8 Highly Recommended San Francisco Somatic Therapists
Most of us have been conditioned since childhood to ignore the messages our bodies are trying to communicate. The headache after too much screen time, the stomach knots before a family dinner, the shoulder tension during conflict with your partner — these sensations hold valuable information.
If you’ve spent years pushing through discomfort yet still experience chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, depression, digestive issues, or burnout, your body may be calling for attention in ways beyond words.
In somatic therapy, we slow down and practice listening to your body. Together, we build awareness of the sensations, impulses, and emotions that shape your experience. This process helps you reconnect with yourself, strengthen relationships, and engage with the world in a more grounded, authentic way.
Trauma, stress, and emotion don’t just live in the mind — they live in the body. Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach that supports healing from trauma by helping you process “stuck” experiences, increase regulation, and build resilience.
If talk therapy alone hasn’t felt like enough, somatic therapy offers another path: one that honors your body’s intelligence and helps you come home to yourself.
Jump to a therapist
Ellen Ottman: Best for complex trauma
Bayley Azevedo: Best for sexual trauma & intimacy challenges
Amy Toig: Best for chronic illness & chronic pain
Kara Sunwell: Best for neurodivergent & highly sensitive individuals
Annie Patyk: Best for perfectionism, imposter syndrome, & burnout
David de Lancellotti: Best for Somatic Experiencing
Amber Godwin: Best for teens
Jen Ottman: Best for professionals & executives
Ellen Ottman
Best for complex trauma
I specialize in helping people heal from complex trauma/CPTSD using methods like sensorimotor psychotherapy, brainspotting, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. My body-based approach helps you listen to what your nervous system has been trying to communicate, release protective patterns that are no longer serving you, and learn how to engage with life in a more meaningful way.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: Virtual in San Francisco
Virtual therapy? Yes, available across California
Bayley Azevedo
Best for sexual trauma & intimacy challenges
I support LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples healing from sexual trauma and intimacy challenges through trauma-informed somatic therapy. We approach the scary stuff with safety and grace, going at the pace that feels right for you. Through our work together, you’ll begin to notice where intimacy triggers your nervous system and gently build new pathways for connection, pleasure, and trust in your body.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 2354 Post Street, San Francisco, California 94115
Virtual therapy? Yes, in addition to in-person
Amy Toig
Best for chronic illness & chronic pain
I blend somatic therapy and mindfulness practices to support people living with chronic illness and chronic pain. Our time together is an opportunity to slow down, tune into sensation (which can be our body’s way of letting us know that something needs attention), and build a compassionate relationship with your body. I also offer ecotherapy (nature-immersed sessions) and psychedelic integration when applicable.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: Ecotherapy sessions available in San Francisco
Virtual therapy? Yes, available across California
Kara Sunwell
Best for neurodivergent & highly sensitive individuals
I specialize in supporting neurodivergent and highly sensitive folks using Hakomi (mindfulness and somatics), ecotherapy, and creative arts. Through cultivating gentle body-based awareness, we explore how your unique nervous system processes overwhelm and sensory input, then build tools that honor your wiring. My approach affirms your sensitivity as a strength, not a problem to be solved.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: Ecotherapy sessions available in West LA
Virtual therapy? Yes, available across California
Annie Patyk
Best for perfectionism, imposter syndrome, & burnout
I help women shift patterns that contribute to perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout by tuning into what's happening in your body: the anxiety in your chest, the tension in your shoulders, the sinking feeling in your stomach. Using relational, psychodynamic, and somatic approaches, you’ll start learning how to trust yourself and find safety in being “good enough.”
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 2354 Post Street, Suite D, San Francisco, CA 94115
Virtual therapy? Yes, in addition to in-person
David de Lancellotti
Best for Somatic Experiencing
I’m trained in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based approach that supports your nervous system in completing stress responses to reduce trauma-related reactions over time. I use SE® to help people heal from anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, and other challenges, and I’m especially passionate about LGBTQIA+-affirming care.
Credentials: Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
Location: Virtual in San Francisco
Virtual therapy? Yes, available across California
Amber Godwin
Best for teens
Adolescence is intense—emotions feel huge, your body is changing, and relationships with friends or parents can get rocky. Through methods like Somatic Experiencing and other trauma-informed methods, I help teens learn how to understand their feelings, regulate their emotions, and learn how to trust their body’s wisdom.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 828 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA 94706
Virtual therapy? Yes, available across California
Jen Ottman
Best for professionals & executives
I support high-achieving professionals who are outwardly successful but whose inner world tells a different story. My insight-driven, attachment-based approach blends talk therapy with somatic awareness to get clarity on the blocks that are holding you back from feeling truly seen, connected, and supported.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: In-person sessions available in Santa Monica
Virtual therapy? Yes, available across California
What sets our practice apart from other San Francisco somatic therapy providers
At Stillpoint Therapy Collective, we've built a team of highly trained somatic therapists who share a commitment to affirming, body-based care. Here's what makes us different:
Advanced somatic training in modalities like Somatic Experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, Brainspotting, Hakomi, and EMDR
LGBTQ+ identified and affirming therapists who understand your lived experience firsthand
Diverse clinical approaches including trauma-focused, relational, psychodynamic, and attachment-based therapy
In-person and virtual options with flexibility for your schedule and needs
Evening availability to accommodate working professionals
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy preparation and integration support
Transparent, equitable pay structures that reflect our values as a collective
Whether you're healing from trauma, managing chronic pain, or seeking deeper connection with yourself, our team offers specialized expertise grounded in warmth, collaboration, and respect.
What to expect from the therapy process
Step 1: Free consultation
We start with a brief phone call where we'll talk about what brings you to therapy, answer your questions, and explore whether we're a good fit. This is your chance to get a feel for our approach without any pressure or commitment.
Step 2: First session
In your first full session, we'll create a collaborative plan based on your goals, needs, and pace. This is also where we’ll start to lay the groundwork for a trusting, supportive therapeutic relationship together.
Step 3: Building awareness
Through ongoing sessions, we'll track sensations, emotions, and patterns in your body and nervous system. This process helps you recognize protective responses, understand where you feel stuck, and begin to create new choices that support healing and regulation.
Step 4: Integration & growth
As you develop more awareness and tools, you'll notice shifts in how you relate to yourself and others. We'll continue refining practices, deepening insight, and translating what happens in therapy into sustainable change in your daily life and relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions About Somatic Therapy
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Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach that helps you notice and release stress, trauma, and tension stored in the nervous system. Instead of only talking about your experiences, we also use mindfulness, breath, and gentle movement to support healing.
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Yes. While we still talk, the focus is also on what’s happening in your body. This creates more pathways for healing, especially if you’ve felt “stuck” in talk therapy before.
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Somatic therapy isn’t about pushing you into discomfort or trying to fix you. It’s about gently tracking sensations, breath, posture, and subtle body cues - all at your own pace. We might use grounding practices, movement, breathwork, or guided imagery to support your healing.
Our work is informed by Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, polyvagal theory, parts work, attachment theory, trauma-informed practices, and neuroscience. We aim to create a space where you can safely explore what’s happening in your body, build awareness of your patterns and release those that no longer serve you, and build a felt sense of safety and aliveness.
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Somatic therapists support you in tuning into your body sensations and guiding you through exercises that can help you regulate your emotions. There is no physical touch from the therapist involved—sessions are discussions where your therapist acts as a resource and source of support as you explore.
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Chronic anxiety or hypervigilance
Chronic pain
Trauma, PTSD, and Complex Trauma
Difficulty identifying, fully feeling, or expressing emotions
Reconnecting with yourself and your intuition
Burnout and chronic stress
Childhood trauma
Feeling disconnected, “checked out”, numb, and/or stuck
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Anyone dealing with trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, or disconnection from their body can benefit. Many people find it especially helpful if they’re highly sensitive, creative, or have already tried traditional therapy and want something more integrative.
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Anxiety often shows up in the body — racing heart, shallow breathing, tightness in the chest or shoulders. Somatic therapy helps you tune into those signals and gradually shift them, so your body learns new ways to calm and regulate.
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Yes, insurance typically covers somatic therapy. While our therapists are out-of-network providers and do not accept insurance directly, many offer superbills that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement, depending on your plan's out-of-network benefits. We also keep a limited number of sliding-scale spots available based on need and therapist availability.
Start working with a somatic therapist in San Francisco today
Reconnect with Yourself. Reclaim Your Life.
You are not broken, your body has been trying to protect you. Through somatic therapy, we help you create space for more ease, connection, and wholeness.