Somatic Therapy Austin, TX

Written by Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA

June 2026

Understanding

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.

None of this requires coordination, flexibility, or comfort with movement. Most sessions look like sitting still and noticing — no dance floor required. Destany offers somatic therapy in person in Austin, TX and via telehealth across Texas and Washington State.

The issues are in the tissues. Somatic therapy is how we reach them.

Signs & Symptoms

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.

How Destany Works

Therapeutic Approaches for Somatic Therapy

Body Awareness

Destany helps you develop the capacity to notice what's happening in your body in real time — sensation, tension, breath, impulse — the raw material somatic work is built on.

Dance / Movement Therapy

As a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, Destany uses movement as a medium for expression and healing. There's no performance and no choreography — just small, guided exploration of how your body wants to move.

Nervous System Work

Destany works to regulate your autonomic nervous system — the automatic fight, flight, or freeze response — from the body up, not just the mind down.

Ready to take the first step? The consult is free and there's no obligation.

Book a Free Consult

What to Expect

What to Expect from Somatic Therapy Therapy

Free Consult

We talk about what's drawn you to somatic work and whether this approach fits.
Building Awareness

Learning to notice your body — its signals, patterns, and what it's trying to communicate.
Working with Sensation

Moving toward rather than away from difficult body experience — with safety and care.
Integration

Bringing somatic awareness into daily life — so the body becomes an ally, not a mystery. Early on, you're just learning to notice a sensation before naming it. Later, you're using that awareness in real time — catching tension before it becomes a headache.

Session Details

Session length 50 minutes

Format Telehealth (video)

Location Austin, TX · Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth)

Fee Private pay — superbill provided

Frequency Weekly or biweekly

“Her firm but kind techniques and our movement practices were instrumental in my personal betterment. It was genuinely a gift to work with her.”
— Gabrielle H., Austin, TX

Ready to get started? The consult is free and there's no obligation.

Book a Free Consult

Common Questions

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 <a href='/services/emdr-therapy'>EMDR</a> — a distinct and specialised discipline with its own clinical training and credentialing.

Do you offer somatic therapy in Austin, TX and Washington State?

Yes. In-person somatic and dance/movement therapy sessions are available in Austin, TX, and telehealth sessions are available across Texas and Washington State.

Why the body holds what the mind can't process

Signs & Symptoms of Somatic Therapy

Therapeutic Approaches for Somatic Therapy

What to Expect from Somatic Therapy Therapy

Free Consult

Building Awareness

Working with Sensation

Integration

Common Questions About Somatic Therapy Therapy

Related services.

Trauma & Emotional Relief

Anxiety & Overthinking

EMDR Therapy