Curating A Space to Grow
A Somatic Therapy approach to healing trauma
Heather Forde, Psy.D.
You built a life by pushing through.
Now, let's help your body discover there is space to find another way.
Trauma Transformed
Resiliency Realized
Healing Without Hurrying: A Space Designed for Deep Resolution
If you are an over-functioning woman navigating the invisible weight of past trauma, chronic anxiety, or relational abuse, you already know how exhausting it is to keep it all together. From the outside, you look independent and successful. On the inside, your nervous system is trapped in a constant loop of always feeling “on”, hyper-vigilance, over-thinking, and physical exhaustion.
Standard, conversational therapy can only take you so far. To heal trauma, we have to go beyond talking. We have to change how trauma lives in your body.
In my practice, I integrate EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Somatic Experiencing (SE)—two of the most profoundly effective, body-centered modalities for unwinding anxiety and discharging stored survival stress. This leads to creating more capacity and living a fuller, more present life.
The 75-Minute Difference: Room to Breathe, Time to Heal
In traditional therapy, the "50-minute clinical hour" rules the day. But deep trauma work doesn't fit neatly into a time crunch. For many women, by the time they settle into the room, regulate their nervous system, and safely open up a piece of their history, it’s already time to pack away their vulnerability and rush back to real life.
I do things differently. All of my standard sessions are 75 minutes long.
By expanding our time together, we eliminate the "rush to regulate." We ensure there is ample, spacious room to enter deep trauma processing and equally vital time to thoroughly ground, soothe, and stabilize your body before you walk back out the door. It is a premium framework designed for nervous system safety.
Ready to Step Into a More Spacious Healing Journey?
You don’t have to keep rushing through your life, or your healing. If you are ready to invest in a deeply specialized, somatic approach to moving past trauma and anxiety, I invite you to reach out.
Hi, I’m Dr. Forde
I’ve been helping adults find the other side of trauma since 2003. With extensive training in trauma treatment, I take a collaborative approach to therapy. Working alongside you to build resilience and regain a sense of balance. I also love teaching people about their nervous system and how it can used in new ways of healing. In my practice, I often use Somatic Experiencing techniques, EMDR and hypnosis to help clients process experiences and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
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Graduate of the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, 2003- Doctor of Psychology
APA internship - Tri-City Mental Health Center, Pomona, CA
Post-doctoral training in Rochester, MN- group practice setting
Training for EMDR
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CA Licensed Psychologist #PSY21489
Certification in Traumatic Studies at JRI, Masachuettes 2017
Somatic Experiencing Practioner (in training)- Adv Level
My Services
Therapy
Welcoming women for individual online therapy.
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Offering telehealth via Zoom within the state of California.
Coaching
I’m continuing to work on a couple of exciting additions to my practice. Looking forward to sharing these with you soon!
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I am very pleased to announce that I’m now an accredited provider for Human Synergistics.
If you are interested in Coaching and Analysis via Human Synergistics LI/MI please contact me directly via email.
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathic witness.”
- Peter Levine, PhD
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and schedule a consultation.
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I offer individual telehealth sessions via Zoom with a focus on Somatic therapy practices
Coaching - utilizing Human Synergistics system
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through my contact form, click the consult button I’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.
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My approach goes beyond traditional talk therapy by helping you understand and work directly with your nervous system. Drawing from trauma-informed, somatic, and evidence-based approaches, we focus not only on your thoughts and emotions, but also on how stress, trauma, and life experiences are held in the body. Together, we create a space where healing is not about fixing you, but about helping your mind and body reconnect with their natural capacity for resilience, regulation, and wellbeing.
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The inital consultation call is free to see if we are a good fit.
First intake session $240
75 min sessions $215
Why My Practice is Exclusively Private-Pay
To protect the integrity, depth, and complete privacy of your healing journey, I choose not to contract with insurance companies. Traditional insurance models operate on a one-size-fits-all framework—often restricting session lengths to 45-52 minutes, capping the total number of allowed sessions, and requiring a mandatory mental health diagnosis that becomes part of your permanent medical record.
By remaining an independent, private-pay provider, my clinical accountability is to you, not a corporate insurance adjuster. This gives us the clinical freedom to:
Go at your own pace: We determine the length, frequency, and duration of your treatment based entirely on your unique healing timeline.
Protect your absolute privacy: Your session notes, history, and treatment plans remain completely confidential and are never subjected to third-party corporate audits.
Honor the 75-minute structure: Insurance panels rarely cover the extended, deeply restorative sessions that make somatic trauma resolution so successful.
Investing in Your Long-Term Restoration
Investment: $215–$240 per 75-minute extended session
Out-of-Network Reimbursement: While I do not bill insurance directly, I am happy to provide you with a monthly Superbill (an itemized medical receipt) that you can submit to your insurance company for potential Out-of-Network reimbursement. Many clients with PPO plans successfully recover a portion of their investment this way.
Start your healing journey here.
I look forward to hearing from you!