Shelby is absolutely incredible, and we feel lucky we found her! My partner and I went to Shelby to…read morelearn more about increasing intimacy and connection that will last. We had no idea what to expect going into our first session and were nervous about what it would be like. I am SO glad we overcame our nerves and scheduled a session, because Shelby has had such a positive impact on our relationship and each of us individually. She brings immense knowledge and value to each session, so we have continued to meet with her far longer than we initially expected! She put us at ease immediately, and is incredibly skilled, thoughtful, and observant. Working with Shelby, we have seen our romantic connection, communication, and chemistry blossom even further. Plus, we just had so much fun in every single session. If you are considering sex and intimacy coaching, but are on the fence, all I can say is GO SEE SHELBY! You will not regret it.

I will say I was incredibly nervous about trying therapy. It is a deeply personal thing that we…read moredon't typically talk about with others and caries with a lot of emotional baggage guilt shame etc.. Quite a few times before the first session I contemplated canceling, but I am so glad I made that call. I will say Shelby made all of those fears and concerns melt away . Shelby is a person who's skills make them a perfect match for their occupation. She has a foundation of empathy, insight and kindness that instantly puts you at ease. I have no sense of judgement only encouragement and acceptance when talking about deeply personal things. Shelby is also incredibly insightful, digging through very complicated histories individually and as a couple she was get a clear understanding of dynamics and behavior patterns that were invisible to us but became obvious when she shed light on them. And finally she brought us change and hope for years we have been in a rut both missing the mark with each other but Shelby has helped us work on ourselves to solidify the foundation of intimacy trust and partnership that is required for a fulfilling relationship. TLDR Shelby is a fundementally kind, patient, open minded and understanding person who will help you and your partner get your MOJO back!

I'm writing this as a second-year student in the 6-month Somatica training led by Celeste and…read moreDanielle - a training for people who want to become sex and relationship coaches and/or just want to access powerful info and transformational tools for themselves. I came to Somatica in the throes of the breakup of my loving yet sexually dead marriage. (Actually, I first found Somatica online when searching for help for my spouse and me, but for complex reasons, my spouse was not willing to go.) I wanted a place where I learn how to get my own sexual needs met after a very long and painful drought. I wanted to better understand why I had chosen to partner with a wonderful person with whom I never had great sex -- why we could never break through to the level of sexual joy I'd had with my other partners, and also why I stayed. When I attended the free Intro, I was especially impressed by Celeste and Danielle's combination of leadership and vulnerability. I thought "If I can learn to lead and teach from a more vulnerable place, that alone will make the training worthwhile for me." I got so much more than I even knew I wanted or could get! Leading and teaching from a place of vulnerability is still a growth edge for me, but I have a model now, and validation and encouragement. I also learned sooo much about different sexual scripts and turn-ons, which gave me so much insight about why my spouse and I hadn't connected well, and helped me become less judgmental/fearful, and much more open/playful around turn-ons different from my own. I learned how to be in charge of my own arousal and share it with others, rather than having to wait for them to elicit it in my preferred ways. I learned how easily I could share sexual energy with a wide variety of people, and reveled in the permission to do so. I got triggered and dealt with it. I had some incredibly healing and illuminating practice sessions with class members. I got help. I got challenged. I did some challenging of my own. I got humbled and freaked out at times, but I kept showing up and kept growing. I learned and integrated sooo much about attachment, which helped me finally stop taking the pain of my marriage so personally. Oh, and I learned some incredibly valuable lessons about repair, lessons that I've been able to use to, for instance, transform a tense and angry conversation with my landlord into an exchange of mutual vulnerability and connection! I also learned how to belatedly ask for - and receive - some deep attachment wound healing with my former spouse. I have become much less emotionally reactive in general, much more internally resilient. Of course, this is a path I've been on for a long time, but my experience in Somatica has greatly deepened my learning. All these specifics barely begin to scratch the surface of what I learned and how I changed. There's so much more! I appreciated the experience so much that I signed up to do it again the following year! I'm so appreciative of the curriculum Celeste and Danielle have created, the community they foster, the values they uphold, the wisdom and humility with which they teach. And OK, that said, of course no one is perfect, and no one is a perfect coach or teacher for everyone, and no single 6-month training can truly prepare someone with no prior training to navigate this difficult terrain skillfully. If you are considering working with Celeste, Danielle or anyone else, I suggest you carefully assess whether their personality, values and approach resonate with you, your values and what you seek. I haven't done one-on-one work with either of them, but from my experience in class, I'd say that I believe C&D work with great skill and integrity to try to help you create the sexual and love life you truly want -- yet like everyone, they do have their own biases, and those are bound to influence them (again, this would be true of anyone with whom you might work.) If you are considering working with a Somatica-trained practitioner, check out what other background and training they have; many of the students have enormous amounts of relevant experience, but not all do. If you are considering joining the class, know that this is wonderful, transformational work, and as such, will push you to your growth edges (that's the whole point! but of course, it can sometimes be uncomfortable.) I will say this, though: I'm a tough sell. I've been around the transformational block for a few decades, and for me to emerge from a six-month training and immediately re-up, says a lot :)

This review is for the Somatica training program only. If you are considering doing the Somatica…read moreTraining think about it long and hard, and try to find some people who have gone through it to talk to. I would not recommend it, (unless you just want to do it and don't care what you get out of it), and yes I have done it. While I mostly enjoyed the process going through the program, looking back in hindsight I can see things more clearly. The cost is very expensive and that is really the founder's main motivation...to make bank, which they clearly do. They have their TV show now, which to me just reinforces the fact that their main motivation is money, and not necessarily helping people first and foremost. The atmosphere is cult like, and they market the program as though it is pretty much guaranteed that you will come out of the training with a new career which is only true for their favorite students. You have to pass a sort of test at the end, (a mock session with one of the founders), to be "certified" as a practitioner, and not passing feels frustrating, and that the whole thing was a waste of time and a lot of money for those who do not pass. People do not come out of the the program with a degree. It is not guaranteed that you will have anything to show as an "accomplishment" after spending a lot of time and money on the program, like you would get with a college degree. To be fair I am sure that it works for some people but I also thought it only fair that I post a review for others who are considering the expensive program to know that it is not a positive and fruitful experience for everyone. Looking back on it, the experience makes me feel like I failed, (and/or did not fit the mold of what ever category you need to fall into to feel a real part of the culture within the program). It just leaves me with kind of an overall sad and beaten down feeling. The program clearly caused more hurt than good for me. This is not how someone should come out feeling after investing time and money in a program that is supposed to be supportive and all the other ways it is marketed. I do not feel as though people who really want to succeed within the program are necessarily helped and guided to do so. If you want to become a sex and relationship therapist, I would recommend going the route of going to a real accredited school and getting the appropriate degrees and licensing that are necessary. I wish I could get all that money I spent back.

I found Alison after looking for a relationship / dating coach after being out of the game for 12+…read moreyears and having some pretty bad experiences. Alison has a direct communication style which Im a big fan of, and made a lot of really good points that still stick with me today. I find most therapy sessions to be hit or miss but I felt all of my 1:1s with Alison I left with something to mull over and a new perspective on something I was thinking through. Shes well versed in Bay Area dating dynamics and id highly recommend for other busy professionals looking for feedback

I found Alison and clicked with her instantly. She is extremely knowledgable and knows how to help…read morechallenge me while maintaining a sense of real compassion. I couldnt praise her enough for helping me through a complicated time in my life while also coaching me to work on lifetime goals. I am super grateful to work with her.

Diana has been an incredible therapist and guide for me. With knowledge and patience, Diana has…read morehelped me navigate several life changes and given me the opportunity to better understand my body, my needs, and my specific challenges. I am grateful and thankful to Diana for the mirror she holds up for me and her delicate yet direct delivery. If you're willing to do the work, Diana will help you.

Diana has been great for me. I originally started with her to deal with my history of sexual…read moreabuse/trauma. We have progressed to other parts of my life as well. She is very insightful and patient and I feel I have made progress in my emotional health.

Keeley Rankin creates a nonjudgmental and open space to develop confidence in bed, and overcome…read moresexual inhibitions to explore what feels more pleasurable. Her open and easy energy, helps the process feel safe. We all deserve to feel pleasure and Keeley is highly skilled at helping individual & couples overcome physical and emotional intimacy struggles to make sex fun. If Keeley has availability, don't hesitate, you deserve to feel fully liberated and Keeley will help you get there!

My partner and I went to see Keeley because we had stopped being intimate as often as we both…read morewanted and it was causing issues neither of us wanted. She gently guided us into speaking about the deeper issues we needed to address, while still making it fun. I could not believe how knowledgeable and effective she was, and how quickly she understood what we needed to help our relationship. She seemed to know exactly where we needed to go and what was next. Others on here have said that she is really smart, that is beyond correct! But she is also really caring while being direct and getting to the point. We would not recommend anyone else but her for issues around sex and intimacy. I highly recommend her for couples counseling.

My husband and I have been together for more than forty years, and for the last thirty, we have…read morebeen dealing with conflict over sexual intimacy. We tried personal counseling, we tried marriage counseling, and our difficulties only persisted. This year, my husband and I decided once again to seek help. This time, we wanted to find a therapist who could listen to both sides of the sexual conflict that had become a cancer on our marriage, and somehow guide us to a place that would change our sexual relationship to the loving satisfaction we both sought. We found Dr. Anya-a sex and intimacy coach. Our previous attempts at personal and marriage counseling--private sessions with a therapist and couples communication classes through Kaiser--never addressed our fundamental difficulty which seemed to arise from a sex-life that was contentious. This led to a reluctance on the part of my husband to trust therapy to address our conflict. However, at his wits' end, my reluctant husband finally agreed to try seeing Dr. Anya. We warily scheduled a free consultation to discuss our issues and see whether she could help. After describing her methods, Anya reported that with Homeplay--exercises devised to help set new behavior patterns and sensitize partners to their mutual goals--couples were usually able to achieve improvement within six or more sessions. We decided to go for it as we had nothing to lose having tried everything we could think of on our own. Yes, professional guidance is expensive, but in our experience, it was completely worth it. With Anya's guidance, we learned how to open up to each other and address our issues for the first time. We learned how to navigate the differences in our case that are often fundamental to male and female arousal, and that made it easier to understand why we could never seem to get on the same page. Our goal was to break the deadlock we had found ourselves in and to increase our intimacy and have more joy from sex. With Anya's guidance, we feel we have succeeded in re-establishing the connection we had lost. We have rediscovered the ability to address and satisfy our mutual desires. It has not been a particularly simple or easy process to break the destructive cycle that we had found ourselves in after all those years, but Anya has given us tools to use going forward. Finally, it's reassuring knowing that we can always contact Anya for help and further guidance if we find ourselves falling back into old, destructive behaviors.

Anya is amazing! She listens and provides so much support and thoughtful expertise. We worked with…read moreher for a year and she was able to help us deepen our relationship and become better partners for each other. She creates a space where it is easy to talk about things that aren't necessarily easy to talk about. Thank you Anya!

I recently reconnected with Heather after not seeing each other for a while. We went to college…read moretogether and we've know each other a long time. When she told me that she was coaching I thought this is what she's always meant to be doing. I was so happy for her and those she'll be able to help be their best selves. This is not only an extension of her positive views on living an amazing life, but also brings together all of her strengths as a person of openness, empathy, and being your true self. Knowing her, I would recommend anyone desiring deeper more intimate relationships to coach with her.

Heather is fantastic - she (her incredible perspective and advice) has become an anchor in our…read morelives. My wife and I came to Heather 2.5 years into our family planning journey, when what once was fun had started to feel like work. In the last 6 months, Heather has delivered exactly on what she offers, resparking our intimacy circuit - spanning all aspects of intimacy, from communication to physical. Where she's gone above and beyond is being there for us as we continue our journey. We have sessions that are pure play and sessions that are pure conversation. We've talked through our highs and lows, and in those lows, her listening, understanding, and empathy truly shines. She's offered us phrases and perspective that have turned tragedy into bonding, and in doing so, has become a part of our bond. Heather likes to say she welcomes people how they arrive and meets them where they are. I can confidently say that in the best and worst of times, there are few people I want next to my wife and I than her.

I worked with her some time ago. She was aggressive with me because I was five minutes late (Told…read moreme "she will let me off the hook this time". Yikes!) I told her I didn't like the way she was talking to me, then she got angry and refused to apologize and it turned into an angry fight. She felt like a very judgmental and unsafe person to me. Being attacked for being 5 minutes late? Really? I would not recommend working with her to anyone, that was a horrible experience. Stay away! Especially if you come from a trauma background like me.

Anya holds a beautiful and safe space for you to open up and dive deeper into your inside world. I…read morefeel blessed to have found so many hidden pieces of myself with the help and guidance of Anya. After our ten sessions I certainly feel more liberated and closer to my desires!

I chose to work with Maya because I wanted to apprentice to being exquisitely present and intimate…read morewith my self in this moment ... with pleasure, with pain, with my experience just as it is. Maya's grace and absolute presence with herself, and then with me, allowed me to be vulnerable and open in looking at my demons and fears and desires. No judgement. I am loving my experience of being human. Perfect perfection. When I get anxious or busy or lost I come back to my inner stillness ... the core part of me that knows oneness. From this place I receive life's experiences (a leaf on a tree, your smile) instead of reaching for them and controlling how they show up. If you want to be held in Love, and experience the power of your Love for yourself and others, say "YES" to working with Maya!

From the owner: I support men and women in Tantric inspired journeys of self discovery, reclaiming their truth and…read moreembracing what it means to be truly human. My work is not purely Neo-Tantric nor is it Classical Tantra, though I do draw from elements of both. Moreso, my work is rooted in the true spirit of Tantra- that of turning towards what has been denied within the self for the purpose of integration and reclaiming wholeness. Tantra in its essence is a path of returning to our natural state. It is a path that requires nothing and rejects nothing. I support people in using the content of their unique lives as fuel for spiritual growth and embodied self acceptance. Working with unexamined places such as the shadow, sexuality, power, desire, fear and love, we turn everything into a practice of profound intimacy, growth and spiritual renewal. In Tantra, the path begins right here, where you are, right now.