About

Liberation Begins in the Body  

Our Founder

D. Denise Temal is a seeker and incessant learner, following her deep curiosity about the human experience since the age of 14. She is also a Latina somatic practitioner, TRE provider, healing strategist, and founder of Somatics & TRE. Denise holds a B.A. in English from UCLA and a 3-year M.S. in non-clinical counseling with substantial experience disrupting conventional counseling and coaching frameworks by integrating body-based approaches. Heightened systemic injustice toward historically marginalized communities, along with her understanding of the effectiveness of somatic modalities, prompted her to create Somatics & TRE. This organization specializes in delivering innovative somatic and related modalities aimed at fostering holistic healing and intergenerational joy. 

INFLUENCES

  • Carol Gilligan: Emphasis on relational ethics and the importance of connection in the healing process.
  • Clarissa Pinkola Estés: A deep respect for the psyche, the power of myth and story, and the wisdom of the "wild woman."
  • Deb Dana: Expertise in polyvagal theory, cultivating nervous system flexibility and building capacity to feel and process sensation.
  • Peter Levine & Bessel van der Kolk: Somatic healing practices and trauma insights for profound healing.
  • Robert Kegan: Developmental lens, fostering deeper self-understanding and evolution of meaning-making.
  • Richard Schwartz (Internal Family Systems): Exploration of your inner world, healing internal wounds, and cultivating self-leadership.
  • Resmaa Menakem & Jennifer Mullan: Cultural consciousness, acknowledging systemic forces and their impact on your experience.
  • Eugene Gendlin & Ron Kurtz: Grounding in the body's innate intelligence and experiential learning.
  • Byron Katie: Transformative inquiries, questioning limiting beliefs, and fostering self-awareness.
  • Paulo Freire: Critical consciousness, fostering liberation through dialogue and transformative education.
  • Thich Nhat Hanh & Pema Chodron: Compassionate mindfulness, cultivating self-acceptance and presence.
  • and more.


Liberation Begins in the Body

“The body, not the thinking brain, is where we experience most of our pain, pleasure, and joy, and where we process most of what happens to us. It is also where we do most of our healing, including our emotional and psychological healing. And it is where we experience resilience and a sense of flow.”


― Resmaa Menakem, therapist, trauma specialist, the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions and a bestselling author.


Photo: Our founder, Denise Temal, with Resmaa Menakem, Santa Barbara, CA, 2024

Our Values

Intergenerational Healing

We inherit the environmental and relational traumas of our ancestors, yet we also possess their gifts and resilience. We recognize our ancestors as guardians of sacred space and sources for our healing. We pay tribute to their past and the significance they hold in our present.

Somatic Liberation

Incorporating the body into our healing journey reestablishes a connection with ourselves, countering the teachings of self-abandonment instilled in us by detrimental systems. By engaging in somatic liberation work, we rediscover our humanity.

Community

Community plays a vital role in our lives, and many individuals pursue nervous system healing to address the effects of unresolved tension and trauma on their relationships. Healing the nervous system stimulates our social engagement system and fosters healthier connections, enabling us to thrive collectively.

Joy

Our bodies are not designed to perpetually engage in emotional and cognitive labor that doesn't lead to trauma resolution. When we harbor tension and trauma, we trap survival energy that leads us to contract, becoming fearful and defensive in our quest for self-protection rather than embracing connection and the fullness of life. No about of rumination will release that survival energy, we must engage to the body. By releasing this stagnant survival energy, we create space for ease and joy to flourish in both our bodies and our lives. It is our profound belief that joy is an inherent right for all of us.

Let's Connect

Our consultation is a 30-min mindful container where I'll hold space for you to share your current needs and consider how somatic coaching and TRE might be a part of your healing journey.

Book a Connection Call
Share by: