About Shaleece

My journey with somatics began in 2014 when, during my first somatic coaching session, something profound began to shift in me. Over the years, practicing somatics has transformed my relationship with anxiety and perfectionism, deepened my sense of belonging, loosened the grip of shame, and guided me toward greater interdependence in my life and communities. It has also oriented me more clearly toward strengthening collective care and collective power. I remain a lifelong student of somatics.

Today, I work as a somatics practitioner and facilitator. While my practice welcomes all, I'm particularly drawn to working with creatives and changemakers—those making their own contributions to the collective. I have a special passion for supporting documentary filmmakers, queer & trans people and their loved ones, and community organizers on the frontlines of social and climate justice movements.

My practice embraces all bodies, with an especially warm welcome to queer & trans bodies, fat bodies, and disabled bodies. I have lived with a chronic illness since adolescence and it is part of my commitment to make my practice more accessible, anti-racist / anti-oppressive, and attuned to the vast spectrum of human bodies. I am in ongoing work to live into this commitment.

For 15 years, I've worked as a documentary filmmaker and educator. I believe deeply in the power of narrative change and am excited about the documentary field's growing focus on ethical practices and duty of care for film workers, participants, and audiences. As part of these efforts, I offer somatic coaching and 'film supervision' through Film in Mind, a UK-based organization providing therapeutic support to the documentary field.

I make my home in Mid City, Los Angeles with my partner, our two dogs, and a dozen fruit trees—all gratefully held within a deeply interconnected community.

    • Certified Somatic Coach, Strozzi Institute for Somatics

    • Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation (ICF)

    • Therapeutic Practitioner, Film in Mind

    • Member, Hand in Hand

    • Community and Chapter Care Committee Member, JVP-LA

    • Member, WP4BL

    • Somatics, Trauma & Resilience, Strozzi Institute | teachers: Staci Haines, Erika Lyla, Wendy Haines, Namiko Uno

    • Deep Body River | teachers: Pamela Samuelson, Mo Washburn & Willa Mamet

    • Holding Complexity in Times of Change | teachers: B Stepp & Ream

    • Somatic Bodywork - Level II, Strozzi Institute | teacher: Richard Strozzi-Heckler

    • Somatics for White Racial Justice Organizers | teacher: Dara Silverman

    • The Politics of Trauma (1.0 & 2.0) | teachers: Staci Haines, Erika Lyla, Brandon Stuyvesant

    • Ally, Blend & Build | teachers: Staci Haines, Erika Lyla, Brandon Stuyvesant

    • Film Supervision Training (Film in Mind)