About

Shohreh Schmuecker, MA, LMFT

Hello! My name is Shohreh (pronounced “Shore-ray”).

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and a Somatic Psychotherapist. I believe that counseling is an effective tool to help change patterns and burdens in our lives. I became a therapist because I believe in the power of healing and deeply care about humanity. In addition to private practice, I have worked with many different populations in hospital/medical settings and in nonprofits and I have a variety of experiences as a clinician. I became a therapist because I believe in the power of healing and deeply care about humanity.

How I Approach Therapy

I believe that an important aspect of therapy is the therapeutic relationship. Without a safe therapeutic relationship, it is difficult to be authentically yourself in therapy. It is important to me to attune to your process and to respect your experience. I hold that I am a guide in this journey- A guide that has the experience, skill and education to support you on your journey of self-understanding.

I am an advocate of therapy and self-care and I have seen the positive impact this can have throughout one’s life, including my own.

Why did I become a Somatic Psychotherapist?

I am a Somatic Psychotherapist because I deeply believe in the mind-body connection. I found talk therapy to be incomplete in my own personal therapy journey and in my educational process.

In my own experience as a client, when I discussed something charged and vulnerable, I would feel my heart racing, my muscle tense and holding my breath. I tried to ignore these body reactions because I thought I was doing something wrong. My therapist didn’t ask about these somatic responses, so I ignored it and focused on the content of my experience. The therapy sessions were intellectualized and I did not feel connected to my felt experience.

When I discovered Somatic Psychotherapy years ago, I realized that I could discuss those body sensations with my therapist as a relevant and important aspect of my experience. I realized that I didn’t have to suppress or hide the racing heart or the holding of my breath. I could acknowledge it, without judgement, as part of how I was processing information. I could recognize the wisdom of my system. I could use other aspects of knowing that didn’t solely rely on my thinking brain. I could be curious about my physical responses to convey a fuller picture. Therapy felt more complete, more holistic.

I think of Somatic Psychotherapy as a tool. As a clinician, I see how useful it can be when we need to go inward to sense how the body is reacting even though our thinking brain might see it differently. Our body experiences are a rich resource that can help us understand ourselves. Emotions move us, feeling is held in our system. We are holistic and connected beings made up of different perspectives and the more we can include those perspectives, the closer we can get to understanding.

Why I Work Through a Trauma Informed Lens

I work through the trauma informed lens because I think it is important for a therapist to have a good understanding of trauma, especially when working with individuals who have experienced difficult circumstances in their lives, because we respond differently to traumatic circumstances. If that is not understood, then there can be a tendency to pathologize a reasonable and appropriate response. Our nervous systems respond to perceived threat in ways that we wouldn’t respond to under perceived safe circumstances. It is an important consideration that I believe is crucial to informing the work we do together.

The modalities I use

I believe in practicing what I preach and utilize modalities that I myself have found useful and have seen are useful with the clients I work with. I am always looking to understand and learn new approaches and interventions that I feel could serve my clients.

I hold reverence for cultural, spiritual and interpersonal perspectives each individual brings. I have a deep respect for other cultures and philosophies and I have personal experience with the acculturation process.

My approach utilizes the following:

· Somatic Psychology (Specialization from JFKU)

· Internal Family Systems (Level 1 trained)

· Attachment Therapy

· Trauma informed practices,

· Holistic Approaches

· Mindfulness

Education:

I have a Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Somatic Psychotherapy from John F. Kennedy University and I am licensed in California as a Marriage and Family Therapist (#MFT 105346).

I am a member of CAMFT (California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists).

Practice Location

My practice is located in the East Bay, San Francisco Bay area in Northern California. My practice is online and I am licensed in California which allows me the opportunity to see clients throughout California.