Helen Star, MFT  is trained as a somatic psychotherapist, working with the body as a primary source of understanding the challenges that the individual is facing. She first became interested in this mode of healing after having incurred a traumatic injury to her cervical spine in her early 20s. This injury first led her to massage and bodywork training and then to somatic psychotherapy. She has also studied yoga extensively, along with dance and movement therapies.

Helen has worked in the field of substance use treatment for the last 15 years, as well as working with the primary traumas that inevitably underlie the impulse to use drugs and alcohol to excess. Helen has also worked with the family members of substance users utilizing family systems theory to help family members identify their own maladaptive coping mechanisms. developed in response to coping with the addictive behaviors of others.

Helen’s greatest interest lies in working with anxiety and trauma responses. She combines somatic psychotherapy with cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, and insight-oriented therapy.  Helen is greatly interested identifying complementary practices including spiritual, nutritional and lifestyle development as an adjunct to support the process of psychotherapy. She has a great interest in symbol systems as well, being a long time student of Tarot, Alchemy, Astrology, and Kabbalah through her work at Reseed Arts and Education.

Academic Degrees and Professional Training

• New Mexico Academy of Advanced Healing Arts, Santa Fe, NM 1000 hour AMTA massage certification 1982
• Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, BA Humanistic Psychology 1984
• Tomales Psychotherapy Training Program, Tomales, CA, MA Somatic Psychotherapy 1986
• Marriage and Family Therapist, License #MFT28795, Board of Behavioral Sciences, State of CA 1991
• Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training, Mt. Madonna Center, Watsonville, CA 1999
• Domestic Violence Prevention Certification, Center for Domestic Peace, San Rafael, CA 2009
• Relax and Renew Restorative Yoga Training, San Francisco, CA 2011
• Psychedelic Assisted Therapies and Research Certification, The Center for Psychedelic Research, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA 2016
• Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Training, Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute, Boulder, CO  2019
• SE™ Master Class with Peter A Levine, PhD Archetypes and Developmental Trauma, Ergos Institute, Boulder CO 2020