about your california Therapist
Hi, I'm Naomi, a somatic, sex and relationship therapist.
I move beyond traditional talk therapy by weaving somatic experiential work to get deep at the core of healing. Feeling safe and secure in yourself requires not just an understanding of our minds, but a deep and profound relationship with our physiology and survival strategies. I help you learn how to regulate, understand and uncover unhelpful patterns that keep you in the same place, and offer skills and tools to build secure attachment bonds.
We’re a boutique practice located in beautiful Southern California specializing in somatic, sex, and relationship therapy.
We go places other therapists don’t, and tackle infidelity, exploring your sexual preferences (Kink/BDSM/ENM), or looking to find secure attachment in your relationships.
published research & education
Education, Psychology, and Pioneering Research
I was fortunate to participate and have published some of the landmark pioneering research on women's brain health, working at a behavioral neuroendocrinology lab.
My Certifications
Yoga & Meditation 2014-2019
CorePower Yoga C1 & C2 - 300 hr
Noah Maze - 500 hr
Tara Judelle - 100 hr
Jason Crandell - 100 hr
Tiffany Cruikshank - 200 Hr
Reiki Level 2 - 2016
Thai Massage - 2016
EMDR Basic Training - 2023
EFT Externship & Core Skills - 2024
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) - 2026
Somatic Sexuality Healing Practitioner (SSHP) -2026
My Story
From a Struggling Kid to Clicking in High School
Before becoming a therapist, I was a kid who struggled academically and socially. I was diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia at the age of 6. As we know now, girls back in the early 90’s were under diagnosed with neurodivergence, so your girl was doing the most to get such a coveted diagnosis at such a young age. Needless to say I was a high octane, “don’t tell me what to do” kid, I was no stranger to the principal's office, and on many occasions would be suspended from school. I sat in meetings about my 504 plans and my IEPs from first grade until I graduated college.
Being a kid who was pulled out of normal classrooms to go to special ed classes, or being the loud mouthed disruptive gal, gives you a certain badge of honor. That honor being crippling self-esteem and low self-worth from a young age. But fear not, good reader — all is not lost!
My parents were incredibly supportive of giving me all the resources and access to care and early intervention. Which I look back on it now with so much gratitude. I spent a lot of my after-school time with tutors learning to read, and with play therapists teaching me how to regulate my big emotions. I was someone with more energy to burn than a supernova and was thrown into soccer, gymnastics, and baseball. Movement was where I found the quiet. Sports was my area; it was the saving grace for all the challenges I faced in the classroom. The connection to my body and the love of movement is still, to this day held as the force that keeps me upright.
As I entered high school, with years under my belt of learning and understanding my brain, things started to click. Don’t get me wrong, I still cried to my mom every time I had to study for a test. But I saw the possibility and believed in myself more.
The Power of the Female Body and Its Intersection with the Patriarchy
Not all high schools were in the image of the TV show Euphoria, but mine might have been pretty close. With only the unbridled belief and arrogance of a teenager, enter stage left: boys, partying, and sex.
I also learned then of the power of the female body, and I used it to my advantage. When you spend your younger years depleted in self-worth from the constant messaging of being different, I started growing into my sexuality. This was the first time I had felt some semblance of value. Look, I know what you’re thinking: f%^& the patriarchy and f%^& beauty standards and all that. I’m with you, and this was the place I knew I could trust. I knew my body, and I knew how to move it, and it was the place I've always felt the most free. As painful as it was to heal from my lack of self-worth, it led me to feeling so comfortable about talking about sex and exploring sex and sexuality.
College and early adulthood were riddled with one-night stands, romantic trysts, flings, relationships, heartbreak, and betrayal. Honestly, the decade of my 20s could be titled “sex, drugs, and rock and roll.” It was a time of being hungry for all feelings and experiences.
While I was stumbling my way in and out of relationships, my time in college and graduate school was the era where I truly fell in love with psychology, neuroscience, and holistic health. Turns out female brains respond to stress, anxiety, and depression completely differently than male brains-who knew?!
During graduate school, I completed my first yoga teacher training and was instantly hooked! So much so that I went on to complete over 1,000 hours of training in yoga and meditation. After finishing my master's degree, I caught a bit of "Peter Pan Syndrome," feeling not quite ready to step into adult life just yet. So, I embarked on a year-long journey around the world, traveling across Asia and Oceania. Immersing myself in local cultures, traditions, and spiritual practices deeply shaped my multicultural worldview. During this time, I lived in ashrams in India and Nepal and sat for my first 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreat, an experience that profoundly deepened my connection to somatic work and mindfulness.
Eventually, I landed on a small island in Thailand, where I worked at a detox center facilitating cleanses and teaching yoga. During my time there, I trained in Thai Massage, became a Level 2 Reiki practitioner, and was introduced to the rich teachings of Kashmir Shaivism Tantra Yoga. All of these experiences laid the groundwork for my next chapter: organizing and facilitating yoga retreats all over the world, from Bali and Tulum to Costa Rica and Morocco.
After returning to the States, I was finally ready to feel grounded. It turns out it only took until my late 20s to feel capable of adulthood. I went on to work for Lululemon for nearly a decade, managing teams, building a healthy work culture, and running a multi-million dollar business portfolio. Through that experience, I realized two things: I love business, and I love people. That combination ultimately brought me full circle, leading me right back to private practice.
Since returning to the field I have committed myself to my education and love for learning.
If you ask me what I’m up to, I’m almost always in at least one or two trainings. I truly love learning and expanding my skills so I can bring the absolute best version of myself to every single session. I will never take you to a place I haven't been willing to go myself. That’s why I also deeply value my own weekly therapy and supervision. Simply put, I can’t show up fully for you if I’m not doing the same deep work for myself.
Ready to radically get unstuck?
If you are ready to work together, please fill out the contact form to set up initial free 15-20 minute consultation. We’ll start with a right-fit call and then move into your unique therapy journey from there.