--- title: Somatic & Dance/Movement Therapy | TX & WA | Heiser Counseling description: Somatic therapy and dance/movement therapy with an R-DMT. Body-centered healing for trauma, anxiety & depression via telehealth in TX & WA. Private pay. url: https://heisercounseling.com/services/somatic-therapy canonical: https://heisercounseling.com/services/somatic-therapy author: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA credentials: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA — Registered Dance/Movement Therapist location: Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) practice: Heiser Counseling — 800 S. FM 1626, Suite 102, Buda, TX 78610 contact: destany@heisercounseling.com | 512-937-3991 --- # Somatic & Dance/Movement Therapy | TX & WA | Heiser Counseling > Somatic therapy brings the body into the conversation — because healing that only happens in the mind rarely reaches the places where pain actually lives. **Provider:** Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA — Registered Dance/Movement Therapist **Location:** Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) **Contact:** [destany@heisercounseling.com](mailto:destany@heisercounseling.com) | [512-937-3991](tel:5129373991) **Book:** [Request a free consult](https://heisercounseling.com/connect) --- ## Why the body holds what the mind can't process The body and mind are not separate systems. When something overwhelming happens, or when a person spends years in high-stress mode, the body responds — holding patterns, bracing, shutting down, or going into overdrive. Traditional talk therapy is powerful, but it primarily works with narrative and cognition. Somatic therapy and dance/movement therapy add the body's experience: breath, movement, sensation, posture, gesture. These are often more direct routes to where trauma, anxiety, and depression actually live — below the level of language. Destany is both a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) — one of a small number of practitioners qualified to use movement as a therapeutic tool. She also integrates EMDR, making her able to work simultaneously at the level of body, memory, and belief. > "The issues are in the tissues. Somatic therapy is how we reach them." — Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA --- ## Signs & Symptoms of Somatic Therapy - Chronic tension or pain with no clear medical cause - Emotions that feel stuck or shut down - Dissociation or feeling out of your body - Talk therapy hasn't shifted the deep stuff - Difficulty identifying what you feel - Feeling overwhelmed by sensation **You don't need to be a mover:** Somatic therapy via telehealth is subtle and accessible. You don't dance. You don't perform. You slow down, get curious, and start noticing — that's the work. --- ## Therapeutic Approaches for Somatic Therapy ### Body Awareness Developing the capacity to notice what's happening in your body — sensation, tension, breath, impulse. ### Dance / Movement Therapy Using movement as a medium for expression and healing — not performance, but therapeutic exploration. ### Nervous System Work Regulating the autonomic nervous system from the body up — not just the mind down. --- ## What to Expect from Somatic Therapy Therapy **01 — Free Consult** We talk about what's drawn you to somatic work and whether this approach fits. **02 — Building Awareness** Learning to notice your body — its signals, patterns, and what it's trying to communicate. **03 — Working with Sensation** Moving toward rather than away from difficult body experience — with safety and care. **04 — Integration** Bringing somatic awareness into daily life — so the body becomes an ally, not a mystery. --- ## Session Details - **Session length:** 50 minutes - **Format:** Telehealth (video) - **States served:** Washington & Texas - **Fee:** Private pay — superbill provided - **Frequency:** Weekly or biweekly --- ## Common Questions About Somatic Therapy Therapy ### Can somatic therapy work over video? Yes. Most somatic work involves subtle internal awareness — breath, sensation, posture — rather than large movement. Telehealth translates well. ### What's the difference between somatic therapy and yoga or meditation? Somatic therapy is therapeutic — guided by a trained clinician toward specific psychological healing goals. Yoga and meditation can be complementary but aren't the same as therapy. ### What is dance/movement therapy? DMT is a clinical discipline that uses movement and the body as a primary therapeutic medium. It's practised by credentialled therapists (R-DMT) and is evidence-based for trauma, depression, and other conditions. ### I'm not very 'in touch' with my body. Is somatic therapy still for me? Especially for you. Disconnection from the body is often a response to difficult experience. Building body awareness is itself the therapeutic work. ### What conditions does somatic therapy treat? Somatic therapy is effective for trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic stress, burnout, grief, and identity and self-worth issues. It's particularly valuable when previous talk therapy hasn't reached the deeper layer — when you understand your patterns cognitively but still feel stuck in your body. As an R-DMT, Destany brings specialised somatic training that most therapists don't have. ### How is somatic therapy different from somatic experiencing? Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a specific trademarked approach developed by Peter Levine. Somatic therapy is a broader term that encompasses any body-centered therapeutic approach. Destany is a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) who integrates somatic principles and EMDR — a distinct and specialised discipline with its own clinical training and credentialing. --- ## About the Therapist **Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA** is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington State), and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. She specializes in trauma, anxiety, somatic therapy, and EMDR, bringing a body-first approach to mental health treatment. Heiser Counseling is based in Austin, TX and offers telehealth services across Texas and Washington State. - [Learn more about Destany](https://heisercounseling.com/about) - [View all services](https://heisercounseling.com/services) - [Request an appointment](https://heisercounseling.com/connect)