Somatic & Mind-Body Therapy in California
You understand your patterns. You can explain exactly why you react the way you do. And still — your chest tightens, your breath goes shallow, your shoulders climb toward your ears before you’ve even registered what set it off.
Insight lives in the mind. But so much of what we carry — stress, anxiety, old trauma, the bracing we do without noticing — lives in the body. You can’t think your way out of a nervous system that’s stuck on high alert.
If your body has been holding what your mind has already worked through, the next step often isn’t more analysis. It’s learning to come back into your body, gently and on your own terms.
That’s what mind-body and somatic therapy is for.
What is somatic and mind-body therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to healing. Instead of working only with thoughts and stories, it brings the body into the room — your breath, your posture, the physical sensations that show up when emotion does. The word somatic simply means “of the body.”
At Eclectic Minds, this work weaves together breathwork, mindfulness, gentle movement, and yoga-informed practices to help your nervous system find its way back to safety. We pay attention to what’s happening in your body in the present moment, and use that as a doorway — not to push past discomfort, but to help it settle.
There’s a phrase we love here: the body keeps the score. Tension, shallow breathing, the urge to shut down or brace — these aren’t flaws. They’re your nervous system doing exactly what it learned to do to keep you safe. Somatic work helps it learn something new.
Your body learned to protect you. We help it learn to rest.
Who somatic therapy helps
Erin works with clients across California who are navigating:
- Chronic stress and burnout — when your body never quite powers down, even when you're "resting"
- Anxiety and panic that live in the body — racing heart, tight chest, shallow breath
- Trauma held in the body — when you've processed the story but the physical charge is still there
- Disconnection from your body — numbness, dissociation, or feeling like you live "in your head"
- Tension, bracing, and a nervous system stuck on high alert
- Identity-based stress — including the body-level toll of homophobia, transphobia, racism, and never feeling safe to take up space
- Anyone curious about a gentler, body-centered path alongside or instead of traditional talk therapy
If you’ve spent a long time in your head and not enough time feeling at home in your body, this work may be a path worth exploring.
What somatic therapy at Eclectic Minds is actually like
A few things people often wonder, so let’s clear them up:
You don’t have to be “good at” meditation or yoga. There’s nothing to perform here. Erin meets you exactly where you are — no flexibility, experience, or special calm required.
You stay fully in control. Somatic work is collaborative and paced. Nothing happens to you — you and Erin move together, and you can pause or slow down at any moment.
It’s not about forcing relaxation. We’re not chasing a particular feeling. The goal is to help your nervous system have more options — more capacity to settle, and more freedom to feel.
The body leads, but talking still happens. This isn’t silent bodywork. We notice sensation, breath, and movement together, and we make meaning of it out loud — at whatever pace feels right.
Small shifts matter. A fuller breath, a dropped shoulder, a moment of genuine stillness — these aren’t small at all. They’re your nervous system practicing safety.
Coming home to a body that's felt unsafe
This is something we care deeply about — especially in queer, trans, and BIPOC healing.
So many of the people we serve carry stress and trauma that live in the body. Bodies that were policed, judged, harmed, hidden, or never felt safe to fully inhabit. Talk therapy can change how you think about your body. Somatic work can change how you live in it.
Erin brings a warm, mindfulness-informed approach to every session — meeting your body with patience rather than pressure. Healing doesn’t happen if your body can’t tolerate the process. So we go at the pace your body can trust.
How often will I come to therapy?
Most clients begin with weekly 50-minute sessions — we recommend this as the minimum cadence for the work to gain traction. Somatic change is a process, and consistency lets your nervous system trust what’s happening.
We also offer:
- Maintenance sessions — once you've built capacity and are ready to step back from weekly therapy, we offer ongoing support to help you stay grounded
Erin will work with you to find the right pace.
Accessible therapy
We’re committed to making therapy accessible. Eclectic Minds is a private-pay practice, and we offer sliding scale fees.
We provide superbills you can submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. Fees are discussed openly during your free consultation, so you can make an informed decision before committing to anything.
Meet your therapists
Adrina Wilson, LMFT — Founder & CEO
Adrina specializes in trauma, identity, and the body’s role in healing, integrating somatic and parts-work approaches with deep experience supporting LGBTQ+ clients across California.
Erin Powers, APCC — Somatic & Mindfulness-Informed Therapist
Erin brings a warm, body-centered approach to healing, integrating breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, and yoga-informed practices to help clients reconnect with their bodies. She specializes in trauma, anxiety, and nervous-system work, with deep care for LGBTQ+ clients across California.
Somatic therapy FAQ
Do I need to be flexible or experienced in yoga?
Not at all. Somatic therapy isn’t a yoga class, and there’s nothing to perform. Erin draws on yoga-informed and breathwork practices, but everything is adapted to your body, your comfort, and your pace. No experience needed.
Is somatic therapy evidence-based?
Yes. Body-based and mindfulness approaches are well-supported for stress, anxiety, and trauma, and they’re increasingly recognized as a powerful complement to traditional talk therapy — especially for what the body holds that words can’t reach.
Can somatic therapy be done over telehealth?
Yes. Erin provides all sessions via secure telehealth across California. Breathwork, mindfulness, and gentle movement translate beautifully to video — and many clients prefer doing this work from a space where they already feel safe.
Do I have to talk about my trauma?
Only as much as you want to. Somatic work doesn’t require retelling your story in detail. We can work with what your body is holding in the present moment, at whatever pace feels right for you.
Is this LGBTQ+ affirming?
Yes. Erin is trained in LGBTQ+ affirming care and weaves that lens through every part of the work. Your identity isn’t a sidebar — it’s part of how the work is done.
Do you accept insurance?
We are a private-pay practice and provide superbills you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Fees are discussed openly during your free consultation.
Ready to come back into your body?
We offer free 15-minute consultations so you can meet a therapist, ask any questions, and get a feel for whether somatic therapy is the right fit. No pressure, no expectation — just a chance to see what feels possible.