Inner Room Somatic Therapy    |    Eugene, Oregon

​Credentials & Training

 

Professional License

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (License #C8508)

• Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), Somatic Experiencing International

 

Education

• Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, George Fox University, Portland, Oregon

• Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture, University of Oregon

• Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon

 

Specialized Training

• 2 years of training in Hakomi Mindfulness-Based Somatic Experimental Psychotherapy with Hakomi co-founder Jon Eisman

• 3 years of training in Somatic Experiencing with senior SE teachers Joshua Sylvae, PhD, Raja Selvam, PhD, and Abi Blakeslee, PhD

• Certified Breema Bodywork Practitioner (CBP)

• Active contemplative prayer and meditation practice since 1998

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My Approach

I integrate Somatic Experiencing and Hakomi-based approaches within evidence-based frameworks including Trauma Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TI-CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). This means we work with your thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, the wisdom of your body.

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My work is oriented toward your present-moment experience. Many of us have learned to leave our bodies when we've experienced overwhelming stress or trauma - disconnecting from sensations, emotions, and our own inner guidance. Through somatic therapy, you learn to safely return to your body, decode its signals, and access the innate healing capacity that lives within you.

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What I Believe

I believe that unresolved stress and trauma doesn't just affect our emotions—it lives in our nervous system and body. The good news is that your body is incredibly wise and capable of healing. With the right support, you can:

• Resolve persistent anxiety, worry, irritability, and anger

• Move beyond feeling frozen or powerless

• Restore a felt sense of safety in relationships

• Reclaim your confidence and self-esteem

• Improve your physical health and immune function

• Develop greater resilience and presence in daily life

 

I also believe in the power of episodic care - engaging fully in therapy for a concentrated period, then taking mindful breaks to integrate your work. This approach helps you develop a sustainable long-term relationship with therapy without the burden of "never-ending" treatment.

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Beyond my clinical work, my background in planning and landscape architecture taught me to see patterns and systems—a skill I bring to understanding how your life's experiences have shaped your present experience.

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I work mostly with individual adults, in-person in Eugene and via online video throughout Oregon.

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What to expect working with me

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During our initial sessions, I will invite you to share key aspects of your history and what you are hoping for out of our work together.  If you are using health insurance, we will need to confirm that medical necessity criteria are met, which includes a diagnosis and identifying the functional impacts of that diagnosis in your day to day life.

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In follow up sessions, we will follow a structured yet organic and intuitive process ​​.  A session might begin with settling in, orienting to the present moment, and identifying your focus for the session.  The aim is to shift into a mindful state of receptive consciousness, with just the right level of relational attunement to your present moment experience as it unfolds moment to moment to moment throughout our time together.

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The symptoms of trauma or related stressful and overwhelming experiences might show up in many ways. Maybe you are experiencing a sympathetic "fight/flight" response, once very useful but now stuck in the "on" position with unwanted anxiety, irritability, or anger.  Or, you might be experiencing dorsal vagal "freeze" or "shut down", feeling depressed, unmotivated, hopeless or powerless.

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One of our jobs during sessions is to support these kinds of stuck nervous system states to find completion and discharge. In Somatic Experiencing, we accomplish this through the skillful application of titration and pendulation.

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Titration is about slowly easing into those tough feelings or memories without feeling totally overwhelmed. Think of it like balancing with one foot on solid ground while the other foot dips into the water. Assuming you have good enough balance, even if you dip the one foot deep into the water, you know that you can fairly easily pull it out and return both feet to dry land. Working in this way, we can work through trauma at your own pace, making it easier to heal and experience lasting change.​ Similarly, pendulation is a process that supports your attention to naturally move between discomfort and comfort, constriction and expansion, healing and trauma.

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If you are curious to learn more, go ahead and schedule a no charge consultation using my online calendar by clicking on the button below. You can also reach me at 541-275-6349 or christo@innerroom.net