Real talk: I don’t love telling people I’m a psychotherapist.

Most people hear that and imagine a couch-sitting, beard-stroking head-nodder who murmurs, “umhm” and “that sounds hard” and doles out one insight per 50-minute session.

I grew up on the East Coast, where that kind of therapy was all the rage. So I sat on someone’s couch off and on for ten years, spilling my thoughts.

Talk therapy: been there. Done that. Found something that goes way deeper.

Sure, venting to someone is nice, gaining insight is cool, and this approach helps some people. But I didn’t see real change in myself until I:

1. Studied holistic nutrition and learned about the profound effect our diet and supplements have on our mood, clarity, sleep, and beyond
2. Did some tough, deep, and sometimes dark work with a series of healers who worked more with the body, energy, and nutrition than the mind.

These two things helped me more than ten years of traditional talk therapy. They showed me an utterly fresh, far deeper approach to healing.

I’m not saying talk therapy is bad. It just keeps us circling in our heads. And that’s a problem because our emotions, trauma, and intuition all live in the body. That’s why body-based healing is so powerful — and why I’ve devoted my life to it.

My work is a unique blend of nutritional, somatic, and intuitive practices. In short: I offer what’s been extremely effective for my clients and myself.

I literally can’t think of anything more important than helping people heal and grow in this way … and emancipate themselves from mental slavery (thanks, Bob Marley).

A big part of my work is showing people how to access and heal the wounded parts of themselves. You know: those babydoll gremlins that have been running the show and driving you to anxiety, addiction, bulimia, or plan old stuckness.

We’ve all got these misguided parts, but most people don’t know how to actually work with them. I teach people how to cultivate true compassion towards them — and show them YOU’RE the boss.

We put you back in charge, so those wounded gremlins can’t run the show anymore. Bonus: you’ve learned to navigate your emotions without numbing or exploding or going sideways. >>Major upgrade.<<

I work best with sensitive rebels:

• People who are fired up and ready to do this
• “Refugees” from conventional eating disorder treatment who are ready to finally get to the root of the issue
• Folks with some sass, fire, and rebelliousness (with a soft and sensitive core)
• Quirky go-getters, nerds and misfits, and outsiders with undercover witchy tendencies
• People who want better relationships, emotional resiliency skills, and a healthier relationship with food and their body
• People who’ve tried talk therapy and have an inkling there’s something more: a deeper, more soulful connection to themselves and all their inner parts.

*I welcome folks of all identities and sizes

Less therapist. More wellness + transformation consultant.

Ultimately, you lead your own process — especially after we’ve worked together for a spell and I’ve helped you to understand your basic road map for healing.

But we all get stuck or confused sometimes. Or hit a new level of depth that we’re not quite ready for. This is when we can use some guidance. This is where I come in.

I’ll offer you tools and support along your journey — but ultimately, you’re the guide.

The official bits

Stephanie Small is a licensed clinical social worker and nutritionist. She received her BA from Yale University, her MSW from Smith College for Social Work, and certifications in Holistic Nutrition Education and Mental Health Nutrition from Bauman College and the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition. Her website is www.stephaniesmallhealth.com. Currently, Stephanie maintains a private practice online and in Boulder, CO, writes for national and local publications, and provides online classes, workshops, and groups. She is the creator of and instructor for the online course Supplements and Nutrition for Mental Health, and founder of Las Lobas del Corazón, a holistic psychotherapy and health clinic (www.laslobasdelcorazon.com).

I not-so-jokingly refer to myself as a “kitchen witch”, and am happiest stirring a bubbling pot on the stove, with the sounds of Gypsy jazz and scents of sizzling garlic and onion wafting through the air.

I stand for intelligent rebellion, hate strip malls, and would swap my professional office for a little cabin by a stream in a heartbeat.

When I was little and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say, “an actress-writer-psychologist-animal rights activist-eco terrorist.” What I do now is my best attempt to fuse many of those interests … and still evolving.