Why Duluth Soma?

It all started in 2011, when I was deeply burned out from amateur bike racing and working over 60 hrs/wk in the bike industry. I got curious about my fatigue, persistent stomach pain and feeling on edge all the time. After taking a dive into books about the body and trauma, I quit everything and went to the San Francisco School of Massage. I trained in Myofascial, structural massage and saw change in my own pain and satisfaction with life. I got even more curious. After a few more years of balancing massage work with working in bike shops, in bike advocacy I knew it was time. I started my MA in Counseling Psychology with a focus in Somatic Psychotherapy in 2016 at the California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS). 1 of 2 dedicated programs for Somatic Psychology in the United States, CIIS’s program blended well with my massage training. Now, I also have a Level 1 certification in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. My experience and training have informed me deeply about the effects of stress and trauma on the nervous system - and that we can’t heal alone. The defensive bracing of stress results in chronic pain, dysfunction and difficulty with daily life for so many of us.

Somatic Therapy itself isn’t a cure, but it can help explore old patterns and develop new responses that do change the way we live. I’m so honored to be able to do this work and witness the profound change that people experience when they get curious about what’s happening in their body, mind and whole Soma.

-Erin