The difference between traditional life coaching and somatic coaching is that we use body awareness to give us information that supports the goal of embodied transformation. Soma comes from the Greek word “somatikos,” meaning “pertaining to the body.” In Mind-Body Coaching, the soma encompasses physical sensations, emotions, internal narratives, (our stories) images and more. I use the Mind-Body Cycle of Change which leads us through these 5 stages: Body Awareness, Sensing/Feeling, Expressing/Articulating, Embodied Insight and Action/Integration. It isn’t (just) through insight that we change, but by grounding that insight into an actionable, often physical, practice. One example of this work is my client whose intention was to bring love into her life. When she started working with me, her posture was rounded and her gaze was down. During one of her sessions, she discovered that her body's shape was inconsistent with what she was trying to project. She adjusted her physical shape by lifting her sternum and chin, and relaxing her shoulders down her back. This change seems too subtle to be significant, but it drastically changed how she breathes, looks and carries herself. Now her chin is raised, she looks people in the eye instead of at the ground, and she feels confident. It completely changed her perspective. Already she’s more connected to other people and feels happier.Sometimes I use creative tools such as journaling, drawing, expressive sound and movement - whatever the moment calls for that supports your process. Everything is an invitation. Somatic coaching is “trauma-informed,” which means we recognize the 5 principles of trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and empowerment.People come to coaching for a variety of reasons. Some of my clients have wanted to release trauma, find their purpose, heal relationships, cultivate a healthy relationship with themselves, discover their personal power, build healthy communication skills with their partner, move out of poverty consciousness, heal their body and stop addictive behaviors. Somatic coaching is not therapy, but it can be an effective, holistic alternative. Whatever brings you to this work, you’re safe here.