My path into depth psychologically oriented Somatic Experiencing began in the body.
I first trained as a doctor of physical therapy.
Early on in my life, I was drawn by an innate desire to work closely with the living processes of healing. However, over time, when working in the field of physical therapy, I found myself with an increasing felt sense of unease with the prevailing medicalized model of the body as a mechanical structure—something to be manipulated, adjusted, corrected, or optimized as though it were a machine.
While the work was certainly interesting,
over time, I kept noticing how my attention would drift towards the deeper subtleties presenting themselves to me in the clinic. For example, the way an emotion, memory, and/or image seemed to live and reveal itself within and from the person's tissues.
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Feeling a dissonance with the medical approach to the body, I kept asking myself, "WHY in the world did I go into physical therapy?" I would go on to run myself in circles contemplating this for years; in fact, I still am.
But, only later did I start asking about the etymologies of the words physical and therapy. There, I discovered that the very words shaping my profession carried meanings and resonances far deeper than the modern medical framework in which I had learned them gave them credit.
The word “physical” derives from the Greek physis, meaning that which grows, unfolds from itself, or becomes—the generative movement of nature.
The root of “therapy,” therapeia, originally referred to caring or attending to what is.
Following more ancient traditions, the therapist is not primarily focused on body or mind exclusively,
but an attendant of life’s deeper unfolding.​
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Closely related to this idea is the Greek word zoÄ“, which refers to life in its most fundamental vitality—the animating pulse that moves through all living beings.
If zoē names the sheer fact of animated life, physis describes the way that animated life expresses itself, continually emerging, growing, and transforming.
In this light, my therapeutic stance has evolved from the medicalized stance of correcting and manipulating the body to tending the living intelligence moving through psyche and soma alike.​
hi there,
i'm danielle
Ironically, now I see the movement from being a conventional physical therapist into a depth psychologist and somatic experiencing practitioner as almost a deepening into that same vocation. As a "physical therapist," I am an attendant to physis; I see the body as a living field in which body, psyche, and imagination continually interact and shape one another.
My work is grounded in the tradition of analytical psychology developed by Carl Jung. I have pursued doctoral work exploring depth psychology and archetypal psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where I plan to defend my doctoral dissertation later this year (Summer 2026), and I am currently in my third year of training to become a Jungian psychoanalyst at the C.G. Jung Institute of New England.
Within this lineage, I feel especially aligned with the work of James Hillman and the tradition of archetypal psychology, which approaches the psyche as a living, imaginal reality that expresses itself through images, myths, dreams, and symptoms.
From this perspective, I see the body not simply as a physical object, but a place where psyche speaks—through sensation, emotion, gesture, image, and story. My clinical work integrates this archetypal orientation with somatic approaches that recognize the body as a site of memory, imagination, and transformation.
In many ways, this unfolding path continually brings me back to the deeper meaning hidden within the title that first called me into the healing professions—to tend the unfolding of life itself.
Whether through symptom, dream, image, sensation, or story, the psyche/body continually reveals its own movement toward meaning.
My task, as I understand it, is to accompany that unfolding with care, curiosity, spaciousness, and reverence for the living mystery at work within us all.
Currently, I take the role of a practitioner, facilitator, and educator who supports clients in 1:1 or group containers to develop the necessary awareness of psychic, somatic, and imaginal processes that can lead to a deeper understanding and engagement with any symptoms that resulted from unresolved trauma and stress.
I use a Somatic Experiencing (SE) approach combined with an inclusive Depth Psychological perspective.
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Though SE is often used in conjunction with psychotherapy, I do not offer licensed psychotherapy.
I am a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Depth Psychology PhD candidate, not a licensed psychotherapist.
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If we break down psycho-therapy.
"Psyche" meaning soul,
"Therapy" meaning to tend and care for,
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I actually consider what I do to be deep tending and caring for the soul.
Although I have extensive education in the realm of psychophysiological experience, I am not licensed under the CO licensing board for psychotherapy, meaning I cannot diagnose, prescribe medication, or bill insurance (superbills available upon request).
As a clinically trained and licensed physical therapist and a stage I Jungian psychoanalyst training candidate, I do not believe that our true integrative healing lies exclusively in our physical bodies only.
Our psyche and soma are intricately connected in so many ways that I could not ethically treat people exclusively serving only the physical body.
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My current work is fortified by PhD-level training in Jungian and Archetypal Psychology (Depth Psychology), Somatic Experiencing, and my clinical experience of the body/mind psyche as a physical therapist and stage I Jungian psychoanalytic candidate in training.
My experience as a doctor of physical therapy deeply informs the way I listen to and interact with bodies.
I have worked with groups of various populations including women, men, veterans, and other at-risk populations.
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This history has offered resources combining creative depth psychological practices with somatic approaches to trauma renegotiation. Drawing on this background, if desired, I may propose movement, writing, dream tending or other creative/expressive exercise to complement the tools of Somatic Experiencing.
education & credentials
Stage I Jungian Analyst Training Candidate
C.G. Jung Institute of New England
Newton, MA
M.A., Ph.D. (c) Depth Psychology with Jungian and Archetypal Studies Emphasis
Pacifica Graduate Institute
Carpinteria, CA
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Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitoner®
Somatic Experiencing® Training Assistant
Somatic Experiencing® International
Boulder, CO
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Eye of the Needle I, Near Death Experience Somatic Experiencing® Masterclass
Ergos Institute of Somatic Education
Montreal, Canada
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Doctor of Physical Therapy, PTL.0016731
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Morgantown, WV
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Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV
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Associate of Science in Pre-Physical Therapy
Potomac State College of West Virginia University
Keyser, WV
Is the way you are living your life truly meaningful, animating, and fulfilling to you?
If your answer is “no” or “I’m not sure”
you are in the right place.
MY APPROACH TO WHOLENESS, INTEGRATION, AND EMBODIMENT
My work is all about turning towards soul and finding a greater capacity to safely process the tensions that are moving through you.
It is about finding creative ways to approach inner conflicting energies, as Peter Levine says, "moving from fixity to flow."
In those fixed places, we frequently encounter what is called liminal space.
This space is a space of threshold, a potential space of potent transformation.
In this space, one may be called to leave what is known behind, yet, simultaneously, the next space has not fully revealed itself.
This liminal space involves embracing the mystery and the power of transition from “what has been” to “what will be.”
This is what I help you do.
I guide individuals through this space in a way that is re-membering, rather than fragmenting.
I take all physical, mental, emotional, mythical, and imaginal experiences that arise in this space as important content.
When this space is unconscious, it may feel like:
“I just feel stuck,”
“I know there is more,” or
“I am not going fast enough.”
If left unconscious, this space can become very constricting:
“I am unworthy”
“Life feels meaningless.”
“I am not strong enough to handle this.”
These are not just mental stories, they are also body stories.
Most often, these become body stories of survival when this fixed energy is left unconscious.
This is where we can turn towards the symptoms in a slow, titrated way and see through what it presents on the surface into what the unconscious may be revealing.
This gives us a way to name and reintegrate those disintegrated parts of ourselves that are the hardest to be with and can bring immense stagnation.
This is where we turn with curiosity towards our inner, deepest Self.
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outside the office
In the moments when I step away from client work, I do my best to immerse myself in life's colorful experiences. Just as this work explores the multifaceted dimensions of the human psyche, I, too, cherish the diversity of interests that make me who I am.
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Colorado's Wilderness:
I find a deep connection amidst Colorado's beautiful outdoors. The wild landscapes of this state are a constant source of inspiration, beauty, and awe to me. It provides me with a space to reflect, recharge, and connect with the deeper rhythms of life.
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The Love of Reading:
For me, the written word has been a gateway to infinite worlds, and my passion for reading reflects my innate curiosity and desire for knowledge. Whether I'm delving into the intricacies of depth psychology, exploring alchemical texts, or in a state of reverie in the realms of fiction, like Harry Potter, books are and have long been a cherished part of my life's journey.
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Quality Time with My Husband:
In the midst of life's busy currents, I treasure the moments spent with my husband. Despite being on our own unique paths, our relationship feels like a testament to the healing and transformative power of human connection and the capacity to individuate through relationships.
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Chihuahua Playtime:
My two Chihuahuas bring pure joy into my everyday life. Watching them play and embracing their lively presence reminds me of the importance of spontaneity and living in the moment.
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These facets of my life are integral to shaping my approach. In these aspects of my life, I find inspiration, joy, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.