About Me — so glad we’ve crossed paths
Susan Reis | Integrative Somatic Practitioner
Somatics, Relational Healing, Hypnosis, & Psychosynthesis
With roots as a meditation teacher and death doula, my work naturally evolved into somatic practice and trauma resolution because when we reach for presence, we inevitably meet what’s been stored in the body. By bringing compassion and safety to these unprocessed emotions, ease and clarity arise naturally, not by force, as the body remembers what was once held in survival and can finally rest. Transformation is the crossing of any threshold.
My approach integrates somatic depth, timeless contemplative wisdom, and the grounding of applied neuroscience. I attune to the pre-verbal unconscious seed patterns first imprinted in the body, where the ineffable roots of our experience and intergenerational echoes quietly shape the inner world and become more activated with various life experiences.
My work is rooted in contemplation and also deeply personal. I know firsthand the patterns of disconnection, chronic pain, and freeze, and I meet each person with the compassion and presence I once yearned for.
I weave the personal, relational, and transpersonal. Through a relational lens, we can transform attachment patterns and connect more intimately with ourselves, others, and life. Through transpersonal integration, healing expands beyond just endless cycles of fixing into a renewed sense of meaning.
My integrative approach helps unravel defenses and fears, softening the body and shedding layers that cover the true self/heart. My approach isn’t about fixing (you’re not broken!) but about presence: being with your inner experience. The modalities are resources, but the path is your unfolding.
I live in New York City, I don’t belong to any one group, method, or tradition, and I’d be honored to support you on your journey. -Susan
Certifications & Trainings
I take continuous learning very seriously!
MS in Applied Neuroscience (in process)
Certified Integrative Somatic Trauma Practitioner
Certified Hypnotist (NGH)
Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release System Certified Practitioner (BBTRS)
Compassion-Based Resilience Training Certified Instructor (Nalanda Institute)
Brainspotting Practitioner (BS)
Certified Psychosynthesis Life Coach
Somatic Experiencing (SEP) Practitioner-in-Training
Dynamic Attachment Repatterning Experiencing (DARe) Practitioner-in-Training
Certified Buteyko Breathing Instructor
Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher
Graduate Certificate in Jungian Studies & Analytical Psychology (Pacifica)
Contemplative Practice teacher (non-dogmatic Christian Mysticism rooted presence and spiritual practice)
Nejang Healing Yoga Teacher (non-dogmatic Tibetan Vajrayana practice of subtle energy points aligned somatics)
Archetypal & Evolutionary Astrologer
Death Doula & Hospice Volunteer
NOVA Crisis Response Trained & Volunteer
ICISF Individual & Group Crisis Intervention Trained
Values
Self-Acceptance & Individuation
Transformation isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about shedding protective identities and returning to who you’ve always been. Individuation means deep self-acceptance, de-conditioning, and reclaiming your own inner authority—awakening radical self-worth and intrinsic meaning that isn’t dependent on external validation.
Not Just Healing, but Being
I don’t pathologize every quirk or keep you stuck in endless cycles of healing. My work supports you in moving beyond the need to endlessly fix, into the freedom of simply being—ever-evolving, present, and whole.
Compassionate Presence
Healing doesn’t come from a single modality but from presence itself. I integrate diverse tools while prioritizing attunement, resilience, and compassionate presence as the foundation of every session. What I call compassionate presence is at the core of my work and life philosophy.
Integrity & Care
I’m a somatic practitioner grounded in extensive training, contemplative wisdom, and ethical integrity. I take my clients’ care seriously, continue to learn and refine best practices, and communicate transparently if something isn’t a fit for my work. I also maintain client-centered confidentiality protocols, which you can ask me about at any time.
Heart Mysticism, Trauma Science, & the Art of Healing
My language is practical, continuously informed by neuroscience and trauma science, yet my roots and inspiration is in the contemplative—bridging timeless wisdom with contemporary research to meet the increasing complexity of the modern human experience. Mysticism has long carried the art of presence, resilience, surrender, and expanded consciousness—the original pathways of self-healing—long before modern trauma models have begun to affirm them.
Healing is not about fixing but about peeling back the layers over the heart to return to the loving presence and pure will at its core. What remains is indestructible.
Importantly, compulsiveness, future-fixing, dogma, and simplified ideas of self are the antithesis of both healing and mysticism. A true relationship to mysticism is rooted in the unknowing. The past and future imprint on the psyche but through body-heart–mind coherence, compassionate presence, and wisdom, we can unfold into life each present moment with a lightness of being and a heaviness of purpose.
For everything & always,
Susan Reis
