Laura M Gates CHSE, CCSE, MFA

Laura Gates is a Certified Hanna Somatic Educator (CHSE) and Clinical Somatic Educator (CCSE) and practitioner living in Averøy, Norway. She visits NYC to work with clients several times a year and other locations when traveling with the Essential Somatics training team. She teaches group classes and 1 on 1 sessions online, and twice/year a workshop entitled "Somatic strategies for scoliosis and uneven posture". Go to Lauramgates.com for details.
As a former professional dancer, and earned an MFA degree in dance from Bennington College '98. She brings 30 years experience as a movement educator to her work and studies over many years in artho kinematics with Irene Dowd, NYC. She was trained and certified as a Clinical Somatic Educator at Somatic Systems Institute, MA and also certified as a Hanna Somatic Educator by Novato Institute, CA.
Ms. Gates has worked with people from all walks of life, including dancers, athletes, musicians, and actors.

Clinical somatic education in the tradition of the late neuromuscular pioneer, Thomas Hanna Phd, is a hands on work, a movement practice and a comprehensive system for changing the imprint of emotional and physical trauma, with positive affect on all systems. These movement techniques are gentle yet powerful. My goal: to hand you these life changing tools, help develop your skills, to improve comfort, ease, mobility, and well-being.

Currently, I mostly work with 1 on 1 clients online, addressing your individual needs. The first session includes an evaluation that identifies patterns of contraction that may be affecting posture, alignment, compression in the spine, creating pain, stiffness, discomfort and inhibiting efficient motion for walking, or any activities you want to enjoy. We will begin building your somatic movement repertory, and your knowledge, skills. Sessions come with audio recordings for continued learning.

I am devoted to and have a passion for this work that puts the best self care tools available into people's hands. These techniques use the brain and neuroplasticity brilliantly, and can dramatically change quality of life, your relationship to your body, and calm your nervous system. I educate people to help themselves in dramatic and important ways. It is a creative, rich and deeply human process for me and my client/students. It doesn't get much better than that.