Frequently asked questions

What is somatic coaching?

Somatic coaching is a goal-oriented, emergent process centered on sensations and experiences within the body.

This includes building/deepening relationship with your body, and identifying how your current embodiment influences the way you show up in relationships with yourself and loved ones, colleagues, communitie(s), and the world. 

Relevant somatic practices are introduced throughout the coaching process to support your transformation toward your desired way of showing up within and outside of stress and pressure. Content of somatic coaching can be focused on your relationship to self/others, leadership in various roles you hold, and expanding ability to respond under pressure in alignment with your values.

What makes joyshaping different?

I integrate my lived experience,  education, and unique perspective into my coaching container. Many (somatic) coaches have little to no formal training to support trauma healing. As a disabled trauma survivor, as well my experience of nearly a decade supporting fellow survivors, I’m able to hold the complexity and layers that result from loss, violence, and beyond.

Healing calls for safe, healthy connection, and joyshaping is a container offered to trauma advocates, therapists, social workers, nurses, and caregivers of those touched by violence and harm.

I offer services virtually to reduce barriers created by lack of transportation, anxiety of seeing an in-person provider, and allowing folks to engage in services from the safety of their own home or setting of their choosing.

Is somatic coaching the same as somatic therapy?

Although I have a background in counseling and trauma healing, coaching is distinct from therapeutic mental health support. Coaching is focused on the present and the future self we’d like to embody, while therapy is often oriented toward the past. We can discuss this distinction to explore if coaching is a good fit, and/or how partnering with other practitioners could support your mental health and healing.

The basics of the commitment include: participating in at least 10-12 somatic coaching sessions (typically 45-60 minutes each), identifying a longing or goal to orient our somatic work together, and a commitment to engaging in somatic practices between sessions. The more time dedicated to somatic practices will deepen our collaborative work. Practice typically calls for 5-15 minutes of your day.

What does individual coaching include?

What kind of group coaching and workshops does joyshaping offer?

My areas of focus include (vicarious) trauma, resilience, the cycle of violence, gender based violence, trauma-centered practice, self-care, consent, and anti-oppression. I’m able to create custom content, as well as offer previously designed curriculum depending on what kind of support and practice you’re interested in.

I partner with (young) adults who carry trauma histories, as well as a longing to deepen in their healing journey. I also work with organizations who respond to violence, serve trauma survivors, and experience vicarious trauma exposure. Somatic support to survivors and frontline workers is a tool to combat burnout and create more sustainable practices for individuals, communities/families, and organizations impacted by trauma.

Who does joyshaping work with?

Current offerings include virtual individual 1-1 coaching sessions, group coaching, workshops, and trauma-centered somatic trainings. If you have questions and want to learn more, feel free to schedule a free chemistry call here.

What does joyshaping offer?

If any of these offerings sound like something you’re ready to explore or you have lingering curiosity about somatic coaching, you’re welcome to schedule a free chemistry call or contact me at katie@joyshaping.com.

How do I get started?

What do I need to access coaching?

A reliable internet connection, a (mobile) device that’s capable of meeting by Zoom, and, ideally, a private, safe space to meet in,. I’m happy to discuss options or questions you might have to accommodate you and your space.

What kind of somatic practices does joyshaping offer?

joyshaping’s somatic practice stems from Strozzi Institute’s lineage and its teaching team. The Strozzi lineage is shaped by patriarchy, ableism and white supremacy in the context of colonialism and racialized capitalism.

Many cultures and communities have ruptured access to embodied practice  lineages due to genocide, oppressive systems, and violence. I view somatics as a pathway that welcomes those of us who maintain connection with our lineage(s), as well as those of us seeking to repair lost connection through the wisdom and knowing of our bodies.

Somatics is a term coined in 1972 by Thomas Hannah; however, somatics is inseparable from a multitude of lineages with deeply rooted embodied knowledge and practices.

As a cisgender practitioner of Western European descent, I’m committed to accountability and confronting appropriation in somatic spaces.  This is an ongoing process, and I welcome dialogue. 

You can learn about Strozzi’s living lineage here Strozzi's Living Lineage.

How much can I expect to invest?

For individual coaching clients, my full rate is $125/session, or $1200 for a 10 session package. If purchasing a package, all sessions must be completed within 4 months of the date of your first session. 

I also welcome solidarity rates of $150-185/session to subsidize trauma survivors with limited financial resources to access somatic coaching. 

I'm committed to accessibility, so if my standard rate is outside the range of possibility for you and your budget, contact me; I have a limited number of sliding scale coaching slots available. We can discuss what feels possible given your current financial resources.

Workshop and training investment varies based on the number of participants, content requested, as well as length of time working directly with participants. Feel free to schedule a free chemistry call to talk through possibilities given what you and your organization are seeking.