Body Psychotherapy
Body psychotherapy is a specific orientation to therapy that is under the "somatic therapies" umbrella. As such, body psychotherapists learn to analyze, diagnose, assess, and treat through the body. It is a holistic approach that takes into account the whole being versus just the individuals thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Body psychotherapists recognize that the body holds an innate intelligence that when listened to, can be a guide to healing, a dear friend and ally, and an inner voice of truth. The body holds every experience we have ever lived through and in bringing one back into close relationship to the body, one can begin to integrate disconnected/unprocessed memories
. "Any event that occurs-whether physical, emotional, cognitive, or spiritual-impacts our whole being." (Caldwell, 1996).
"When movement is held back, energy/life flow is impeded, and we become sick. When movement is rushed, energy/life flow is distorted, and we become sick." (Caldwell, 1996).
Our bodies store trauma in the very cells of our being, until these responses are fully expressed, this energy will stay in the body causing some level of dysfunction (In An Unspoken Voice, Levine, 2010).
Education
-Vanessa Herzog holds a Masters in the arts with a concentration in body psychotherapy from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Vanessa currently holds an LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) in WA state, license #: LH 61198636. Vanessa has been practicing as a therapist since 2020.
-She holds a certification in animal-assisted therapy from the Animal-Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado.
-She is certified in Relational Life Therapy level 1 (couples therapy training), and has completed the certification for Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Level 1 and 2 by Janina Fisher.
-She is in the process of becoming certified in sensorimotor Processing Level 1 and contemporary Reichian Therapy
-Vanessa has taken a variety of continuing education courses in DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma processing, spiral dynamics, ACT, etc. For a full list of Vanessa’s continuing education and trainings, please feel free to ask her in/outside of session
-Vanessa has also completed several trainings on ethical non-monogamy and kink-positivity, and holds a certificate in working with consensual non-monogamy level 1
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy works on the premise that as humans, we are mammals. We are pack animals that need social connection as a basic need. Connection is just as important as food, water, and shelter. Through understanding the survival systems of animals, we can come to learn our own nervous systems better and begin to take the shame/blame out of our responses to threats. This involves understanding how each individual defines a threat in their life and how they respond to that threat differently than another human might. In working collaboratively with animals we can cue our nervous systems to feel safe and use the relationship built with an animal to teach us about how we interact with ourselves and with others.
Vanessa takes an eclectic approach to therapy. While grounded in her body psychotherapy and animal-assisted foundation, Vanessa incorporates from a variety of modalities/techniques including; arts-based, strengths-based, relational, humanistic, mindfulness, attachment theory, experiential etc. Vanessa enjoys specializing in her work with Complex PTSD, neurodivergence, highly sensitive persons, kink and non monogamous populations.
Vanessa is an approved supervisor for the state of Washington for those still needing their supervision hours or for clinicians who are wanting extra supervision/support in working with Somatic work, ENM/kink populations, or animal-assisted therapy.
“We spend a lot of time trying to nail everything down, concretizing, just trying to make everything solid and secure. We also spend a lot of time trying to dull or soften or fend off that vividness. When we awaken our hearts, we’re changing the whole pattern, but not by creating a new pattern. We are moving further and further away from concretizing and making things so solid and always trying to get some ground under our feet. This moving away from comfort and security, this stepping out into what is unknown, uncharted, and shaky–that’s called enlightenment, liberation” (Chodron, P. 1994).
Meet Our Expert Therapists
These are the current furry co-therapists at the Embodied Human Animal. Miss Pandora is a regular support to sessions and the kitties come as they feel up to it. The Embodied Human Animal Teams of furry co-therapists will grow sometime in the near future.
Pandora: Miss Pandora will turned 9 in April 2025. She is a rottweiler/Doberman who is dually trained as a service dog and a therapy dog. She was certified as a therapy dog in Colorado state and has been supporting clients on their journeys since. She is slow to warm up, but a very loving and sweet pup.
Jake: Jake is a hypo-allergenic breed of cat called a Korat. He passed away in Novemeber of 2023
Pudgey: She is the "crowd-pleaser," she loves everyone, and especially loves her cheeks rubbed!
Questions and Answers
Find answers to the most commonly asked questions about our services.
Vanessa tends to meet clients where they are. So we will focus heavily on what's bringing you to therapy at this time, what you're wanting to focus on, and doing an overview intake of how the facets of your life are currently supporting your or not.
Folks can find "results" from a variety of different modalities. One modality may bring about a lot of benefit at a specific phase of your journey and at another time may no longer be useful. Some modalities are "mainstays" for someone and some need more diversity. Generally, it is best to notice what most resonates with you. I will admit I have a bias in that any modality should include some component of addressing how the body stores experiences and memories to allow for a more wholistic approach.
My general belief is "there is no one size that fits all". That being said, my work is integrative in nature and draws from a variety of techniques and modalities we collaboratively choose together to find the best fit for your unique situation. There are so many modalities of therapy out there. f there is one in particular you are curious about, please don't hesitate to ask about it! Whether we work together or not, I want to help make this information accessible, so I would be happy to provide some resources as needed.
Begin Your Transformation to a More Fulfilling Life
We offer compassionate, personalized care to address your unique needs. We are committed to working with you to find a resolution promptly. Let’s take the first step towards a healthier, happier you.
