Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC
Somatic + Holistic Therapist in Los Angeles with 10+ years of experience helping clients heal from trauma, anxiety, and people-pleasing through body-based work
somatic therapy for nervous system dysregulation
What Somatic Therapy in Los Angeles Can Actually Help You With
Your nervous system isn’t broken.
If you’ve been feeling anxious all the time, shutting down during conflict, or like you’re constantly swinging between “I’m fine” and “Please don’t leave me”—I promise, you’re not losing your mind.
You’re actually responding exactly the way your body was wired to respond… based on the things you went through. That’s what somatic therapy in Los Angeles helps with.
Somatic therapy helps you retrain those patterns.
Instead of just talking about what’s going on, we bring the body into the work. Somatic therapy for nervous system dysregulation helps you notice where tension builds up, what triggers shutdown, and how to create safety—not just mentally, but physically.
If you’re in Los Angeles or anywhere in California, I offer somatic therapy for adults dealing with anxiety, trauma, and relationship struggles.
Your nervous system isn’t the enemy—it’s the key to healing.
Common nervous system symptoms we often overlook
What Is Nervous System Dysregulation (And Why It’s Not Your Fault)
Somatic therapy is rooted in the understanding that trauma, stress, and even childhood attachment wounds don’t just live in your head — they live in your body.
That knot in your stomach? That shutdown response when someone raises their voice? That urge to fix things and make everyone happy even if you’re exhausted?
What is nervous system dysregulation?
Nervous system dysregulation happens when your body gets stuck in survival mode—constantly swinging between anxiety, shutdown, or emotional overwhelm. Instead of feeling grounded and responsive, you feel reactive, disconnected, or like you can’t turn “off.”
Our bodies remember—even if we don’t have the language for it. You’re not weak. You’re wired for survival.
In my practice as a somatic therapist in Los Angeles, I work with clients who feel like their reactions are “too much” or “out of nowhere.” But once we start working with the body, those reactions start to make sense—and shift.
Is Your Nervous System Dysregulated? Here's How To Find Out:
5 Common Signs Your Nervous System Is Dysregulated
Here are a few ways nervous system dysregulation can show up in daily life:
- Feeling “on edge” even when nothing’s wrong
- Overreacting to small things (and then over-apologizing)
- Numbing out or going blank during emotional conversations
- Getting sick more often or experiencing chronic tension
- Being hyper-independent—or deeply afraid of being alone
Sound familiar? These are survival strategies. Not flaws. Somatic therapy helps you gently rewire these patterns by reconnecting with your body in a safe, supportive space.
Heal from your Trauma with a Complex PTSD Therapist
Who Is Somatic Therapy For?
You don’t have to have a trauma “label” for this work to help. You just have to notice that something isn’t working the way you want it to.
Somatic therapy may be helpful if:
- You’re exhausted by constant anxiety, even when life is “good” on paper
- You’re a high-functioning person who secretly feels numb, disconnected, or stuck
- You’ve tried talk therapy and felt like it wasn’t enough
- You tend to people-please, overachieve, or collapse when boundaries are tested
- You’ve experienced childhood trauma, complex PTSD, or relational neglect
- You want to feel more at home in your body
This isn’t just about managing symptoms—it’s about helping your body feel safe enough to live fully.
Progress you can feel in your body—not just in your head
Somatic Therapy Tools I Use in My Los Angeles Practice
Somatic therapy isn’t about rehashing everything that’s ever happened to you. It’s about noticing what your body is doing right now—and helping it respond in new ways.
Some of the somatic approaches I use include:
- Tracking and titration: Noticing subtle sensations in your body, and working slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed
- Breath and movement: Using body-based tools to shift out of shutdown, freeze, or fawn
- Somatic parts work: Combining body awareness with IFS therapy in Los Angeles to understand the protective roles of different parts of you
- Co-regulation: Practicing safe, connected presence with another human (aka: me) so your system doesn’t feel like it has to do it alone
These tools are customized to your needs. You don’t need to know how to “do it right”—we start where you are.
Somatic Therapy Works When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough
Somatic Therapy vs. Talk Therapy: What’s the Difference?
If talk therapy helped you understand your trauma—but you still feel stuck—somatic therapy helps with the part that talking can’t reach.
- Talk therapy works with your thinking brain (prefrontal cortex)
- Somatic therapy works with your survival system (autonomic nervous system)
This is why somatic work often helps when nothing else has. Insight is great—but your body needs to feel safe, not just be told it is.
If you have a history of childhood trauma or inconsistent caregivers, you might benefit from attachment therapy in Los Angeles as well—which I often integrate into our work.
Burnout, anxiety, and pressure to perform in L.A. culture
Why Somatic Therapy Is Especially Helpful in Los Angeles
Living in LA can be amazing…it’s beautiful, the weather is almost always perfect. But it can also be exhausting. Clients tell me they feel like they’re “performing” even when they’re just walking into a coffee shop. This kind of pressure takes a toll on your nervous system.
At my somatic therapy practice in Los Angeles, I work with:
- People navigating burnout in creative or high-demand industries
- People-pleasers and perfectionists who feel stuck in overdrive
- LGBTQ+ clients managing complex emotional and physical safety layers
- Adults with childhood trauma or complex PTSD
This isn’t about just “relaxing.” It’s about retraining your body to feel safe again.
From spiraling to self-regulation
What Healing Actually Looks Like (Even If You’re Not Used to Feeling Safe)
Healing doesn’t mean you never get anxious. It means you catch it sooner—and support yourself through it.
And true healing doesn’t mean you never get triggered. It means you recognize the moment—and don’t abandon yourself.
Healing is:
- Feeling more grounded in your day-to-day
- Not spiraling after conflict
- Being able to rest without guilt
- Saying no without shutting down
And healing is possible. Especially when you’re not doing it alone.
Schedule a free consultation for somatic therapy in Los Angeles today!
How Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps with Nervous System Dysregulation
Using Parts Work and Somatic Therapy to Understand Your Triggers
If you’ve ever felt like one part of you wants to set boundaries—and another part panics at the thought of disappointing someone—that’s not you being “indecisive” or “too sensitive.” That’s “parts” work.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy model that helps you understand the different parts of you that show up in response to stress, trauma, or emotional triggers. These parts aren’t bad. They’ve actually been trying to protect you—sometimes in extreme or outdated ways.
In my work as a somatic therapist in Los Angeles, I often blend IFS with body-based work. Because the truth is, those protective live in your body. That feeling like your heart is going to fall out of your ass? It’s your system responding to old wounds, through parts that never got the memo that you’re safe now.
Somatic therapy and Internal Family Systems together help you:
Understand your triggers
Build compassion for the parts of you that feel “too much”
Create space between a reaction and your response
Finally feel like you are in the driver’s seat—not just reacting on autopilot
You don’t need to fight your parts. You just need to get to know them.
How Attachment Therapy Helps Regulate Your Nervous System
Your Reactions Aren’t Random—They’re Attachment Responses Stored in the Body
Attachment therapy isn’t just about figuring out if you’re anxious, avoidant, or secure. It’s about understanding how your earliest relationships shaped the way your nervous system responds to closeness, conflict, and disconnection now.
If your caregivers weren’t emotionally available—or if love came with conditions—your system learned to adapt. That might look like shutting down during arguments, getting overly anxious when someone pulls away, or feeling uncomfortable when things are actually good. These aren’t personality flaws. These are nervous system responses built around connection and protection.
In somatic therapy, we bring this into the body. Because your attachment patterns don’t just live in your thoughts—they show up in your muscle tension, your breath, your posture, your gut reactions.
Attachment therapy in LA, when integrated with somatic work, helps you:
Track how your body responds to closeness and vulnerability
Unpack why certain patterns keep repeating in relationships
Build internal safety so connection doesn’t feel like a threat
Rewire your nervous system to feel more regulated in relationship—not just alone
Reconnect to Your Body With Trauma Therapy in LA
If you’re ready to stop feeling hijacked by your nervous system and start feeling grounded in your body, let’s work together. I offer somatic therapy in Los Angeles and online across California. Book a free consultation here.
What Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles Actually Looks Like
Your Trauma Response Is a Nervous System Response
When people hear “trauma,” they usually think of something extreme. But trauma isn’t just about what happened—it’s about what your nervous system had to do to cope.
If you learned to shut down, people-please, over-function, dissociate, or stay constantly alert—that is trauma living in your body. It means your nervous system is still stuck in survival mode.
As a trauma therapist in Los Angeles, I don’t just ask, “What happened to you?” I help you understand how your body held onto those experiences—and what it’s still doing to try to protect you.
In trauma therapy, especially when it’s integrated with somatic work, we:
Slow down and work with the body, not just talk about it
Learn to track your nervous system responses in real time
Help your system release old survival patterns without re-traumatizing you
Build real, felt safety—not just coping skills
What to expect from a whole-person therapy approach
Ready to Begin Somatic Therapy in Los Angeles?
I’m Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, a somatic and holistic therapist based in Los Angeles. I help high-functioning people-pleasers, creatives, and survivors of childhood trauma reconnect with their bodies, calm their nervous systems, and feel safe again—from the inside out.
In my practice, I combine somatic therapy, IFS therapy, and a holistic approach to healing to support clients dealing with anxiety, CPTSD, and unresolved trauma.
Whether you’re navigating attachment wounds or simply feel stuck in patterns that don’t make sense, somatic work can help you come back home to yourself—gently, sustainably, and in a way that actually sticks.
Ready to explore working together?
Schedule a free consultation or click here to learn more.
What to Know About Somatic Therapy in Los Angeles
Frequently Asked Questions About Somatic Therapy Los Angeles
Do I need a trauma diagnosis to benefit from this?
Not at all. Many of my clients haven’t experienced “big-T trauma.” You just need to notice that your body is reacting in ways that don’t feel good—and want support changing that.
How fast does somatic therapy work?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some clients notice shifts within a few sessions, especially around self-awareness and nervous system regulation. Deeper patterns often take more time—and that’s okay.
Can this help if I’ve already done years of therapy?
Yes. Somatic therapy often helps with the stuck part—the physical holding, the shutdown, the freeze—that talk therapy didn’t fully reach.
Is it weird to focus on my body in therapy?
Not at all. It might feel unfamiliar at first, but most clients find it surprisingly relieving to finally include their body in the process.
Explore More Mind-Body Therapy Options in Los Angeles
Internal Support Resources for Your Healing
Want to understand more about the full picture of healing?
- Anxiety therapy in Los Angeles — when your mind races and your body never rests
- Holistic therapy in Los Angeles — when you want to be seen as more than just a diagnosis
- Trauma therapy in Los Angeles — when your history still lives in your body
