"The irony is this - if you don't go in...you don't find out." Richard Stine
Feeling stuck?
Many of us develop protective strategies—ways of thinking, behaving, and holding our bodies—that helped us get through earlier experiences. Over time, those strategies can start to limit spontaneity, intimacy, and ease. Therapy can be a place to slow down, listen more closely, and experiment with new options—at a pace that feels respectful and doable.
How do we get stuck?
Early experiences, family dynamics, and cultural pressures can shape how we relate to our emotions, our bodies, and our needs. Sometimes we learn to override natural rhythms—pushing through, performing, pleasing, or shutting down. In therapy, we bring curiosity to these patterns and build more choice.
Ready to emerge?
Awareness is a strong first step. Together, we can explore what’s happening now, what’s been true in the past, and what you want to move toward.
Individual Therapy
Do you tend to:
Control or over-manage
Dominate, withdraw or shut down
Intellectualize and feel emotionally disconnected
Escalate quickly in conflict—or go silent/stonewall
People-please, freeze, or feel socially anxious
Cling, distance, or repeat painful relationship patterns
Cling and/or distance yourself from intimate partners
Seek approval, procrastinate, or get stuck in self-criticism
People often come to therapy hoping for:
More steadiness with stress and anxiety
Better emotional regulation and communication
Healthier boundaries and relationships
Greater embodiment and self-trust
More access to aliveness, creativity, and intimacy
A kinder relationship with the inner critic
My approach
My work is body-oriented and grounded in psychotherapy. I draw from Reichian-informed approaches and other somatic methods that pay attention to breath, sensation, posture, and nervous system patterns—always with consent and collaboration. When appropriate, we may use simple practices (breath, tracking sensation, movement, and grounding) to support emotional processing and integration.
Optional touch (with consent)
In some cases, and only with your explicit consent, I may offer gentle, therapeutic touch as a supportive way to increase body awareness and grounding. Touch is always optional—you can decline or stop at any time, and we’ll discuss boundaries and consent before any hands-on work
Somatic work online
I offer sessions online as well. Many clients find that body-oriented therapy can translate well to telehealth, using breath, attention, and simple practices you can do in your own space.
Call me for a free 10 minute consultation…
info@ericmonkhouse.com
415-218-0320