Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Erika Shershun, LMFT, a somatic trauma therapist in California who specializes in working with survivors of sexual trauma. In this episode you'll hear Erika, who is trained in EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, talk about the importance of embodiment - being present in our bodies - to the healing process and how sexual trauma can make it difficult to stay in our bodies. She discusses some of the common reactions to sexual trauma and explains how her book, Healing Sexual Trauma, offers daily practices for grounding, orienting, coming into safety and coming into presence. She even demonstrates an orienting practice she frequently uses with clients.   Guest's Bio:   Erika Shershun, LMFT is a somatic psychotherapist specializing in working with sexual trauma survivors. Her work is body based and trauma informed, incorporating neurobiology and EMDR to help ease and resolve symptoms. Passionate about getting the needed tools that eluded her for so long into the hands of all survivors, she wrote the Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook, released by New Harbinger in July, 2021. Drawing on the powerful mind-body techniques of somatic therapy, it’s a step-by-step guide to overcoming the physical and psychological effects of sexual trauma, increasing positive body awareness and restoring a sense of hope and vitality. Erika sees individual clients residing in California, and facilitates an ongoing weekly therapy group for female identified survivors at her practice in San Francisco (currently meeting remotely). A second specialization is working with artists, performers, and creatives. Erika welcomes and values diversity, including all races, sexualities, genders, body sizes, and abilities. Resources Find Erika's FREE e-book, The Many Ways to Ground, and purchase her workbook, The Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook, at: www.healingsexualtrauma.com.  Erika's therapy website is at: https://www.erikashershuntherapy.com/ Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikashershun  Thank you to this week's sponsors! Sunset Lake CBD is created on a small farm outside of Burlington, Vermont that is a producer for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.  Sunset Lake CBD customers support regenerative agriculture that preserves the health of the land and creates meaningful employment in the community. Farm workers are paid a living wage, and employees own the majority of the company. Therapy Chat listeners, get 20% off your entire order of Sunset Lake CBD products using promo code CHAT at www.sunsetlakecbd.com.  Help us make Trauma Therapist Network the best resource it can be! Send a message about resources you think should be included in the Trauma Therapist Network Site using the form on this page. Looking for a trauma therapist or are you a trauma therapist wanting to join the network? Check it out at: www.traumatherapistnetwork.com! Therapy Chat and Trauma Chat podcasts are also found on the site. Follow Therapy Chat on Instagram Follow Trauma Chat on Instagram Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio