Amy Ruben

I'm a somatic psychotherapist offering virtual sessions in California and both in-person and virtual sessions in Oregon. My work centers on helping clients deepen their connection to themselves through present-moment awareness and embodied experience.

I received my M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Somatic Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Throughout my training at CIIS, I worked in diverse communities, including, offering individual and group therapy at the San Francisco Sheriff Department's Women’s Center in San Francisco, and at the private practice sliding scale clinic, The Center for Somatic Psychotherapy. As an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist, I worked for Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center based in Oakland and Berkeley, and as a school-based therapist for Middle & High School-aged students all over the Bay Area. I held a private practice in Berkeley for five years before moving to Portland. I now offer virtual therapy in California and virtual and in-person therapy in Oregon.

I draw from a range of approaches to support each client’s unique healing process, including Somatic Experiencing, polyvagal-informed practices, expressive arts, Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts work, and EMDR. Body Awareness & Movement Techniques. My work is rooted in a social justice orientation. I also specialize in working with infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and new parents.

In our sessions, you'll have the opportunity to explore not only through conversation, but also through experiential practices that support insight, integration, and healing. My hope is that each time we meet, you feel supported, grounded, and genuinely accompanied on your journey.

I believe the body holds profound wisdom—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and across generations. In our work together, we’ll attune to the language of your body to access insights that may have been held beneath the surface, stored in muscular tension, pain, or patterns outside of conscious awareness. We will focus on body sensations to track and gently release tension and trauma. Sessions will move slowly and mindfully, helping you build internal resources.