Massage for Women & Grief Support for Women
Offering Bodywork Therapy Since 1997
Somatic Therapy is different than traditional talk therapy which uses the “thinking brain” to sort things out. It is a body-based approach rather than a cognitive approach.
From the somatic perspective, the body is seen as the ‘holder of all memory & information’, both historic and current, and both traumatic and neutral.
The Somatic approach is based on mindfully feeling/listening to and witnessing the body. It is like an assisted self-awareness practice. Somatic awareness gives you access to a different kind of knowing ~ the direct wisdom of the body.
This awareness works with the principle of ‘where attention goes energy flows,’ so through awareness we can also allow trauma energy that has been stuck in the body, sometimes for decades, to move & release.
As this energy moves, there is more space created and we feel more joy and ease on all levels.
We come closer to our innate natural state of being ~ more relaxed and yet also more fully alive.
The body holds an incredible intelligence - an inherent blueprint for health and balance. Healing is never about someone else fixing you; it’s about facilitating the right conditions for your own self-healing.
This journey often involves unravelling habitual holding patterns, re-educating the body, and rewiring the nervous system. In many ways, it is like learning a new language - the Language of the Body.
The Benefits of Somatic Bodywork for Grief Healing & Life Transitions
Through somatic bodywork, movement and breath we gently help the body release the effects of chronic stress, making space for:
- Physical Relief: Reduced muscle tension, better sleep, improved digestion, and enhanced immune function.
- Emotional Soothing: Calming of overwhelming feelings, providing a safe space for emotions to soften and flow.
- Mental Clarity: Offering a break from the constant processing and cognitive overload that often accompany loss.
- Spiritual Nourishment: Reconnecting with the body’s innate wisdom and restoring a sense of grounded presence.
Bodywork for Grief and Major Life Transitions
We come into this space recognizing that grief can be from many things, including but not limited to:
- Loss of a relationship (through death or other means)
- Loss or change in a job
- Loss or change in a living situation
- Loss of health, injury or loss of capacity
- The invisible and abstract losses that make it so difficult to articulate, yet they deserve just as much space, validation, and care
- Collective grief - social injustice and emigration due to climate loss and war impacting all of Creation
Our services are founded on the understanding that loss impacts every part of a person — mentally, emotionally, and physically. Grief often sends ripples through daily life, affecting sleep, appetite, immunity, and causing physical symptoms like headaches, jaw tension, and sore muscles. This is because the body naturally responds to loss as a powerful stressor, keeping us in a heightened state of stress that feels nearly impossible to escape.
Our Grief Massage philosophy offers Assisted Relaxation: a compassionate, supportive way to help grieving individuals slip out of the stress state and into a place of physical, emotional, and mental restoration. We recognize that the body must feel truly safe in order to relax, so every aspect of our approach is designed to foster a deep sense of safety and comfort.
Clients also have the option to remain clothed during sessions, allowing for even greater comfort and ease.
See What My Clients Say
Somatic therapy is a healing approach that focuses on the body-mind connection to address trauma, stress, and emotional pain. By working with physical sensations and movement, it helps individuals release stored tension and emotions held in the body from past experiences.
Through techniques like breathwork, grounding, and mindful movement, somatic therapy promotes awareness of how the body holds pain, offering a path to healing that integrates both body and mind.
Incorporating grief support for women and grief massage, this approach provides compassionate care for those navigating loss, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm.
The body is a trust, and maintaining its health is part of spiritual practice.
Somatic therapy aligns with this by honoring the connection between emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being—helping you move through grief with presence, sincerity, and inner calm. Every session is a quiet invitation for the body, mind, and soul to pause, breathe, and begin to restore.
Trauma informed grief massage practitioners co-create a safe, nurturing environment where your body can reconnect with its natural wisdom.
Kirkland Studio - massage for women only
Online - Grief support for women & small groups
Consultation is required before registering as a client.