About Somatic Eating®
Somatic Eating® is a bottom-up, sensation focused, therapeutic approach to food and body image recovery.
Food may have been the answer to a trauma response.
And it will be the answer to recultivating a long-term sense of safety.
the core premise of Somatic Eating:
RESPOND
Reactions become interpretative rather than literal.
Food and body image behaviors reveal states, sensations, and stories. Somatic Eating® teaches you how to hear and understand these messages.
reframe
These behaviors are not “problems” to be fixed.
Instead, Somatic Eating® sees these reactions in the body as the answer to a lack of safety, security, and satiation.
RECOGNIZE
Food and body image coping behaviors are wise adaptations.
They are a body’s unconscious attempt to regulate a dysregulated nervous system, cultivate secure attachment, and establish a sense of safety.
Eating is a somatic practice
that guides you into relationship with your body
again and again.
Core Values
01.
Connection
We’re working to foster a world of individuals feeling greater connection with themselves, food, others, and the environment.
02.
Community
We are dedicated to inclusivity, that every person is treated with respect, and feels seen and heard.
03.
Compassion
We work to embody empathy, to not ignore the suffering in the world, and to take action in supporting others.
04.
Curiosity
We approach all things with curiosity and are committed to cultivating curiosity in others to ask questions, grow, evolve, seek embodied awareness and knowledge, and challenge the status quo.
OUR LOGO
Why a Willow Tree?
Did you know that trees are more connected than they appear? Vast, underground fungal networks allow them to share resources and communicate.
And, like us humans, they need each other to thrive.
Referred to as the “wood-wide web”, trees send signals and share their resources through these networks. Trees represent our human nature: we need each other, coregulate with each other, and thrive when we are in communication.
The Willow Tree symbolizes:
Client Therapist Relationship
Receptive to what is happening all around it
New Beginnings
Blooms in spring
Adaptability
Bends in the wind
Vitality
Thrives near water
Resiliency
Willows can grow sideways – a reminder to us that our bodies are resilient, and regardless of what they have been through, they are still here.
The willow tree also holds personal meaning for Stephanie Mara — a symbol of lineage, ancestry, and what we pass down from one generation to the next.
Grant, R. (2018). Do trees talk to each other. Smithsonian Magazine, 180968084, 1-9.
Kowen, M. R. (2019). A symbol of healing with feminine vitality: The willow. Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy, 10(1), 41-73.
Simard, S. W. (2018). Mycorrhizal networks facilitate tree communication, learning, and memory. In Memory and learning in plants (pp. 191-213). Springer, Cham.
STAY UP TO DATE
Words on food, body image, and the path to safety — in your inbox.
Receive reflections on the somatic wisdom to your food and body image behaviors. Stay up to date on this growing field of Somatic Eating.
The Satiated Life
GET THE NEWSLETTER
No spam. Unsubscribe any time. Your inbox is sacred.
Already a podcast listener? You’ll feel right at home.
