Deb Mooney RSW, SEP
I am a registered Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and founded my practice in 2016. I continue to advance my learning with Somatic Experiencing ®, having completed training EOTN 1 and 2 (working with near death experiences and anesthetic states) as well as Essential Strategies for Healing Sexual Trauma.
Personally, I am a woman who raised three children as a single parent. I have experienced childhood trauma, an emotionally abusive marriage and subsequent divorce, when my three children were 2, 4 and 6 years of age. With no child support, I struggled to make ends meet and parent alone. I began my University journey at the age of 38 and obtained my Bachelor of Social Work. I am grateful for the support I received from my family but I also understand that not everyone has that support. I am passionate about doing what I can to support others, while being mindful of my own limitations and boundaries, ( being a recovering people pleaser). My life experience has taught me that growth requires great discomfort at times, and we will all require support during periods of struggle. There is a great vulnerability is asking for help, but there is great strength as well. As Brene Brown says, " Vulnerability is not weakness; it is our greatest measure of courage,"
As far back as I can remember I have felt drawn to the mental health profession. Working with trauma and the nervous system requires compassion, trust and the ability to listen not only to your spoken words but the story your body is telling as well. It is collaborative work between the client and practitioner. It is a privilege I do not take lightly.
My Practice
Somatic Experiencing®
Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) is a trauma-informed therapeutic approach that focuses on the connection between the mind and body in the healing process. Developed by Peter A. Levine, SE is based on the understanding that trauma is not only held in our memories and thoughts, but can also be experienced through the nervous system and the body.
When we experience overwhelming or threatening events, our nervous system may become stuck in patterns of survival, such as fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. This can contribute to experiences such as anxiety, emotional overwhelm, tension, numbness, difficulty feeling safe, or feeling disconnected from yourself and others.
Somatic Experiencing® gently supports the body’s natural ability to restore balance and resilience. Rather than focusing only on the details of traumatic experiences, SE helps you develop awareness of body sensations, recognize nervous system responses, and gradually release patterns of stress and survival that may no longer be serving you.
As a trauma therapist, I use a compassionate and paced approach to help you reconnect with your body, increase emotional regulation, and build a greater sense of safety and stability. Together, we work with your body’s wisdom and your personal experiences to support healing in a way that feels respectful and manageable.
Healing does not require you to relive the past. Somatic Experiencing® offers a pathway toward greater connection, self-awareness, resilience, and a renewed sense of well-being.
body and spirit.
SE differs from cognitive therapies in that its major interventional strategy involves bottom-up processing by directing the client's attention to internal sensations, both visceral (interoception and musculo-skeletal proprioception and kinesthesis) rather than primarily cognitive or emotional experiences. Peter Payne, Peter Levine