Experiential & Somatic Therapy in Virginia: FAQ

Talk therapy primarily works through discussion and cognitive insight. Experiential therapy adds somatic, embodied, and imaginal work — such as Brainspotting, ART, IFS parts work, or guided body-based processing — so change registers below the level of “I understand this now” and into how the body and nervous system actually respond. Many clients arrive here having already done years of insight-based work without lasting change.

Insight lives in the thinking brain, but most stuck patterns — freeze, fix, fawn, old attachment loops — are held in the nervous system and body, not just in cognitive awareness. This approach is built on the principle that thoughts, body, and new experience all have to shift together (memory reconsolidation) for a pattern to actually reorganize, not just be understood.

This work suits high-functioning, insight-rich adults in Virginia who understand their own psychology intellectually but feel stuck repeating the same patterns anyway — often anxious achievers dealing with burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, shame, or a persistent sense that something is missing, who have already tried standard talk therapy without lasting change.

Lauren Ziel, LCSW offers experiential individual and couples therapy — including EFT for couples, IFS parts work, somatic and polyvagal-informed approaches, active imagination, ART, and Brainspotting — to clients throughout Virginia, including Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Richmond, and Norfolk, entirely via telehealth. Therapy intensives in Brainspotting, ART, I-CBT, and Coherence Therapy are also available.

Yes — somatic and experiential techniques can be adapted effectively to telehealth, since much of the work involves guided internal awareness (body sensation, imagery, parts work) that clients can do from their own space, often with the added benefit of practicing in the environment where their patterns actually show up.

Therapy intensives are usually fixed timeframes and depend on the modality. Somatic sessions can be implemented with a more fixed timeframe. Prior to starting, we can discuss and agree upon a specific number of sessions or parties can agree to remain open to continued assessment of your progress and further needs.

I deeply value this work and honor the skill & capacity needed to create a safe and nourishing space for my clients. For this reason, I do not take on very many clients in order to maintain the integrity of our work together.

I will remember the names of your loved ones. I will want to see pictures of your baby or fur-baby. I will be genuinely curious to bear witness to all you have to express. Session costs are reflective of this care. Please inquire by reaching out via the contact form. And because I also believe in the importance of accessibility to this work, sliding scale options are available depending on need and availability.

I am considered “out of network” with insurance companies, which means that all services are paid out of pocket. Your insurance may cover services for out-of-network providers. I partner with a service that can check your estimated insurance coverage for therapy with me. Please use the following link: https://mentaya.com/checkbenefits/9EVAt7RYEIeUI1Kgz3fz

You can also contact your insurance company directly to access information regarding your mental health benefits. If your health insurance agrees to reimburse you for your sessions, you will pay for services directly and I will provide you with a monthly Superbill that you can submit for reimbursement.

Reimbursement rates will depend on your plan/provider.