Trauma-Informed Somatic Therapy in Los Angeles
Release stored trauma and reconnect with your body’s natural wisdom
Somatic Therapy focuses on the connection between the mind and body to help release tension, emotional pain, and trauma stored within the nervous system. By learning to tune into body sensations and regulate the stress response, many clients describe feeling calmer and more at home in their bodies
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to trauma treatment that works with physical sensation, breath, and grounding rather than relying primarily on conversation.
Somatic approaches understand trauma as something that can continue shaping physical sensations, defensive responses, and patterns of nervous system activation long after an experience has passed, even when it's been fully understood on an intellectual level.
Jacklynne draws on Somatic Experiencing and Hakomi, a mindfulness-based somatic approach, tailoring the pace and depth of the work to what your nervous system can integrate at any given time.
This work does not require yoga poses or a set movement practice. It follows the sensations, impulses, and nervous system responses that arise in the moment, as they arise in the present moment.
Do You Talk in Somatic Therapy?
Yes. Sessions combine conversation with gentle attention to what you notice in your body.
Working Within Your Window of Tolerance
Jacklynne works within your "window of tolerance," the range where you can stay present without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down.
She may use titration, approaching sensations in small amounts, and pendulation, moving gently between tension and ease, so the process remains manageable rather than flooding your system all at once.
Who Somatic Therapy May Help
Somatic therapy may be especially helpful for teens and adults who:
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Understand their trauma intellectually but still feel it in their body.
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Experience chronic tension or body discomfort that persists alongside stress or trauma-related patterns, after relevant medical concerns have been evaluated.
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Notice a pattern of freezing, shutting down, or going numb under stress.
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Have tried talk therapy and feel like something is still unresolved.
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Struggle to feel settled or at ease, even when nothing is currently wrong.
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Are carrying grief or loss that feels heavy in the body, not just in the mind.
What a Somatic Therapy Session Looks Like
Sessions focus on noticing what's happening in your body as it happens, rather than recounting the full narrative of what occurred. You won't be asked to relive difficult events in detail. Instead, Jacklynne will guide you to track sensation, breath, and impulses in real time.
This can feel unfamiliar at first if you're used to therapy being primarily verbal. This shift, from talking about the body to actually listening to it, can create space to notice experiences that are often difficult to access through conversation alone.
Meet Your Somatic Therapist
Jacklynne Marder is a licensed marriage and family therapist, California License No. 131000. She completed Somatic Experiencing Levels 1 and 2 through the SE Institute, an Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy certificate through the Embody Lab, and training in Hakomi, a mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy.
This body-aware training allows her to bring nervous system regulation into trauma treatment alongside more traditional talk-based approaches, depending on what each client's healing calls for.
Why the Body Holds Trauma
Understanding the Science of Somatic Healing
Trauma is not only stored in memory but also within the nervous system. When an experience overwhelms the body’s ability to process it, the energy of that event becomes trapped in the body, creating chronic tension, hypervigilance, or emotional numbness.
Somatic Therapy helps release this stored energy through awareness and regulation. By slowing down and observing physical sensations, clients can safely discharge built-up stress and allow the nervous system to complete its natural healing cycle.
This process may help with anxiety, overwhelm and the physical tension stress can leave in the body, allowing for greater peace and presence in daily life.
Benefits of Somatic Therapy
Restoring Balance to Mind and Body
Somatic Therapy offers many benefits for both physical and emotional well-being. It is particularly effective for those who experience:
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Chronic stress or anxiety
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Unresolved trauma or PTSD
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Emotional detachment or numbness
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Burnout or chronic fatigue
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Muscle tension or pain with no clear cause
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Difficulty feeling grounded or present
Clients often report feeling calmer, more centered, and more connected to their bodies. Over time, many clients notice greater resilience and steadier relationships, and a deep sense of safety within oneself, supported through the collaborative work of a mind-body therapist.
What Happens in a Somatic Therapy Session
Creating Safety and Awareness in the Body
Each session begins with mindful grounding to help you connect with your body and the present moment. Through guided exploration, you will be invited to notice sensations such as warmth, pressure, tightness, or movement within your body. These sensations often carry emotional information that can guide the healing process.
As a somatic therapist in Los Angeles, Jacklynne's approach is designed to let healing unfold safely and gradually. Over time, many clients find their body begins to feel safe enough to relax, express, and release.
Whether sessions take place in person at her West LA office, minutes from Santa Monica, or virtually throughout California, Jacklynne works with the same thoughtful, individualized care.
The Role of the Nervous System in Somatic Healing
Regulating and Restoring Natural Rhythms
The nervous system plays a central role in how we experience safety and connection. When the nervous system is stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, it can lead to chronic emotional and physical symptoms.
Somatic Therapy teaches the body to return to regulation through grounding, mindful awareness, and slow movement. This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes rest and recovery.
By learning to listen to the body’s cues and respond with compassion, clients can gradually build resilience and self-trust. The result is a renewed sense of calm, clarity, and presence.
Somatic Therapy and EMDR Together
Working with the Body and the Memory
Somatic therapy and EMDR approach trauma from different directions.
Somatic therapy focuses on what’s happening in your body right now: tension, breath, and the moments your nervous system tightens or shuts down.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, to help the brain reprocess specific painful memories.
Many clients benefit from both, as somatic work can build a sense of safety and steadiness in the body first, which makes EMDR processing feel more manageable.
During EMDR, somatic tools help you stay grounded if strong sensations come up.
Jacklynne is trained in both approaches, including Attachment-Focused EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, so you don’t need to choose one before you begin. Together, you’ll decide what fits your needs and pace, and adjust as you go.
Integrating Somatic Therapy with Other Modalities
A Holistic and Collaborative Approach
Jacklynne, a trauma therapist who integrates Somatic Therapy with EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy, offers a full-spectrum approach to trauma healing.
This integration allows for both top-down and bottom-up healing, addressing trauma through the body, emotions, and mind. Clients gain tools for nervous system regulation, emotional expression, and cognitive reframing that support lasting transformation.
Frequently asked questions
TESTIMONIALS
"I’ve been to a lot of different therapists and felt exhausted by talk therapy, yet still stuck. I was referred to Jacklynne when I expressed that I was interested in a more somatic approach, and I’ve found her use of IFS really helpful in reframing my depression. If you’re stuck in talk therapy and you want to go deeper and “do the work”, Jacklynne’s intuition, compassion, creativity and resourcefulness will help you to unpack and gain more insight into yourself and what you need!"
"I was immediately impressed by the thoughtful and incisive questions Jacklynne asked. She has a kind presence and I felt very comfortable sharing with her. She presented me with tools in a clear and concise way which I appreciate because I have a short attention span. When I asked questions about the application of the tools, she gave clear and quick feedback. I left my session impressed by her listening skills, her observations and helpful recommendations. I felt a sense of relief after the session and I couldn’t stop smiling. It felt good to feel comfortable sharing things I usually keep to myself. I look forward to working with her."
"I am so happy I found Jacklynne. She is an incredible therapist who really cares about my well being. I am a survivor of complex trauma. Jacklynne not only provides a compassionate and safe space, but she also helps me with somatic tools to regulate my nervous system. I am so grateful to have her in my corner. I could not recommend her more."
Currently offering In-Person & Online Sessions
Individual $190 · Couples $250 · Sliding scale available
Contact Me to Book Your Next Session or
Free Consultation
Tel: (805) 974-0301
2001 S Barrington Avenue, Unit 312
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Office hours: Mon 10am–5pm · Tue–Sat 9am–5pm · Sun closed