Laura Mayorga

Trained at UC Berkeley and the UCSF Department of Psychiatry (Ph.D. and clinical hours), I am a trauma expert with 15 years of experience in Somatic Psychology, helping people feel more comfortable in their bodies--physically and emotionally. I am also a psychological assessor and expert witness for immigration trauma cases. I became a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in 2016 and provide personal sessions (Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced). In 2018, I became a provider of Bodywork and Somatic Education (BASE), and I am currently pursuing certification in Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP). My training and experience enable me to track physiological processes (circulatory activation, muscular and breath tension patterns, energy constriction) to support my clients in improving their access to transition from "fixity" to "flow." Through ISP training, I support my clients' emotional embodiment and resilience. My approach engages breath, movement, guided imagery, and physical self-touch. Using these tools, I support clients suffering from early childhood stress, medical syndromes, and acute stressors (interpersonal conflict, loss, medical procedures, falls, and collisions). My work is also based on attachment theory and its implementation, and I bring seven years of experience providing therapeutic support to young children (0 to 5) and their parents (UCSF Child Trauma Research Program). My clients are adults--late adolescence through the elder years--and I work with individuals, couples, and family dyads or triads. My approach is very effective for individual and relational (couple or family members) psychotherapy. Born in Spain to Colombian parents, I am multicultural and multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese), a former Fulbright scholar, and an Adjunct Professor in graduate psychology (California Institute of Integral Studies, 2016-2020). I am a Buddhist practitioner and an Integral Somatic and Jungian Psychology student. These approaches help deepen our sacred relationship with ourselves and our collective environment.