Arpitha Shankar – Somatic Couples Therapist Online & Body-Oriented Trauma Therapist
Arpitha Shankar
Body-Oriented Trauma & Couples Therapist Online
Helping individuals and couples reclaim their emotional well-being, rebuild healthier relationships, and rediscover their sense of agency
I’m Arpitha Shankar, a body-oriented, attachment-informed trauma therapist and somatic couples specialist working online. I bring compassion, cultural sensitivity, and a deep commitment to your unique experience to support your healing.
My Story
Having been a childbirth educator and a doula, I have been deeply curious and fascinated by the way the wisdom of the body mysteriously surfaces during birth when the mother feels safe. I have witnessed birthing women being traumatised, as well as instances of them being powerfully transformed by birth. That has often left me wondering what causes trauma and inspired me to train in body-based trauma modalities.
Being a mother of 2 spirited young children, I have committed to parenting as my spiritual path. Parenting brings up many of one’s early childhood relational scars to the surface. My somatic healing journey allowed me to come back to these unhealed, fragmented parts of me with a loving presence. This further inspired me to train in developmental trauma and attachment-focused healing, which now form the foundation of my work.
My Approach
I work relationally with my clients as I deeply believe that we get wounded in relationships and heal better in connection to a compassionate, well-attuned human presence.
My work focuses on embodiment, relational healing, and authentic communication with a trauma-informed approach. I believe that when we connect with our bodies, we can discover our true selves, thus enabling us to have deeper, fulfilling relationships with ourselves and the world around us.
Common Struggles I Help Clients Overcome:
– Balancing personal needs with family or cultural expectations
– Feeling disconnected or misunderstood in relationships
– Chronic physical symptoms tied to emotional suppression (pain, fatigue, IBS, autoimmune conditions)
– Self-doubt, self-silencing, or attracting unhealthy relationships
– Dissociation, emptiness, or feeling stuck in personal growth
– Emotional blocks around decision-making, success, or finances
My Areas of Expertise as a Body-Oriented Trauma & Couples Therapist
Culturally Sensitive Boundary Work & Relationship Dynamics
For those from South Asian collectivist cultures, balancing personal boundaries with family expectations can feel overwhelming. Together, we’ll explore how to honor your needs while navigating family dynamics, allowing you to cultivate emotional well-being and restore a sense of autonomy within relationships.
Trauma & Identity Transformation After Birth
Becoming a parent, especially a mother, often brings identity shifts and emotional challenges that aren’t always talked about. I offer somatic, attachment-informed therapy to support you through the emotional landscape of bonding with your newborn, helping you reclaim your sense of self during this transformative time.
Healing Childhood Wounds & Emotional Reactivity
If past emotional wounds, like neglect or trauma, are affecting how you respond in relationships, we’ll work together to break free from old patterns. You’ll gain tools for emotional regulation and find peace by shifting reactive cycles that impact your connections.
Chronic Health & Emotional Suppression
For those struggling with chronic conditions like autoimmune disorders or IBS, I work with you to uncover the emotional pain that might be contributing to your physical symptoms. Through mind-body integration, we’ll support your healing and restore balance.
Somatic Couples Therapy & Parenting Support
In somatic couples therapy, we shift from the “you vs. me” mindset to a “we” mentality, focusing on collaboration, mutual understanding, and compassion. Together, we’ll strengthen your emotional regulation, improve communication, and set healthy boundaries. I also help couples align their parenting strategies to nurture both their relationship and their children’s developmental needs.
Conscious Dating & Attachment Healing
If dating feels like a series of unhealthy patterns or missed connections, I’ll help you understand how attachment wounds may be at play. Through healing, we’ll break these cycles and build a foundation for secure, fulfilling relationships.
Clients' Experience
How Bodynamic Therapy, Somatic Experiencing (SE), & Internal Family Systems (IFS) Work Together
I integrate Bodynamic Therapy, Somatic Experiencing (SE), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you address deep-rooted emotional wounds. These therapeutic approaches work in harmony to release emotional tension stored in the body, process unresolved trauma, and heal internalised beliefs.
For example, if your childhood was emotionally neglectful, your body might hold tension like hunched shoulders or a collapsed chest. We’ll gently release these physical tensions while healing the underlying emotional beliefs, like “I am responsible for everyone’s emotions.” This process supports healthier emotional regulation, more fulfilling relationships, and a deeper sense of self.
What You Can Expect from Body-Oriented Trauma Therapy
Reconnected Self-Trust: Rediscover your inner wisdom and make decisions that align with your authentic self.
Stronger Boundaries & Emotional Regulation: Develop healthier ways to manage emotions and navigate relationships with more ease.
Healing from Dissociation & Emptiness: Reconnect with your body and emotions, creating a deeper sense of wholeness.
Breaking Old Relationship Patterns: Cultivate intimacy and healthier dynamics with others.
Overcoming Emotional Blocks to Success: Transform limiting beliefs about money, success, and your worth.
Somatic Healing: Heal early-life trauma using body-centred techniques, creating lasting emotional safety.
How We Can Co-Create Success In Therapy
Therapy is a collaborative journey. Together, we’ll explore your goals, dive into emotional patterns, and make space for meaningful, lasting change. Success in therapy isn’t just about surface-level shifts. It’s about creating a deeper connection to yourself, healthier relationships, and a more authentic life.
My Qualifications
- Somatic Experiencing Practitioner – Somatic Experiencing International, 3-year professional program
- NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) foundation program
- Bodynamics foundation program for developmental trauma
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) – David Stern
- Mother Circle Facilitator – Kimberly Ann Johnson
- Nonviolent Communication Practitioner
* Please note: I am not a counsellor, psychologist, physician, or other licensed healthcare provider. I do not provide medical or psychological diagnoses, treatments, or advice.
Work With Arpitha
If you are looking for relational body-based healing, Arpitha is currently accepting new clients for both individual and couples therapy online.
Step 1:
Fill out the New Client Application Form. Once we receive your form, you’ll get Arpitha’s calendar link to book your first session.
Schedule and attend your first short online session. The cost is 45 euros for a 30-minute session. In this 30-minute session, you’ll experience what this process feels like and explore if it’s the right fit for you. Together with Arpitha, you’ll also clarify your goals and desired outcomes, and she will advise you on the next steps.
Step 3:
Arrange further online sessions (weekly or bi-weekly) for ongoing one-on-one body-oriented therapy support and integration.
FAQ
At this point, all body-oriented therapy sessions take place online/ virtually.
Arpitha’s current rates are:
45 euros for the first half-hour online session;
90 EUR for subsequent 1-hour sessions for individuals or
135 EUR for 90-minute sessions for couples.
Packages of 4 sessions are available offering a 5-euro discount per session.
At the moment, we don’t offer discounts or a sliding scale.
It depends on the type of issue or concern that you would like to work through. For instance, minor single-event trauma or dysregulation will take much less time to address than chronic dysregulation, multiple traumas or developmental/ relational trauma. In general, we suggest at least 3 months of weekly sessions to attend to an issue or a portion of a bigger issue and then revise our progress. This work is relatively slow-paced, but small shifts usually start show up from the first session.
Have further questions?
Please get in touch with any questions you may have. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.