305: Embodied Healing For Sexual Trauma with Erika Shershun

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host</span> <span class="s2">Laura</span> <span class= "s1">Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Erika Shershun, LMFT, a somatic trauma therapist in California who specializes in working with survivors of sexual trauma.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">In this episode you'll hear Erika, who is trained in EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, talk about the importance of embodiment - being present in our bodies - to the healing process and how sexual trauma can make it difficult to stay in our bodies. She discusses some of the common reactions to sexual trauma and explains how her book, Healing Sexual Trauma, offers daily practices for grounding, orienting, coming into safety and coming into presence. She even demonstrates an orienting practice she frequently uses with clients.</span></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Guest's Bio:</span></p> <p class="p2"> </p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">Erika Shershun, LMFT is a somatic psychotherapist specializing in working with sexual trauma survivors. Her work is body based and trauma informed, incorporating neurobiology and EMDR to help ease and resolve symptoms. Passionate about getting the needed tools that eluded her for so long into the hands of all survivors, she wrote the Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook, released by New Harbinger in July, 2021. Drawing on the powerful mind-body techniques of somatic therapy, it’s a step-by-step guide to overcoming the physical and psychological effects of sexual trauma, increasing positive body awareness and restoring a sense of hope and vitality.</span></p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">Erika sees individual clients residing in California, and facilitates an ongoing weekly therapy group for female identified survivors at her practice in San Francisco (currently meeting remotely). A second specialization is working with artists, performers, and creatives. Erika welcomes and values diversity, including all races, sexualities, genders, body sizes, and