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Testimonial:

Where to begin? Marcela has been a support for me during major transitions, and she has been instrumental in helping my body and soul open to healing and change. Marcela offers wisdom and knowledge with a gentle, compassionate, and insightful conviction. She listens intently and catches deep messages, often unspoken but alive beneath consciousness and embodied.

Repeated sessions with Marcela have helped me address pain, constrictive patterns, and hormonal issues (amenorrhea – lack of menstrual cycles) related to years of physical health trauma, fear, and withdrawal from the fullness of life. She uses Somatic Experiencing and Touch in her work, as well as spoken exploration, in a container of safety and love while also incorporating formal training, structure, and professionalism. In one session, Marcela guided me as I worked to release holding patterns in my body and fear and shame related to womanhood… her work with me allowed for insight and for freedom of body movements and my voice as – tears streaming down my face – I gave myself permission to feel and “reclaim my feminine power.”

The next day, my body clearly felt safe enough to respond… and I had my first natural menstrual cycle after 9 years of amenorrhea! At first I was in shock; then I wept in relief and allowed my soul to release its grip… as if I had been holding my breath for years, just waiting, and Marcela had helped open the space to let my whole self breathe. Along with other therapeutic work, psychological exploration, and community involvement, this session with Marcela was a catalyst in my healing journey – a vital, strong thread in a complex tapestry of transformation. Thank you, Marcela, for your constant curiosity and desire to learn more and serve with a unique, profound presence. I am immensely grateful, and I am confident that your work with others will continue to have meaningful impact. 

Camille M.

Everyday life in today's society often brings stress that is overwhelming and has dysregulating effect on our nervous system. The long-term stress has the same effect as traumatic events and when it is happening for a long time, we can get stuck in a chronic stress response.

Stress and trauma have various negative effects on our body and our well-being.

We either move into the state of high activation - which means fight or flight response, or collapse into the immobility (freeze).

The signs that the body and the nervous system is in high activation are:

irritability, angry outbursts, inability to calm down, vigilance, anxiety, wanting to run away, need to always do something, compulsive activity, inability to pay attention or to focus, looking for distractions, addiction, insomnia, ruminating thoughts etc. Often there is a need for intensity that may become a pattern of how the system operates.

When the state of hight activation doesn't get resolved, we may move to the state of freeze or immobility. The signs of freeze are:

feeling of giving up, helplessness, hopelessness, depression, "not knowing who I am", having a feeling of not existing or not having a right to exist, disconnection, loneliness, burnout, feeling numb, lack of vitality, functioning on "autopilot", digestive issues, etc.

Sometimes we move from a state of high activation into a state of immobility in an endless loop. Or when both of those are present at the same time, we may have a feeling as if "the gas and the break pedal are on at the same time" which results in a feeling of being stuck.

There is another state we can be in - a state of orientation, engagement, ease, relaxation, where we can feel compassion, curiosity, creativity, playfulness, gratitude, connection and aliveness.

This is the state we want to cultivate, because it is the state where healing and integration happens, where we can recharge our batteries and get renewed and revitalized.

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I work with methods that are developed to work with the nervous system to release and renegotiate stressful and traumatic experiences, to teach the nervous system to relax again and guide the process of restoring its healthy functioning. This leads to feeling of aliveness, enhanced ability to regulate emotions, increased resiliency and more capacity for presence. Eventually, we can get to a state of ease, when the body and the nervous system regulates itself. Then we can have more capacity to be more present and to enjoy the richness of life.

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I work with people who are affected by stress, trauma, developmental trauma (also called early trauma) and difficult life experiences.

I am trained in a variety of trauma therapies including

Somatic Experiencing®, Organic Intelligence®, Somatic Attachment, Relational Development and Trauma Touch skills. 

I am available for individual sessionsand also facilitate group sessions.

For more information click on the links below:

​​​Restoring Balance

Marcela Urban

 The SoulJourney