Sometimes the path to healing isn't a straight line.
You come in for back pain and discover it flares up when you're stressed. You start working with your nervous system and realize your shoulders have been braced for years. The body and mind aren't separate — they're constantly influencing each other.
Integrated sessions draw from both Alexander Technique and Somatic Experiencing, following what your system needs in each moment. This isn't a rigid protocol — it's responsive, intuitive work that honors the complexity of how we heal.
How AT and SE Complement Each Other
Alexander Technique works with:
- Posture and alignment
- Movement habits and patterns
- Muscular tension and release
- Body awareness
- Conscious control over reactions
Somatic Experiencing works with:
- Nervous system regulation
- Stored stress and trauma
- Survival responses
- Emotional processing
- Building resilience
When integrated: We can address how stress shows up in posture. Physical release can unlock emotional processing. Nervous system regulation supports new movement patterns. Changes become more embodied and lasting.
This May Be Right for You If...
Your pain has an emotional component
Your back pain flares when you're stressed. Your tension increases after difficult conversations. Physical treatments help temporarily, but the pattern keeps returning.
Stress has changed how you hold your body
After an accident, prolonged stress, or a difficult period, you notice you've been holding yourself differently — hunched, braced, collapsed. Your body hasn't felt like "home" since.
You feel disconnected from your body
You intellectually understand what you're supposed to feel, but there's a disconnect. Something feels blocked.
Physical work brings up emotions
When we do Alexander Technique together, you notice unexpected emotions — tears, anxiety, or a sense of release. This is valuable information about where healing needs to happen.
What an Integrated Session Looks Like
Every session is different because we follow what emerges:
- Beginning with a nervous system check-in: How regulated do you feel today?
- Exploring a movement or posture through AT principles
- Pausing to notice sensations and track what's happening internally
- Following a thread of activation or emotion with SE tools
- Returning to movement with new awareness
- Integrating the experience before we close
"We're working on your sitting posture when you notice your chest feels tight. We pause, track the sensation, and discover it's connected to a feeling of needing to protect yourself. As we work with that through SE, your chest naturally opens. The postural change that felt impossible before now feels natural."
Session Details
Length: 60-75 minutes (slightly longer to allow for integration)
Frequency: Weekly or biweekly, depending on your goals
Who it's for: Integrated sessions work well for anyone open to body-based work, whether you're experienced or new to it.
Ready to Explore?
Integrated work isn't about doing more — it's about letting the body and mind heal together. Book a free 15-minute consultation to see if this approach is right for you.
Book Your Free Consultation