Fort Lauderdale, FL
Support That Includes Both Mind and Body, Not Just Insight
Online somatic therapy for adults in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
If you’re holding it together on the outside but noticing more strain emotionally and physically beneath the surface. you may be starting to wonder why things haven’t shifted despite everything you’ve tried.
Stress and past experiences often show up in the body as tension that never fully settles, reacting more strongly than you'd like, or moments when you shut down even when part of you wants to stay present.
Many of the people I work with have done therapy before. They've gained insight and understand themselves well, but they're looking for something that helps bridge the gap between understanding themselves and experiencing lasting change in everyday life.
I provide online somatic therapy for adults in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Florida. Many people I work with have already done therapy or a great deal of personal growth. They understand themselves, yet still notice familiar reactions, tension, anxiety, or shutdown that insight alone hasn't changed.
When Insight Isn't Creating the Change You're Looking For
Somatic therapy supports both emotional depth and the body. It creates space to slow down, notice what your body has been carrying, and include more than what you can explain with words.
In our work together, we move between conversation and somatic practices to notice what is happening in your body and emotional life in real time. Sometimes that means simple nervous system exercises, and other times it looks like staying present with the felt sense of the moment.
Over time, many people notice shifts such as:
• Feeling less pulled into automatic stress responses
• Recognizing tension, overwhelm, or shutdown sooner
• Recovering more quickly after difficult moments
• Feeling more connected to themselves and their relationships
About Me
Hi, I’m Amy Hagerstrom.
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) providing online therapy for adults in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Florida.
For many years, I did my own therapy and understood why I reacted the way I did. That insight mattered, but something still felt unfinished. Yoga was the first place I noticed my body responding differently. Later, discovering Somatic Experiencing changed how I thought about therapy because it gave my body a place in the work instead of relying only on talking.
Today I help adults who have often spent years trying to understand themselves but still find their body reacting with anxiety, tension, overwhelm, or shutdown. My goal is to help you develop more capacity, flexibility, and choice so life doesn't feel like something you always have to push through.
If this resonates with you and you're in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in Florida, I'd be honored to work with you.
What You Might Be Going Through
You may recognize parts of yourself in more than one of these areas.
Some people arrive feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Others notice old patterns or deeper emotional pain becoming harder to ignore, even when life looks steady from the outside.
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Even if the past feels far away, your body might still be reacting. You may shut down, feel disconnected, or get overwhelmed by things that seem small.
→ Learn more about trauma therapy -
You might look calm on the outside but feel unsettled inside, like your body is bracing or your mind will not slow down. You want more than coping tools and are ready to work with what your body has been carrying.
→ Learn more about anxiety therapy -
You are managing a lot and doing your best to hold everything together, yet it is getting harder to ignore the strain on your body and emotional life. You may feel burned out, less well physically, and unsure whether the life you have built still fits who you are now.
→ Learn more about midlife crisis therapy
What is Somatic Therapy?
Soma simply means the living body. Somatic therapy recognizes that stress, anxiety, and difficult experiences don't only affect the way we think. They also influence breathing, posture, muscle tension, emotions, energy, and the ways we respond under pressure.
In our work together, we pay attention to what is happening in the present moment. We notice patterns in your body, thoughts, emotions, and reactions, creating space to explore them with curiosity and begin responding with greater flexibility and choice.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is the primary approach I use in my practice. Depending on your needs, we may also incorporate the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) or the Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) to support regulation and recovery.
If you are in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in Florida and would like to read more about how I work, you can visit the Somatic Experiencing page.
You may benefit from this work if you notice patterns like:
Feeling anxious or unsettled even when you understand yourself well
Noticing yourself bracing, shutting down, or reacting more strongly under stress
Living with ongoing tension, digestive issues, headaches, fatigue, or chronic pain
Feeling that insight alone hasn't created the changes you're looking for
Finding that pushing through isn't working the way it used to
Looking for therapy that includes both mind and body
My Therapeutic Approaches
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Somatic Experiencing
My primary approach to therapy. Somatic Experiencing works with trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress by including your body's responses alongside thoughts and emotions, helping you develop greater flexibility and resilience.
Learn more about Somatic Experiencing
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Rest and Restore Protocol
A sound-based therapy that supports deep rest and recovery from chronic stress. It may be helpful when exhaustion, burnout, or ongoing stress make it difficult to fully settle.
Learn more about Rest and Restore Protocol -
Safe and Sound Protocol
A listening therapy that uses specially filtered music to support regulation and social engagement. It may be helpful if you feel easily overwhelmed, stay on guard around other people, or have difficulty settling after stress.
Learn more about Safe and Sound Protocol
Integrative Mental Health Support
Somatic therapy is the foundation of my work. When it feels relevant, we may also explore factors that affect how you're feeling outside of therapy, including sleep, daily rhythm, movement, nutrition, and ongoing stress.
Small changes in these areas can sometimes support the work we're already doing together and make it easier to carry that work into daily life. When appropriate, I can also collaborate with or refer you to trusted professionals who share a whole-person approach.
Looking at both emotional and physical well-being helps us better understand the many factors that can influence stress, anxiety, and resilience.
Start Online Therapy in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Sessions are held online, so you can show up from wherever you are without adding one more thing to an already full day. Whether you are in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in Florida, this work can help you reconnect with your body, shift what has been weighing on you, and feel more supported in the life you are living.
I offer a free 10‑minute consultation to see if this feels like a good fit. Click here to schedule a time to chat.
If you would like to message me with any question instead, please fill out the form on my Contact page.