--- title: Somatic Therapy Austin, TX | Dance/Movement Therapist | Heiser Counseling description: Somatic therapy and dance/movement therapy with an R-DMT. Body-centered healing for trauma, anxiety & depression via telehealth in TX & WA. Private pay. url: https://heisercounseling.com/services/somatic-therapy canonical: https://heisercounseling.com/services/somatic-therapy author: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA credentials: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA — Registered Dance/Movement Therapist location: Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) practice: Heiser Counseling — 800 S. FM 1626, Suite 102, Buda, TX 78610 contact: destany@heisercounseling.com | 512-937-3991 --- # Somatic Therapy Austin, TX | Dance/Movement Therapist | Heiser Counseling > Somatic therapy brings the body into the conversation — because healing that only happens in the mind rarely reaches the places where pain actually lives. **Provider:** Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA — Registered Dance/Movement Therapist **Location:** Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) **Contact:** [destany@heisercounseling.com](mailto:destany@heisercounseling.com) | [512-937-3991](tel:5129373991) **Book:** [Request a free consult](https://heisercounseling.com/connect) --- ## 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." — Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA --- ## 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. --- ## 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. --- ## What to Expect from Somatic Therapy Therapy **01 — Free Consult** We talk about what's drawn you to somatic work and whether this approach fits. **02 — Building Awareness** Learning to notice your body — its signals, patterns, and what it's trying to communicate. **03 — Working with Sensation** Moving toward rather than away from difficult body experience — with safety and care. **04 — 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 --- ## 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 EMDR — 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. --- ## About the Therapist **Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA** is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington State), and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. She specializes in trauma, anxiety, somatic therapy, and EMDR, bringing a body-first approach to mental health treatment. Heiser Counseling is based in Austin, TX and offers telehealth services across Texas and Washington State. - [Learn more about Destany](https://heisercounseling.com/about) - [View all services](https://heisercounseling.com/services) - [Request an appointment](https://heisercounseling.com/connect)