My Approach

Therapy that helps you make peace with the past and feel better in the present.

Therapy with me is collaborative and I strive to create a space where you can have the freedom to show up authentically. I’m an integrative therapist, meaning that I incorporate elements from different modalities, tailoring my approach to each client’s specific needs and issues. I have postgraduate training in multiple therapeutic modalities for treating trauma including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Relational therapy. Some of the core principles that guide the work I do include:

Structure

Some fluidity is fine and even essential to the therapeutic process, but it's also important to have a sense of direction in the work. We’ll discuss a plan in the beginning of therapy and adjust as needed as time goes on.

Titration and Pendulation

These are concepts based in somatic approaches to treating trauma. Titration means that we won’t dive right into things that are overwhelming or too painful to talk about- we’ll go slow and track what’s happening in your body and nervous system very carefully. Pendulation means that we’ll always sandwich the difficult painful things we talk about with things that help you remember that you’re safe, grounded in the present, and have support around you.

Resourcing

Knowing what resources you have, both internal and external, is essential in trauma work. We’ll focus on your strengths, always highlighting the things that kept you going, while also discovering new resources together. Resources are anything, be it spiritual, creative, social, emotional, mental, that allow you to feel safe, grounded, and supported.

WHAT TO EXPECT

“The wound is the place where the light enters.”

-Rumi

meet Sophia boissevain, LMFT

Hi, I’m Sophia.

I believe in the power of holding space for those who have a tendency to hide, mask, or minimize themselves because they’ve been told they are “too much.” People who feel things very deeply and have trouble separating their feelings from other people’s, and those who were caretakers or mediators growing up are some of the clients I love to serve.

My work with clients centers on identity and relationships, and I’m passionate about supporting women and LGBTQ+ folks who’ve been impacted by discrimination, sexual abuse, and gender-based violence.

I’m trained in relational and psychodynamic therapy, but I also integrate somatic approaches. Somatic means body-oriented, an approach that cultivates a present-moment awareness of your physical sensations and experiences. This can allow for deeper emotional processing because trauma and unprocessed emotions get “stuck” in our bodies. Drawing on the wisdom of the body can be extremely liberating and resourcing.

I have a special interest and experience working with the following issues: