Somatic Experiencing in Palo Alto
Somatic Therapy for Anxiety, Trauma, and Nervous System Dysregulation
If you've found that insight alone hasn't created the changes you're looking for, Somatic Experiencing offers a different path—working directly with your nervous system to support lasting change.
Somatic Therapy for Anxiety, Trauma, and Nervous System Dysregulation
If you've found that insight alone hasn't created the changes you're looking for, Somatic Experiencing offers a different path—working directly with your nervous system to support lasting change.
Brad Beldner SEP, GCFT, NCTMB, IFSCA
Trauma-Informed Somatic practitioner
You may understand why you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck, yet your body continues to react as though the danger is still present.
You may find yourself overthinking, constantly on alert, emotionally shut down, or exhausted from trying to manage it all. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. These are often signs of a nervous system that has adapted to chronic stress or trauma—and those patterns can change.
You may find yourself overthinking, constantly on alert, emotionally shut down, or exhausted from trying to manage it all. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. These are often signs of a nervous system that has adapted to chronic stress or trauma—and those patterns can change.
Nervous System Healing for Trauma, Anxiety, and CPTSD
When the nervous system has been shaped by trauma or chronic stress, it can become stuck in patterns of anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown, hypervigilance, or feeling disconnected from yourself. With more than 30 years of experience and advanced training in somatic trauma therapy, I help people reconnect with a greater sense of safety, regulation, and resilience by working directly with the nervous system.
What makes my work different
Because every nervous system is unique, I draw from multiple approaches rather than relying on a single method. This allows me to tailor each session to your individual history, strengths, goals, and the way your nervous system naturally responds.
Whether you're living with chronic anxiety, the effects of early trauma, emotional overwhelm, or a persistent sense that your nervous system is always "on," our work focuses on helping your nervous system rediscover its natural capacity for regulation, resilience, and ease.
Rather than moving too quickly into painful experiences, we begin by helping your nervous system develop greater stability, safety, and capacity. From there, deeper healing can unfold at a pace your nervous system is able to integrate.
Taking awareness to deeper dimensions of experience.My work is also informed by spiritual and contemplative practices, including Zen Buddhism, nondual inquiry and mindfulness-based approaches. These perspectives invite us to slow down and become more deeply present with our experience, not only with our thoughts and emotions, but with the subtler ways we experience ourselves, our bodies and the world around us.
As protective patterns begin to soften, we may discover a deeper sense of presence, connection, and well-being that is not dependent on changing or fixing who we are.
Approaches I Integrate:
Sessions
Sessions are available in-person in Palo Alto, California, and online for clients throughout the U.S. and internationally.
When the nervous system has been shaped by trauma or chronic stress, it can become stuck in patterns of anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown, hypervigilance, or feeling disconnected from yourself. With more than 30 years of experience and advanced training in somatic trauma therapy, I help people reconnect with a greater sense of safety, regulation, and resilience by working directly with the nervous system.
What makes my work different
Because every nervous system is unique, I draw from multiple approaches rather than relying on a single method. This allows me to tailor each session to your individual history, strengths, goals, and the way your nervous system naturally responds.
Whether you're living with chronic anxiety, the effects of early trauma, emotional overwhelm, or a persistent sense that your nervous system is always "on," our work focuses on helping your nervous system rediscover its natural capacity for regulation, resilience, and ease.
Rather than moving too quickly into painful experiences, we begin by helping your nervous system develop greater stability, safety, and capacity. From there, deeper healing can unfold at a pace your nervous system is able to integrate.
Taking awareness to deeper dimensions of experience.My work is also informed by spiritual and contemplative practices, including Zen Buddhism, nondual inquiry and mindfulness-based approaches. These perspectives invite us to slow down and become more deeply present with our experience, not only with our thoughts and emotions, but with the subtler ways we experience ourselves, our bodies and the world around us.
As protective patterns begin to soften, we may discover a deeper sense of presence, connection, and well-being that is not dependent on changing or fixing who we are.
Approaches I Integrate:
- Somatic Experiencing®
- Somatic Experiencing® Touch Work
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- The Feldenkrais Method®
- Hakomi Method
- Polyvagal-informed Therapy
- Trauma-informed Bodywork
- Professional Consultation, Classes & Workshops
Sessions
Sessions are available in-person in Palo Alto, California, and online for clients throughout the U.S. and internationally.
- Somatic work is especially for people who’ve reached the limits of talk therapy
- This work is most effective when done consistently over time, allowing the nervous system to gradually build safety, resilience, and capacity.
- Best suited for individuals seeking deeper, longer-term nervous system healing rather than crisis stabilization alone.
I offer a highly specialized approach in working with complex trauma and nervous system regulation.
I specialize in supporting clients with nervous system dysregulation resulting from chronic stress, trauma, early attachment ruptures, and chronic illness. I also help individuals deepen their creative and spiritual development as part of their healing process.
My work is grounded in current neuropsychological research and integrates cutting-edge somatic, psychological, social, and spiritual approaches for whole-person transformation.
Since opening my practice in 1995, I’ve been committed to offering clients practical tools and body-based techniques that support resilience, emotional regulation, and a deeper connection to the body. My goal is to empower each person to enhance their well-being, reduce stress, and live with greater clarity and vitality.
I specialize in supporting clients with nervous system dysregulation resulting from chronic stress, trauma, early attachment ruptures, and chronic illness. I also help individuals deepen their creative and spiritual development as part of their healing process.
My work is grounded in current neuropsychological research and integrates cutting-edge somatic, psychological, social, and spiritual approaches for whole-person transformation.
Since opening my practice in 1995, I’ve been committed to offering clients practical tools and body-based techniques that support resilience, emotional regulation, and a deeper connection to the body. My goal is to empower each person to enhance their well-being, reduce stress, and live with greater clarity and vitality.
I believe every person has the innate capacity to heal, grow, and reconnect with themselves.
My work is rooted in the understanding that the body holds deep intelligence and that healing unfolds when we learn to listen to it with care. I offer guidance and support through a holistic approach that integrates somatic psychology, mindfulness, and advanced bodywork techniques.
My focus is on helping clients build resilience, regulate their nervous system, and develop deeper self-awareness. I provide practical tools and embodied resources to support long-term personal growth, emotional balance, and overall well-being.
I facilitate emotional and nervous system regulation through:
I support clients working through a wide range of concerns, including:
Stress-related physical symptoms:
I also work with chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmune symptoms, and other stress-related physical conditions that may be influenced by nervous system dysregulation. Often, both emotional and physical symptoms are organized around deeply held survival beliefs formed in childhood.
Identifying subconscious organizing core beliefs:
Many chronic nervous system patterns are organized around deeply held subconscious survival beliefs formed in childhood. These beliefs—such as “I’m not safe,” “I’m alone,” or “Something is wrong with me”—can shape emotional, relational, and physical symptoms long into adulthood. Part of our work is gently bringing these implicit patterns into awareness so they can begin to transform.
Childhood attachment wound → subconscious survival belief → nervous system pattern → adult symptoms
Regulation Tools:
I provide clients with practical tools, somatic resources, and body-based techniques they can use to support their own healing between sessions. My goal is to empower each person to access their inner resilience, develop self-regulation skills, and build sustainable practices for psychological and physical well-being.
My work is rooted in the understanding that the body holds deep intelligence and that healing unfolds when we learn to listen to it with care. I offer guidance and support through a holistic approach that integrates somatic psychology, mindfulness, and advanced bodywork techniques.
My focus is on helping clients build resilience, regulate their nervous system, and develop deeper self-awareness. I provide practical tools and embodied resources to support long-term personal growth, emotional balance, and overall well-being.
I facilitate emotional and nervous system regulation through:
- Body-centered healing approaches
- Mindfulness-based awareness practices
- Advanced neurological and somatic bodywork methods
I support clients working through a wide range of concerns, including:
- Complex PTSD / developmental trauma
- Chronic anxiety & nervous system dysregulation
- Dissociation (including DPDR)
- Shame, self-criticism & relational trauma
- Chronic pain & stress-related illness
- Attachment wounds affecting adult relationships
- Life transitions / meaning / identity
Stress-related physical symptoms:
I also work with chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmune symptoms, and other stress-related physical conditions that may be influenced by nervous system dysregulation. Often, both emotional and physical symptoms are organized around deeply held survival beliefs formed in childhood.
Identifying subconscious organizing core beliefs:
Many chronic nervous system patterns are organized around deeply held subconscious survival beliefs formed in childhood. These beliefs—such as “I’m not safe,” “I’m alone,” or “Something is wrong with me”—can shape emotional, relational, and physical symptoms long into adulthood. Part of our work is gently bringing these implicit patterns into awareness so they can begin to transform.
Childhood attachment wound → subconscious survival belief → nervous system pattern → adult symptoms
Regulation Tools:
I provide clients with practical tools, somatic resources, and body-based techniques they can use to support their own healing between sessions. My goal is to empower each person to access their inner resilience, develop self-regulation skills, and build sustainable practices for psychological and physical well-being.
Training Background
Somatic Experiencing (SE) & SE Bodywork
A body-based method for healing trauma and stress disorders.
Approved SE Personal Session & Consultation Provider (all levels Beg-Adv) students and Group Consultation provider.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
A body-centered approach that helps clients heal trauma, repair attachment wounds, and connect with inner parts of self.
Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP)
A somatic model for embodying emotions to support optimal mental health, developed by Dr. Raja Selvam.
NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM)
A cutting-edge approach for healing complex, developmental, and intergenerational trauma by addressing disorganized attachment and emotional regulation.
NeuroAffective Touch
A somatic psychotherapy approach that uses therapeutic touch and bodywork, informed by neuroscience and attachment theory, to heal developmental trauma and attachment wounds that verbal therapy can't reach.
Hakomi Method
A mindfulness-based, body-centered therapy that explores unconscious patterns with compassion, helping clients release past hurts and build resilience.
Polyvagal Regulation
Grounded in Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, this work supports nervous system regulation through somatic techniques for grounding, safety, and healing trauma.
Includes techniques from The Body Keeps the Score and other trauma-informed neuroscience.
Parts Work & Somatic Tracking
Includes Body Dialogues — a practice of collaborative communication with braced, collapsed, or dissociated areas of the body essential for integration and healing.
Feldenkrais Classes
I offer weekly Awareness Through Movement ATM classes both in person and online, as well as private one-on-one sessions.
Anat Baniel Method® (ABM)
A neuro-movement approach for children and adults with learning differences, functional movement challenges, or cognitive delays.
Trauma informed bodywork
Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Bodywork (NCTMB #299165-00)
Practicing since 1995. Advanced treatment for chronic pain, nerve injuries, inflammation, repetitive stress, and trauma recovery.
Myofascial Release & Craniosacral Therapy
Manual therapy for restoring connective tissue integrity, reducing pain, and supporting nervous system balance.
Ortho-Bionomy®
An osteopathic-inspired method that activates the body’s self-corrective reflexes using gentle positioning and proprioceptive awareness.
Somatic Coaching & Integration work
Supports life transitions, business clarity, self-care, and personal goal-setting using embodied practices and nervous system tools.
Weekly Classes
I teach weekly Awareness Through Movement® classes online and in person in Palo Alto.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) & SE Bodywork
A body-based method for healing trauma and stress disorders.
Approved SE Personal Session & Consultation Provider (all levels Beg-Adv) students and Group Consultation provider.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
A body-centered approach that helps clients heal trauma, repair attachment wounds, and connect with inner parts of self.
Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP)
A somatic model for embodying emotions to support optimal mental health, developed by Dr. Raja Selvam.
NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM)
A cutting-edge approach for healing complex, developmental, and intergenerational trauma by addressing disorganized attachment and emotional regulation.
NeuroAffective Touch
A somatic psychotherapy approach that uses therapeutic touch and bodywork, informed by neuroscience and attachment theory, to heal developmental trauma and attachment wounds that verbal therapy can't reach.
Hakomi Method
A mindfulness-based, body-centered therapy that explores unconscious patterns with compassion, helping clients release past hurts and build resilience.
Polyvagal Regulation
Grounded in Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, this work supports nervous system regulation through somatic techniques for grounding, safety, and healing trauma.
Includes techniques from The Body Keeps the Score and other trauma-informed neuroscience.
Parts Work & Somatic Tracking
Includes Body Dialogues — a practice of collaborative communication with braced, collapsed, or dissociated areas of the body essential for integration and healing.
Feldenkrais Classes
I offer weekly Awareness Through Movement ATM classes both in person and online, as well as private one-on-one sessions.
Anat Baniel Method® (ABM)
A neuro-movement approach for children and adults with learning differences, functional movement challenges, or cognitive delays.
Trauma informed bodywork
Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Bodywork (NCTMB #299165-00)
Practicing since 1995. Advanced treatment for chronic pain, nerve injuries, inflammation, repetitive stress, and trauma recovery.
Myofascial Release & Craniosacral Therapy
Manual therapy for restoring connective tissue integrity, reducing pain, and supporting nervous system balance.
Ortho-Bionomy®
An osteopathic-inspired method that activates the body’s self-corrective reflexes using gentle positioning and proprioceptive awareness.
Somatic Coaching & Integration work
Supports life transitions, business clarity, self-care, and personal goal-setting using embodied practices and nervous system tools.
Weekly Classes
I teach weekly Awareness Through Movement® classes online and in person in Palo Alto.
Ready to begin your healing journey?
Schedule a Free Consultation to explore how somatic therapy can support your well-being.
Schedule a Free Consultation to explore how somatic therapy can support your well-being.
Professional Disclosure: I am not a licensed psychotherapist or physician and do not provide medical or psychiatric treatment.
My work is somatic and educational in nature, supporting nervous system regulation and embodied healing.