Alyssa Jurewicz-Johns: A Body-Based Trauma Therapist in Pittsburgh & Online

If your body could speak, what would it say?

A Body-Based Trauma Therapist in Pittsburgh & Online: Alyssa Jurewicz-Johns

My approach to therapy is grounded in the belief that our bodies are vehicles of awareness, with a deep connection between the physical body, emotions, mental, and imaginary realms. Our body sensations, postures, and gestures reflect our personal history, our culture, and our current ways of being.

In my experience, while traditional talk therapy can be valuable, it often falls short of true transformation, especially when trauma is involved, because it bypasses the body—the place where our emotions, life experiences, and deeper metaphors are held and stored.

In our 1:1 sessions, I guide you to bring your sensorial system online through movement, breath and creative inquiry so that we can track the complex language of movement and what it evokes, expresses and reveals to us as well as Psychokinetic Imagery Process, an intermodal therapy tool that interplays with sensations, images and narrative.

Trained in the Tamalpa Life Art Process® a psychosomatic practice that uses dancing, drawing, and narrating to contribute to creativity, personal growth, and healing.

Through movement, breath, and creative expression, we unlock deeper insights that can’t be captured by words alone.

As a trauma therapist in Pittsburgh and online, I deeply believe that each individual has their own internal resources to generate wellbeing. By developing somatic body-based anchors for safety and exploration, we can access our personal strengths, innate intuition, deep wisdom, and true capacity to heal.

Why Choose an Experienced, Body-Based Trauma Therapist in Pittsburgh & Online

Alyssa is body-based somatic therapist who utilizes a combination of somatic (body-centered) approaches and expressive arts techniques to facilitate therapeutic processes.

Somatic Awareness: I help clients become more attuned to their bodily sensations, emotions, and physical experiences. This may involve practices such as mindfulness, body scans, or movement exercises to increase awareness of bodily sensations.
Expressive Arts: I incorporate various forms of creative expression, such as visual arts, movement, music, drama, and writing, into the therapeutic process. Clients are encouraged to express themselves through these mediums as a way to explore and process their emotions, experiences, and inner conflicts.
Integration of Body and Mind: As a trauma therapist in Pittsburgh and online, I help clients integrate their physical experiences with their emotional and cognitive processes. By working with the body in conjunction with traditional talk therapy techniques, somatic-based expressive arts therapists aim to address issues on multiple levels.
Embodiment Practices: I incorporate embodiment practices, such as breathwork, yoga, dance/movement therapy, or guided imagery, to help clients connect more deeply with their bodies and inner experiences.
Trauma-Informed Approach: I work from a trauma-informed perspective, recognizing the impact of past traumas on the body and incorporating techniques to help clients safely process and release trauma held in the body

“Alyssa is a great listener, and empathizer. She helps me to feel empowered in my life decisions while also seeing alternative pathways to choose differently if that would further my growth. I feel lucky to work with her and would recommend her services to anyone interested in self-growth and exploration!” ~ J.G.

Get to Know Alyssa Jurewicz-Johns: A Body-Based Trauma Therapist in Pittsburgh and Online

Alyssa Jurewicz-Johns is a social worker, somatic therapist, and 5Rhythms® facilitator with over 15 years of experience in community healing. She specializes in trauma healing, chronic stress management, high-functioning anxiety, and pre and post operation recovery through creative movement and nervous system repair. She is committed to making somatic movement practices and healing accessible to the Pittsburgh community and offers somatic therapy in Pittsburgh and online.

Credentials:

Registered Somatic Movement Educator/Registered Somatic Movement Therapist (RSME/RSMT) (In training)| Tamalpa Institute
Tamalpa Institute Student Graduate of Life Art Processing™ | Tamalpa Institute
Certified 5Rhythms™ Facilitator & Accredited Teacher (5RTA)
Masters in Social Work | University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work
RYT200 (Registered Yoga Teacher, 200-Hour Certification)
Trauma Informed
Polyvagal Informed

You can read more insights from Alyssa here on her blog where she shares about using somatic art therapy, dance, imagination, and nervous system repatterning as pathways to transformative healing.

Alyssa's Services