Everyone assumes you’re doing well.
You’re capable, dependable. You’ve spent years understanding yourself intellectually, tried therapy, books, podcasts, meditation, yet something still feels out of reach.
You understand the pattern. And somehow, you still find yourself in it.
Replaying a conversation all night.
Feeling guilty for saying no.
Knowing you need rest but being unable to relax.
Wondering why you keep repeating the same relationship patterns.
Feeling disconnected.
You were never broken
What once felt like proof that something was wrong may be a nervous system that has been working incredibly hard to protect you.
Your body has always known
I'll support you in slowing down and creating space to experience what's happening beneath familiar patterns, allowing your body to become part of the conversation.
Then something loosens
This looks different for everyone. For some, it’s finally sleeping through the night. For others, it’s a boundary set in one sentence instead of five, or a hard week that doesn’t unravel everything else.
Not a fixed outcome. A different relationship with your own signals.
You do not have to become someone new. This work is about coming back.
Somatic Experiencing® Therapy
Our work is collaborative and led by curiosity
We slow things down and notice what’s happening in the moment, including what your body is telling you. I won’t push you toward a particular outcome. We’ll explore what feels true for you at a pace that feels manageable.
First session, 60 minutes. Ongoing sessions, 45 minutes, usually weekly.
We’ll begin with a free phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
I’m Alison
Sister Somae grew from my belief that healing can bring us closer to our own inner knowing. “Emerge sovereign” speaks to that return: learning to listen inward and live in closer relationship with what feels true for you.
When I first became a therapist, I believed that insight created change. I watched clients gain awareness, recognize patterns, and work hard to make different choices, and I saw lives change because of it.
Some clients understood themselves deeply and still found themselves caught in the same cycles. They knew why they reacted the way they did, but in the moments that mattered most, their bodies responded as if nothing had changed.
What if healing isn’t just about understanding ourselves?
That question, led me to Somatic Experiencing. It changed the way I understand healing, and the way I experience my own life. Today, I notice the pause before agreeing to something that isn’t right for me. More often than not, my body knows before my mind can explain.
I won't ask you to go anywhere I haven't gone myself.
My work is shaped by more than a decade in the mental health field and years of continued study in body-based approaches to healing. My training includes:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Virginia and Florida
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), a research-informed, body-based approach to working with stress, trauma and the nervous system
Yoga teacher training integrating embodiment, subtle body practices and social justice
Continued study in women’s embodiment and somatic sexuality
What is Somatic Experiencing®?
Do you accept insurance?
Where are you located, and do you offer in-person sessions?
Is this the right fit for me?
Do you offer online therapy for women in Virginia or Florida?
How is Somatic Experiencing different from talk therapy?
Contact
Let’s Talk
Emerge Sovereign
Alison Cariello, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner)
© 2026 Sister Somae