The SomaRoot Team
The SomaRoot Team
SomaRoot In-House Practitioners, Local Businesses, and Community Partners
SomaRoot Center is home to a small network of independent practitioners, businesses, and partners offering bodywork, therapy, education, somatic support, wellness services, workshops, and community-centered care in Chico, California.
Some practitioners and businesses are regularly based at SomaRoot. Our community partners offer periodic workshops, events, occasional individual sessions, or treatments through the center. Each person listed here brings their own training, schedule, scope of practice, and way of working.
In-House Practitioners & Businesses
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Role: Founder of Embody Alchemy and SomaRoot Center
Practice: Somatic bodywork, Tui Na, somatic movement therapy, creative embodiment, and integrative body-led support
Brae Onnah Sisk is the founder of Embody Alchemy and SomaRoot Center. Their work through Embody Alchemy brings together Tui Na bodywork, somatic movement therapy, trauma-informed practice, creative embodiment, and community-centered vision.
At SomaRoot, Brae helps steward the center’s purpose, shape its direction, and support the broader ecosystem of practitioners, events, classes, rentals, and partnerships. Some Embody Alchemy bodywork sessions also take place in SomaRoot Annex, located at the back of the building with its own entrance from the complex parking lot.
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Practice: Relational therapy, trauma-informed therapy, Brainspotting, somatic therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, narrative therapy, Internal Family Systems-informed work, and integrative therapy
Areas of Support: Trauma and PTSD, ADHD, LGBTQ+ support, anxiety, grief, stress, relationship patterns, emotional regulation, identity-affirming care, and life challenges
Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, California / LCSW82337; Master of Social Work, California State University, Chico; 16 years in practice; Brainspotting training; Trauma-Informed Yoga Practitioner; Certified Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders; Neurodivergent affirming
Michele Lando is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering relational, trauma-informed therapy for individuals, couples, and families. Her work supports people navigating stress, trauma, emotional regulation, communication patterns, and relationship challenges through an integrative approach rooted in dignity, collaboration, and care.
Michele’s practice draws from Brainspotting, mindful awareness, somatic therapy, narrative therapy, Internal Family Systems-informed work, and solution-focused relational therapy. She works with clients to build coping skills, process trauma, strengthen communication, and uncover personal strengths so life can feel more manageable.
Her approach is identity-affirming, neurodivergent-affirming, and grounded in the belief that each person has inherent dignity and worth. She works with preteens, teens, adults, elders, individuals, couples, and families, and offers care for LGBTQ+ clients and other communities seeking affirming therapeutic support.
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Board Certified and Licensed Occupational Therapist
Practice: Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Upledger-trained; Myofascial Release, John Barnes-trained
Areas of Support: Acute and chronic pain, trauma responses, fibromyalgia, headaches, nerve injuries, carpal tunnel, and body-based support for physical patterns of pain or restriction
Credentials: Board Certified and Licensed Occupational Therapist; many years of training and practice in Cranio-Sacral Therapy through Upledger and Myofascial Release through John Barnes
Cornelia “Connie” Brattan is a board certified and licensed Occupational Therapist with extensive training and practice in Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Myofascial Release. Her work supports people seeking gentle, body-based care for pain, tension, trauma responses, and physical patterns that affect comfort, mobility, and daily life.
Connie’s approach may be especially helpful for people navigating acute or chronic pain conditions, fibromyalgia, headaches, nerve injuries such as carpal tunnel, or the effects of trauma held in the body. Through Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Myofascial Release, she works with the body’s tissues, subtle rhythms, and patterns of restriction to support greater ease and function.
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Educator
Practice: Adolescent coaching, skill development, English support, writing support, college preparation, and critical thinking development
Areas of Support: Young adults ages 13–18+ navigating school, life skills, college applications, college choice, writing, analysis, and personal development
Credentials: California Secondary Teaching Credential; 25 years of experience in education
Website →
Christina Fisher is an educator offering adolescent coaching, skill development, and English support for young adults navigating school, college preparation, and the transition into young adulthood. She supports students in developing the academic and life skills they need to move forward with more clarity, confidence, and self-understanding.
Her work responds to a gap she has seen throughout her years in education: students are often taught math, English, and science, but receive less support around the whole person, their values, their voice, and their true interests. Christina’s coaching and courses help young people strengthen writing, analysis, critical thinking, college application skills, college decision-making, and the tools they will carry into college and beyond.
Christina loves teaching young people and watching their capacity for critical thinking, synthesis, and self-expression open through learning. Outside of her work, she enjoys dancing, gardening, and spending time in nature.
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Role: In-house business located in SomaRoot Annex
EleQtroSpot LLC is an in-house business located in SomaRoot Annex. The Annex entrance is at the back of the building from the complex parking lot.
“At eleQTro spot, we specialize in gender-affirming electrolysis, offering permanent hair removal in an inclusive environment. We serve everyone, regardless of gender identity!
Our team goes above and beyond by offering client care coordination to help you navigate the healthcare system, the insurance process, and the referral authorization. We are proud to prioritize community members using health insurance, including Medi-Cal, ensuring that gender-affirming electrolysis is accessible.”
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Practice: Individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and Brainspotting
Areas of Support: Anxiety, depression, life challenges, elders, families, couples, and people seeking relational and emotional support
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Brainspotting
Nancy Lynn Neidhardt is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering support for individuals, couples, and families. Her work may be a fit for people navigating anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, family dynamics, or life circumstances that feel difficult to move through alone.
Nancy is trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Brainspotting, bringing both relational and trauma-informed tools into her counseling work. She especially enjoys working with elders, families, and couples, and approaches each client’s life story with care, respect, and genuine interest.
Her counseling style is shaped by the belief that people do not have to face hard seasons alone. Nancy values the trust clients place in her and offers a supportive therapeutic relationship for those ready to begin or continue their own healing process.
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Pronouns: he/him
Role: Holistic Health Practitioner, Sound Therapist, and Integrative Health Graduate Student
Practice: BioHarmonic Wellness consultations, sound therapy, sound bath experiences, nervous system regulation practices, sleep and circadian health coaching, lifestyle guidance, and behavioral health support
Areas of Support: Nervous system regulation, sleep and circadian rhythm health, stress resilience, lifestyle behavior change, holistic health integration, sound-based relaxation practices, emotional regulation, and foundational wellness stabilization
Credentials: More than 15 years of experience in healthcare; Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Management; Associate of Arts in Allied Health; Associate of Science in Natural Sciences; Associate of Arts in Social Sciences; graduate student in the Master of Science in Integrative Health Sciences program at the American College of Healthcare Sciences; Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine; Board Certified Sound Therapist, International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine; additional training in holistic nutrition, sound therapy, and integrative wellness practices
Robert E. Wilson is a holistic health practitioner and sound therapist offering BioHarmonic Wellness consultations, sound therapy, sound bath experiences, nervous system regulation practices, sleep and circadian health coaching, and lifestyle guidance. His work is designed for people who are feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or out of balance and are seeking a more sustainable approach to health.
Robert helps clients understand and restore balance within the foundational systems that influence well-being, including sleep, daily rhythms, nervous system regulation, and lifestyle patterns. People often come to him when they feel stuck in cycles of stress, fatigue, inconsistency, or dysregulation.
His approach combines practical wellness guidance with sound-based practices that help clients build a more regulated and resilient foundation over time. He works from a grounded, non-judgmental, trauma-aware, and LGBTQIA+ affirming perspective, with attention to the diverse experiences that shape each person’s relationship with health and well-being.
Community Partners
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Community Partner, Contemplative Facilitator & Yoga Teacher
Practice: Vinyasa, yin, and restorative yoga; pranayama and breathwork; mantra; meditation; contemplative practice; ceremony facilitation; seasonal ritual; retreat curation; and small circle facilitation
Areas of Support: Embodiment, nervous system regulation, contemplative ceremony, Ayurvedic seasonal living, goddess teachings, meditation, creative practice, nature-based practice, transition, loss, reinvention, and reconnecting with personal authority
Credentials: 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Lalitha Yoga Academy, Varkala, Kerala; 150-Hour Acupressure Training, Acupressure Institute of Berkeley; Inner MBA, Sounds True; roughly 20 years across acupressure, yoga, and contemplative practice; lineage-based grounding in the Ayurvedic and contemplative traditions of Kerala
Vinitha Fredenburgh is a contemplative facilitator and yoga teacher offering yoga, breathwork, mantra, meditation, ceremony, retreat curation, seasonal food planning, and small circles for intentional ritual. Her work is shaped by Ayurvedic and contemplative traditions, nature-based practice, and a deep respect for slowing down enough to notice what is true.
Vinitha feels especially called to support people moving through thresholds: loss, reinvention, transition, or the desire to feel more present in their own lives. Many people drawn to her work are women reconnecting with their own authority and creativity, seekers interested in ritual and the sacred feminine, and people carrying more than they have had space to set down.
Her practice is trauma-informed and consent-based, with modifications offered. She welcomes people of all bodies, backgrounds, abilities, and identities, including LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent participants. Malayalam translation is available on request. Outside of teaching, Vinitha is a nature photographer.
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Ayurvedic Health Counselor & Practitioner, Lymphatic Breast Care Specialist, Bodyworker
Practice: Ayurvedic health counseling, Ayurvedic treatments, lymphatic breast care, bodywork, elemental balancing, and lymphatic education
Areas of Support: Nervous system support, elemental balancing, tissue nourishment, hydration, lymphatic breast care, breast care after breast cancer, scar tissue support, shoulder mobility, and personal empowerment through body awareness
Credentials: Certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Mount Madonna Institute College of Ayurveda; Ayurvedic Massage & Bliss Therapy, California College of Ayurveda; Chi Nei Tsang Foundations, Chi Nei Tsang Institute; Ayurvedic Clinical Foundations, dhyana Essentials; Lymphatic Breast Care training with DeAnna Batdorff; Panchakarma Internship, dhyana Essentials; Tibetan Cranial and Palate Release; Edible Ayurveda Nutrition Course; medicine maker and herbalist for more than 10 years; student of Ayurveda for 7 years; certified in 2020; student of lymphatic breast care for 3 years
Sheyna Holmes is an Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Practitioner, lymphatic breast care specialist, and bodyworker. She offers Ayurvedic health counseling, Ayurvedic treatments, lymphatic breast care, and body-based support for nervous system care, elemental balancing, tissue nourishment, hydration, and embodied empowerment.
Sheyna most often works with women seeking lymphatic breast care, Ayurvedic treatments, and lifestyle or dietary support through the lens of Ayurveda. Many of her clients are breast cancer survivors who come to her for lymphatic drainage, scar tissue support, shoulder mobility, and bodywork that helps bring flow into places of stagnation.
Her work helps clients track habits and symptoms, understand their bodies more clearly, and become more educated about the lymphatic system. Sheyna’s lymphatic breast care applies to any chest and any gender. Outside of her work, she is also a gardener, potter, jeweler, ceremonialist, water lover, and naturalist.
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Role: Community Singing Facilitator
Practice: Community singing, shared voice, group connection, and embodied vocal practice
Serra Wells offers community singing facilitation connected to SomaRoot Center. Her work supports shared voice, group connection, and the embodied experience of singing together in community.
Through song and collective vocal practice, Serra helps create spaces where people can connect with themselves, one another, and the living experience of voice in the body. Her offerings may support community connection, creative expression, nervous system settling, and the simple but powerful experience of singing in a shared space.
Serra’s offerings are part of SomaRoot’s wider community partner network and may include recurring circles, seasonal gatherings, workshops, or special events.
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Educator / Facilitator
Practice: Coaching, writing, mediation practice, creative process, self-expression, and perimenopause education
Areas of Support: Women in perimenopause, clients moving through life transitions, creative process, self-expression, and authentic change
Credentials: Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Mills College
Molly Paul is an educator and facilitator whose work brings together coaching, writing, mediation practice, creative process, self-expression, and perimenopause education. She supports women in perimenopause and people moving through life transitions, helping them examine established patterns and identify what may support authentic change.
Molly’s work is rooted in the belief that perimenopause can be more than a challenging time in a woman’s life. It can also be a powerful opportunity for reflection, connection, and transformation. She hopes to support women in connecting deeply with what is emerging within themselves and with one another as a path toward joy and healing.
Molly is also a poet and creative writer who draws inspiration from nature, everyday life, and close attention to the world around her.
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Pronouns: she/her
Role: Burnout & Resilience Coach
Practice: Coaching, lifestyle guidance, burnout recovery, stress management, boundary-building, and resilience practices
Areas of Support: Women in midlife experiencing burnout, chronic stress, work-life imbalance, reactive exhaustion, and the need for sustainable self-care
Credentials: ACE Foundation for Health and Wellness Coaching; Resilience: Grow Through Collaboration and Reflection; Building Resilient Teams; Life Coach certification
Nila Bernstengel is a Burnout & Resilience Coach offering coaching and lifestyle guidance for women experiencing burnout, stress, and the need for more sustainable ways of moving through daily life. Her work helps clients recognize the signs of burnout, identify where stress is coming from, and build boundaries that support long-term well-being.
Nila’s approach grew from her own experience with burnout. In August 2024, a health crisis requiring a heart monitor led her to reassess her relationship with work, stress, and self-care. That turning point became the foundation for the work she offers today.
Through coaching, reflection, and practical resilience-building, Nila supports clients in shifting from reactive exhaustion toward steadier habits, greater adaptability, and a more restorative relationship with mind, body, and spirit.
Not sure who to contact?
If you are unsure which practitioner, service, event, or offering is the right fit, reach out and we’ll help lead you in the right direction.
About | Practitioners | Events | Contact
Address: 1430 Esplanade #17, Chico, CA 95926
| MON | 10a - 7p |
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TUE - FRI |
9a - 6:30p |
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SAT |
1p - 7p |
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SUN |
10a - 6p |
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