Come Home To Yourself.
Counseling Services in the Santa Barbara Area
LMFT #134231, APCC #7277
BOOK A FREE CONSULT HERE
Does this Sound like You?
Does this sound like you?
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You’re a highly sensitive, deeply thoughtful person who learned to live in their mind in order to survive. Now you feel burned out, disconnected, and far from who you know yourself to be.
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You know there is something creative, alive, and special inside you — but those parts feel undernourished, unseen, or buried beneath responsibility, grief, or pain.
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You spend so much energy overthinking that joy and ease feel out of reach. You long for a life that feels more fluid, more alive, and emotionally safe.
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You know there must be more than just surviving. You want to feel grounded in who you are, connected to something meaningful, and free to live from a deeper sense of self.
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You struggle with self-care and boundaries because you were taught to overextend yourself — and part of you fears that saying no will cost you love.
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You may be carrying deep grief from the loss of someone you love, or wounds from relationships that mattered deeply.
I believe we are not here simply to manage symptoms or get through life. We are here to come back into ourselves — to feel whole, alive, and connected to who we truly are beneath the pain, fear, and survival strategies we learned along the way.
In my work, I use experiential and somatic approaches to therapy. “Somatic” simply means working with the body — because our nervous system, emotions, and patterns of relating live there, not just in our thoughts.
Through this kind of work, we begin to notice what our body has been holding: old stress, protective patterns, and emotional pain that never had a chance to move or be felt safely. As we learn to listen to these signals with curiosity and care, real change becomes possible — not just understanding, but a deeper sense of groundedness, clarity, and self-trust.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”
-Marianne Williamson
Who I Am
Californian by birth, Virginian by upbringing, I find myself whenever possible outside, submerging in water, and taking my young daughter on adventures whenever I can manage. Having been impacted at different junctures with extreme life challenges, I have chosen to believe that these powerful crossroads have been my teachers and have augmented my strength as a clinician. I like to think that I have chosen to be awake for my own life, and frame my human work as an attempt to not go back to sleep, and instead develop my quiet curiosity and centeredness of self, during life’s various weather systems.
I don’t believe in taking myself too seriously, and that silliness is an absolute prerequisite to human connection. I am spiritual, loving and kind whenever I can manage to be. I am bilingual, I love cats and live to get on planes and buses in foreign countries. I hope one day to develop a program to teach psychotherapeutic practices in other countries.
HOW I WORK
My work is grounded in somatic and trauma-informed approaches, including EMDR and Natural Processing. This means we don’t rely on talking or insight alone. Instead, we gently bring attention to what is happening in your body — where emotions, memories, and survival responses are actually held.
Many of us understand our pain very well, but it continues to repeat because it has never been fully processed at a nervous-system level. By slowing down and noticing sensations, emotions, and impulses as they arise, we give your body the opportunity to do what it was always meant to do: complete experiences that were once overwhelming or unsafe.
In sessions, I guide you to stay connected to yourself in a way that feels supportive and regulated. We follow your pace, your boundaries, and your nervous system. Over time, this allows stuck patterns — such as anxiety, emotional shutdown, or trauma responses — to soften and shift naturally.
Clients often find that this kind of work leads not just to insight, but to a deeper sense of groundedness, clarity, and emotional freedom in their daily lives.
FOR MORE INFO PLEASE VISIT
WWW.NATURALPROCESSING.ORG
Meet the Team
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Claire O'Dell, AMFT #136977
“I believe that through compassionate attention and curious observation our inner wisdom can help guide us from a place of suffering to a place of resilience, confidence and healing. I use an integrated approach that draws from Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment theory, compassion focused techniques and mindfulness. With warmth and curiosity I employ a somatic lens, bringing attention to the parts of us that may have gone unseen. Together we reflect on the past, find knowledge in the present and move forward towards clarity and acceptance.
I am so glad you are here and I look forward to connecting.
Areas of focus: anxiety, depression, chronic pain, grief, life transitions and self exploration.”
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Hannah Armer, AMFT #144598
“Healing happens when we cultivate deep connections with ourselves, others, and the world around us. My approach combines evidence-based practices such as somatic experiencing, mindfulness, cognitive shifting, and trauma-informed care, all within a strength-based and compassionate framework. By exploring the mind-body connection, I help clients address emotional responses and thought patterns, guiding them toward resilience, self-regulation, and holistic healing.”
Areas of focus: nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, teen-parent dynamics, substance use, holistic healing
Areas of Focus and Specialties
SOMATICS
Body Awareness, Self Attunement Movement(Sensorimotor) Embodiment Practices Moving Emotion Out and Through
NEUROSCIENCE BASED PRACTICES
Bilateral Stimulation (used in EMDR) Breathwork, Nervous System Regulation
EXPERIENTIAL and IMAGINAL WORK
Guided Visualizations, Meditation Practices, Inner Child Rescue Work, Ancestral Healing and Resourcing
ADVANCED PRACTICES
Somatic EMDR-Trauma Processing (Natural Processing)
Quantum Physics informed Practices for Healing and Transformation
Manifestation Work-Embodying your Higher Self
Expertise
EDUCATION
Antioch University- 2019, Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
Clinical Training
Trained in Somatic EMDR- Natural Processing, Craig Penner- July 2024+Jan 2025
Family Service Agency
Goodheart Recovery
Professional Experience
Hospice of Santa Barbara- Bilingual Bereavement Counselor- 2019-Present
Coast Caregiver Resource Center- a Program of Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital- Associate Family Consultant- 2015-2019
Location
301 E Carrillo St., Santa Barbara CA 93101
Phone
805-364-2063 (Googlevoice Number)
I am happy to offer both telehealth and in-person appointments.
Make an Appointment Today:
I am more than happy to discuss sliding scale options with new clients.
As an out-of-network provider, I have partnered with Mentaya to help my clients save money on therapy. Use this tool above to see if you qualify for reimbursement for my services!