SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® THERAPY CALGARY
A different kind of therapy for people who are self-aware, but still feel stuck.
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Book a Free ConsultationDOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
YOU FEEL LIKE SOMETHING'S OFF, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS:Â
You meditate.
You practice boundaries.
You go to therapy.Â
You keep trying to change yourself.
And still...
You feel overwhelmed, disconnected, reactive, or just empty...
like you're missing something essential.
WHYÂ "WORKING ON YOURSELF"Â ISN'TÂ WORKING
Talk therapy can help you understand your story. You can know your patterns, recognize your triggers, and even know exactly what you'd like to do differently.
And still find yourself in the same situations:
You want to stay open, but you shut down.
You know you're overreacting, but your anger comes out hot.
You want to say what you need, but the words disappear.
And eventually, the frustration turns inward:
"WTF is wrong with me? Why can't I just change?"
Your understanding is valuable. But at a certain point...
You have to stop searching for answers, stop treating yourself like a problem to solve, and start living your life.
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YOU CAN'TÂ THINKÂ
YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS.
At some point, working on yourself can become another way of staying stuck.
Another book. Another insight. Another diagnosis. Another thing to fix.
We call this The Self-Improvement Trap.
You spend so much time trying to change yourself...
that you lose touch with who you are underneath all that effort.
WHAT MAKESÂ OUR APPROACH TO
SOMATIC EXPERIENCING™Â
DIFFERENT?Â
We work with you, not on you.
Nervous-System Regulation
Learning to recognize and work with your responses to stress, conflict, or closeness, while developing more capacity to stay present, respond, and recover.
Somatic Processing
Making space for experiences that haven't fully settled, not by forcing a breakthrough, but by allowing what's there to be explored and integrated.
Attachment & Relational Repair
Exploring how your experiences have shaped the way you relate to yourself and others, while creating opportunities for new experiences of trust, connection, and being understood.
We never rush the process or push for emotional breakthroughs.
We follow what is present and allow change to develop through experience, at a pace that respects where you are.Â
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A SOMATICÂ EXPERIENCING SESSION?
There's no script for this, because every session is as unique as you are.
Two people can come to us struggling with anger.
> One might need help expressing it without hurting the people they love.
> The other might need help finding their anger in the first place.Â
The work isn't about making everyone respond the same way. It's about discovering what each person needs to move forward, and helping them find their way there.Â
Real-Time
Co-Regulation
A steady therapeutic relationship helps you stay present as your system begins to brace or shut down.
That's why we take the time to get to know you. The relationship we build isn't separate from the work. It's part of what makes the work possible.
Seeing Yourself Differently
You might already understand why you do what you do. But when the familiar pattern takes over, understanding can be hard to reach.Â
We help you meet those moments with curiosity instead of automatic self-judgment. Sometimes that means validating an experience you've questioned for years. Sometimes it means challenging a belief about yourself that you've mistaken for the truth.
Going Beyond the Story
We slow things down and notice what's happening as it happens, whether that's sensation, emotion, memory, thought, tension, movement, an impulse, or something harder to name.
Relational Repair
Patterns shaped in relationship come alive in relationship. We take a close look at what happens around trust, boundaries, and closeness, then create room for something different.Â
Meet Aaron and Alissa
A therapist couple. Two distinct practitioners.
One shared approach.
We’re partners and co-founders of The AUM Institute.
You’ll work one-on-one with either Aaron or Alissa. We share the same therapeutic foundation while bringing our own personality, experience, and way of relating to the work.
Our approach has been shaped through years of advanced training in Somatic Experiencing®, trauma integration, attachment theory, nervous-system regulation, relational therapy, contemplative practice, and our own lived experience of relationship, family, rupture, repair, and growth.
During your consultation, we can help you decide which of us feels like the better fit.
Real Words
From Our Clients
 "The space in their home is incredibly inviting and filled with positive, healing energy. Aaron is, without a doubt, the most empathetic and genuine professional I have ever worked with while processing my trauma. Since working with him, I have been sleeping better and have experienced many meaningful breakthroughs."
Review from Amie Smith on Google
A COZYÂ SPACE FOR SOMATICÂ EXPERIENCINGÂ IN SW CALGARY
Our private studio offers a quiet, low-stimulation environment where you can slow down and safely reconnect with yourself.
Sessions may include conversation, guided somatic exploration, grounding, movement, or supportive therapeutic touch.
Appointments are available seven days a week, including evenings. Online sessions are also available through Zoom.
LEVELSÂ OFÂ
 SUPPORT
Some people come with one clear concern. Others want more time to explore patterns that have been shaping their lives for years.
SINGLE SESSION
90 Minutes | $175
A place to begin, return for support, or focus on something specific that is present in your life right now.
- Focus on what feels most relevant in the moment
- Get targeted support during difficult times
- No ongoing commitment required
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90-DAY FOCUSED SUPPORT
8 Sessions | $150 each
For a specific concern, transition, or recurring pattern that deserves more continuity.
- Understand the patterns connecting your history and present-day experience
- Begin integrating what still feels unresolved
- Create enough continuity for new responses to start taking hold
By application only. Begin with a consultation.
12-MONTH ONGOING SUPPORT
26 Sessions
For deeper patterns that need time, repetition, relationship, and integration.
- Strengthen regulation, connection, boundaries, and self-trust
- Integrate change across relationships, work, creativity, and everyday life
- Deepen the work over time as new layers emerge
By application only. Begin with a consultation.
NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN?
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Start with a free online consultation
Book a Free ConsultationWHAT CLIENTS SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH US
Ariel M.
"The benefits are honestly hard to put into words. I leave each session feeling like a new version of myself—more alive, more focused, and with a little hope showing through on a face that usually carries pain."
Brenna L.
"Working with Alissa has been one of the best decisions I've made to improve my mental health. She understands that one size doesn't fit all and creates a truly judgement free and safe environment which has led to me seeing quicker progress than other approaches I've taken.."
Trudy P.
"My somatic work with Aaron has enabled profound healing and transformation for me. I am now deeply grounded in authentic love and personal power."
THE DEEPER ARC OF THE WORK...
Integration
Bringing to completion what has not yet been able to complete
Something that has been fragmented, interrupted, or left unresolved can gradually become something you can live with rather than something that keeps running the show.
Reconnection
Returning to relationship with yourself, others, and life
As you become less organized around self-protection, you'll have more room for connection, trust, self-expression, and pleasure without losing yourself.
Awakening
Living with greater presence, freedom, and aliveness
Over time the work deepens as new layers emerge, so more of your vitality, curiosity, creativity, and presence becomes available.
FAQ
What is the difference between Somatic Experiencing® and somatic therapy?
Will I have to re-live all my past trauma?
Is Somatic Experiencing only for trauma?
What training do you have?
Do you use touch during Somatic Experiencing sessions?
Can Somatic Experiencing be done online?
How do I know whether Aaron or Alissa is the right therapist for me?
NOT SURE WHERE TO START? BOOK A SOMATICÂ EXPERIENCING CONSULTATION
The consultation gives you a chance to tell us what has been happening, ask your questions, and get a sense of whether this feels like the right fit.
Book a Free Consultation