Transforming Emotional Triggers: A Somatic Approach

Sergio Ocampo is a licensed psychotherapist, educator, and co-developer of Dynamic Somatic Touch (DST), an integrative trauma-resolution approach addressing emotional overwhelm, trauma, chronic pain, and illness. His work blends somatic and cognitive therapies including Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, family systems, generational trauma, and depth and spiritual psychology. An adjunct faculty member at Antioch University and contributor to The Embody Lab, Sergio holds leadership roles within Somatic Experiencing communities and teaches internationally, emphasizing that trauma is temporary and resolvable.

Vanessa Bennett, LMFT is a licensed holistic psychotherapist, group facilitator, clinical entrepreneur, and co-author of the best-selling relationship book It’s Not Me, It’s You. Her therapeutic approach integrates years of study and practice in Depth, Buddhist, and Yoga Psychology. She co-hosts the Cheaper Than Therapy Podcast, leads soul-based retreats and workshops, and creates and facilitates content for events, conferences, and leadership trainings.



Connect with her through her website, Instagram, or TikTok."

Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, FABP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified psychoanalyst, and active leader in the bio-behavioral sciences. He is Associate Professor in the Department of Research Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and Research Chair & Past-President of the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy. A Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis, he serves as Clinical Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute and was honored as a 2024 Gina Ogden Curatorial Scholar. His clinical interests span somatic psychotherapy, relational psychoanalysis, human sexuality, and trauma psychology.

Deanna Jimenez is an Assistant Professor in the Somatic Psychology Department at California Institute of Integral Studies and a somatic/transpersonal psychotherapist in private practice. Her work explores the intersection of mental health, race, culture, and spirituality, with a focus on supporting individuals and couples engaged in transformative justice and social change. Drawing from transpersonal psychology and embodied practice, she supports clients in building grounded, spiritually rooted resilience while challenging systems of oppression.

Cyndi Darnell is a world renowned sex & relationship expert. She brings over 25 years of clinical and practical expertise to the world of intimacy, relationships and somatic healing. She's the author of Sex When You Don't Feel Like It: The Truth About Mismatched Libido & Rediscovering Desire. She works online with people of all genders and orientations around the world in many relationship configurations via zoom.

Kai Cheng Thom, MSW, MSc, Qualified Mediator, Certified Professional Jungian Life Coach, and Certified Somatic Sex Educator, is a coach, process facilitator, and mediator whose work focuses on the intersections of trauma healing, Transformative Justice, and social change. A noted theorist and practitioner in the field of conflict resolution, Kai Cheng has made significant contributions towards the integration and application of conflict transformation, crisis intervention, and body-based trauma healing methods in an activist context through her writing and teaching. Kai Cheng maintains a private practice as a one-on-one somatic coach, consultant, and group facilitator, drawing from extensive professional trainings in a wide variety of healing and wellness disciplines. She has also trained hundreds of embodiment and wellness professionals as Adjunct Faculty with the Institute for the Study of Somatic Sex Education and a Senior Teacher at The Embody Lab.

Diane Poole Heller, PhD, is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and expert in Attachment Theory and Trauma Resolution. Her signature approach—DARe (Dynamic Attachment Re-patterning experience)—offers therapists and individuals practical skills for healing attachment and trauma wounds. As Senior Faculty for SETI, Diane studied with Dr. Peter Levine and taught Somatic Experiencing® internationally for over 25 years. She is the author of The Power of Attachment, Crash Course, and the audio book Healing Your Attachment Wounds. Her film Surviving Columbine aired on CNN, supporting community healing after the shootings.

David Berceli, Ph.D. is an international expert in trauma intervention and conflict resolution, and the creator of Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)—a revolutionary technique designed to release deep tension held in the body from trauma and chronic stress. He is the founder and CEO of Trauma Recovery Services. Dave has spent two decades living and working in nine countries, including Israel/Palestine, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, and Lebanon, and is fluent in English and Arabic. His grounding in psychotherapy, bodywork, and cross-cultural dynamics supports healing and reconciliation worldwide.

Deb Dana, LCSW, is an author, clinician, and consultant using Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve trauma while honoring the autonomic nervous system. She developed the Rhythm of Regulation Clinical Training Series and lectures internationally. Deb is a founding member of the Polyvagal Institute, clinical advisor to Khiron Clinics, and advisor to Unyte. Her clinical works with W.W. Norton include The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection, and the Polyvagal Flip Chart. With Sounds True, she released Befriending Your Nervous System and the book Anchored.

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. He is the originator of the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral, mental, and health problems related to traumatic experiences.