Stephanie Rotuno, LMFT
Somatic Therapist

Santa Monica, California and Online

  • Over 17 years of clinical experience

  • Advanced Training in Internal Family Systems and EMDR Therapy

  • Somatic, DBT and Brainspotting

  • Attachment and relational trauma

  • Highly sensitive person

  • Certified therapy dog (if desired)

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My specialties

I specialize in therapy that gets to the root of your issue, helping you reach your fullest potential by processing through the past and connecting with the present.

I work with clients on a range of concerns, including:

  • Anxiety

  • Stress, Anxiety, & Burnout

  • Depression

  • Complex Trauma & PTSD

  • Attachment and Relational Trauma

  • Body image and self-esteem

  • LGBTQ+

  • Complex Family Dynamics

  • Life Transitions & Adjustment

  • Nervous System Regulation

Therapy with me

I bring humor, warmth, and authenticity to my work and believe a strong therapeutic relationship is central to healing. I use approaches that go beyond traditional talk therapy to make lasting shifts, deepen your understanding and connect with yourself. I integrate Internal Family Systems, EMDR, DBT and Brainspotting. I will collaborate with you to blend these powerful therapeutic modalities to create the healing journey that is right for you.

So much of the burdens we carry and the areas of our life where we get stuck are a direct result of our unprocessed past experiences. I help you to process through these feelings, beliefs, and experiences and restore emotional well-being.

“I help you create new patterns and ways of being that align with your highest self.”

For in-person sessions, I am accompanied by my therapy dog, Tallulah, a yellow Labrador Retriever, pictured below, who is a Certified Therapy Dog. She is gentle, well-trained, and offers a grounding presence. It is no problem to accommodate you if you prefer that Tallulah not be in sessions.

My background

I have over 17 years of clinical experience and have completed a number of trainings and protocols during that time.

I am Level 3 Trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) through the IFS Institute. IFS is evidence-based and uses a parts framework to reduce protective and self-limiting behaviors and unburden emotional pain. I have also completed specialized training in Somatic IFS which applies a body-based awareness approach to parts-work. I use IFS as the main structural model for my work and find that it pairs extremely well with somatic work.

I have extensive training and experience in providing EMDR therapy, another evidence-based modality that targets and processes core traumatic memories. I have completed many advanced EMDR trainings including Attachment-Focused EMDR and EMDR for Complex PTSD. I am also trained in Brainspotting, which is a somatically-oriented descendent of EMDR.

I am from Ohio originally and have been living in Los Angeles for several years.

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Training

  • Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California and Ohio

  • Masters of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy, Alliant International University, 2009.

  • Bachelor of Science in Human Development & Family Science, The Ohio State University, 2007.

  • EMDR-Trained Therapist since 2016

  • Advanced EMDR Trainings include: Attachment-Focused EMDR with Laurel Parnell, 2019

  • The Early Trauma/Preverbal Protocol, October, 2016.

  • Advanced Training in The EMDR AIP Model for Treating Adult Clients with Complex PTSD and Dissociative Personality Structure with Jim Knipe, November, 2017.

  • Advanced Training in the Integrative Attachment Protocol for Children, with the ATC Institute, 2018.

  • Completed Level 1, 2 & 3 Trained Internal Family Systems Therapy, IFS Institute, 2020, 2025

  • Somatic IFS Training, 2026

  • Completed Brainspotting Training, 2022.

  • Training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, 2018

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #145398

Treatment approach

Psychotherapy is a great tool to help you understand yourself at a deeper level, find purpose in your life, and address obstacles that are hindering you from reaching your goals. The result is a more integrated self, enabling you to achieve more satisfying ways to live and foster healthy and fulfilling relationships with people in your life.

In addition to my relational approach, I teach practices that support your nervous system to move toward regulation, or homeostatic balance. These practices teach you how to be with challenging sensations without bracing to allow energy to shift and release, rather than accumulating in your body. Over time, your window of tolerance expands so that your nervous system naturally spends more time in parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” even as you move through the world .

In the process, I help you to unburden the original traumas that live on as hypersensitivity to threat. To do this, we need to meet and befriend the protective parts that over or under react to present situations. With more understanding and acceptance, these parts calm down and start to work together as a team, helping you to become more responsive and vital.

I help you build a personalized tool-kit to manage your symptoms going forward. When you stop fearing your symptoms they lose power over you and they begin to fade. Clients often report forgetting about symptoms as their life comes back into the foreground.

Somatic Therapy helps to discharge Survival Energy and Reduce Chronic Symptoms such as Pain & Discomfort

Services and fees

I offer in-person and online sessions for:

  • Individuals: $350 (50-minute session)

  • Adolescents and Families: $350 (50-minute session)

Schedule Free Consultation