan
- life transitions (divorce, marriage, new child, new education), death and loss, inner voice reshaping , inner adult/inner child work and reparenting , accessing creativity & play, sobriety and lifestyle choices
- acute and chronic trama, including but not limited to: childhood trauma, shock trauma, chronic trauma, & systems collapse, including living within systems of harm
Offerings
Why occupational therapy?
Offerings
Somatic occupational therapy sessions, 60 min, 1:1 and in groups, virtually or in-person in Richmond, CA or in surrounding east bay areas. Sessions are also available in the community locally through home health agencies (Lisjan/Miwok/Ohlone unceded territory, East Bay, CA).
Sliding scale pricing $150-$350/session, (true cost: $250) with
Somatic occupational therapy sessions, 60 min, 1:1 and in groups, virtually or in-person in Richmond, CA or in surrounding east bay areas. Sessions are also available in the community locally through home health agencies (Lisjan/Miwok/Ohlone unceded territory, East Bay, CA).
Sliding scale pricing $150-$350/session, (true cost: $250) with 2 solidarity spaces available for low or no-cost sessions (priority to more marginalized folks for solidarity sessions). Higher end sliding scale contributes to solidarity spaces. Trade opportunities considered with aligned bodywork/movement practitioners.
Please refer to the “green bottle” method (Alexis J Cunningfolk) to determine where you might fall on the sliding scale (link below)
Studer Somatics is not contracted with insurance (other than referrals through home health agencies), and a Superbill can be provided to you to submit for insurance reimbursement for Somatic OT sessions in CA. Rebecca is licensed as an OTR/L (Occupational Therapist) in California, and can see Somatic Coaching clients in any state. Superbill not available for Somatic Coaching, HSA and FSA are eligible to be used for sessions.
Studer Somatics is rooted in disability justice & related practices, and recognizes the ongoing SARS-COV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic. Rebecca practices airborne-aware precautions, wears a N95 mask for indoor in-person sessions, and client masking is optional.
Ongoing (weekly) transmission information for your area: