Azra Poe Somatic Therapy

About Me:

I work as a somatic therapist based in rural Nova Scotia, where I chop wood, grow veggies and belong to a community. I work slow, often in contradiction to a fast-paced world, but I believe in connecting to the world around us, the land, and each other. I hold a Master’s in Somatic Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. My training was centred on anti-oppressive, trauma-informed care and the belief that healing is political.

My work is grounded in disability justice, anti-capitalist values, and the ongoing work of depathologizing mental health. I don’t see diagnoses as life sentences—I see them as adaptations to environments that may have failed to meet your needs.

I’ll make mistakes. I’ll invite conversation, repair, and shared insight. I am not about being a blank slate. Healing, for me, is not about perfection—it’s about being with our human-ness so that we can learn how to develop the skills to be in relationship with the world.

What is Somatic therapy?

First of all, I recommend that when looking for the right fit with a therapist you should call them for a 20 min consultation call and just notice how you feel talking to them. Someone may be trained in all the ways you are interested in but if they are not the right person it doesn’t matter what modality they practice. The following is an attempt to explain my approach but I also encourage you to just reach out and talk to me to find out more.

Take a breath.

What do you notice? Is it shallow? deep? expansive? constrictive? Can you sense on openness in your chest as you notice your breath? Is there pressure? A weight? Is it easier to not focus on your breath? Do you find it calming? Grounding?

If you have unresolved trauma or chronic stress, your nervous system organizes to be on alert and in a protective way (fight, flight, fawn, freeze). A somatic approach will be curious about your response both verbally and physically. The intention of the approach is to be with the emotions behind the protective responses.

Some symptoms of trauma or chronic stress show up as: anxiety, panic, racing thoughts, wired but exhausted, Trouble sleeping or relaxing, numbness, disconnection, brain fog, chronic tension or pain, trouble saying no

In practice, I am listening to you, your words, and what your nervous system is telling us about how things are for you. Together we build a map of who you are, and what your body may need to be welcomed back into a state of rest and digest. This plays out in two ways :

Skills: If you were not allowed to have certain core emotions, then you likely have adaptive strategies to manage your feelings because nobody taught you at a young age.
Nervous system Healing: to be with your body and listen to the story it is telling us through your symptoms so that it can release what is

In my experience, this requires my holding that you are unshakably good at your core and that you’re already moving towards healing. Your symptoms are actually guiding you towards health.

“We are all walking each other home” -Ram Dass …. “To health” – Gregory Boyle