What happens after I book the Clarity Call?

The process is: you book a time directly on Shannon’s calendar, and the $99 Clarity Call happens within a day or two. On the call she builds your map live; within 24 hours you receive a written Baseline Map — your dominant state, your patterns in your own words, one practice, and an honest recommendation. The fee is credited toward any program started within 30 days. If you have questions in the meantime, you're welcome to email shannon@theintegrativepractitioner.com.

How long before I notice a difference?

The first noticeable shifts in your nervous system baseline typically appear within the first 3–5 sessions — less reactivity, better sleep, clearer thinking. Deep pattern resolution (trauma loops, chronic burnout) typically takes a full container (10–20 sessions). The pace depends on history, stress load, support systems, and the depth of the patterns being addressed.

Is this covered by insurance?

Shannon's work is integrative coaching, not licensed psychotherapy, so health insurance does not cover it. Some clients are reimbursed by an employer or an EAP under their own terms; Shannon does not verify eligibility and does not provide tax documentation. Ask your benefits administrator what your plan covers. Payment arrangements are available on request.

What does 'integrative' actually mean?

Integrative means the work spans multiple domains simultaneously: somatic (body-based) regulation, trauma resolution, strategic life design, and spiritual integration. Rather than siloing your healing from your career or your body from your mind, all dimensions are addressed in a single container.

What is the difference between somatic therapy and talk therapy?

Somatic therapy works through the body; talk therapy works through the mind. Talk therapy primarily engages the cognitive mind exploring narratives, thoughts, and insights through conversation. Somatic therapy works bottom-up, starting with the body's physiology and nervous system. While talk therapy can help you understand your patterns intellectually, somatic therapy helps you discharge the trapped survival energy that keeps those patterns locked in the body. Those who have done years of talk therapy without shifting their physiology often find somatic work unlocks what talk therapy alone couldn't reach.

How is this different from regular therapy or coaching?

This work is nervous-system-first: it differs from talk therapy and mindset coaching by putting primary emphasis on nervous system regulation, body-based awareness, and how patterns show up physiologically as well as cognitively.

What is the window of tolerance and how does it relate to healing?

The window of tolerance, a concept developed by Dr. Dan Siegel, refers to the optimal zone of arousal where you can think clearly, process emotions, and stay present. When you're inside this window, you can integrate experiences and respond flexibly to stress. When you're outside it hyperaroused (anxiety, rage, hypervigilance) or hypoaroused (numbness, dissociation, collapse) your nervous system has moved into survival mode. Somatic healing works by gradually expanding your window of tolerance so that more of life falls within your capacity to be present without becoming dysregulated.

What if I'm not sure which service path is right for me?

Start with the Nervous System Pattern Quiz at the top of the page next to 'Begin Application'. This helps Shannon recommend the right path for your specific situation.

How does trauma get stored in the body?

Trauma is stored in the body as incomplete survival energy. When you experience an overwhelming event, your nervous system mobilizes survival energy increased heart rate, muscle tension, adrenaline release to help you fight or flee. If you couldn't complete that action (you were trapped, frozen, or override the impulse), the energy doesn't dissipate. It gets locked in the body as bound activation: chronic muscle tension, constricted breathing, digestive shutdown, and altered posture. This is why trauma is not primarily a story in your mind it is a physiological state held in your nervous system and tissues. Somatic approaches access this stored energy through the body rather than through narrative recall.

Are you currently taking new clients?

Shannon is currently accepting new clients. She maintains a limited roster to ensure each person receives full attention If she's at capacity, your submission goes on a priority waitlist and you're contacted as soon as a spot opens.

What if I can't afford the full package?

Shannon works in packages rather than one-off sessions, because repeated sessions support greater continuity and deeper pattern work. Integrative Somatic Coaching runs by the month. The Aligned Work and The Whole Self run over 90 days. Reach out directly to discuss what is workable.

How does nervous system regulation help with executive burnout?

Executive burnout is not primarily a schedule problem it is a nervous system problem. Leaders running on chronic sympathetic activation (adrenaline and cortisol loops) eventually collapse. Nervous system regulation teaches you to recognize the early warning signs of dysregulation and build the capacity to return to ventral vagal safety. This means you can work hard without your body interpreting it as a survival threat, recover more efficiently between demands, and make better decisions because your prefrontal cortex is online rather than hijacked by survival circuitry.

What happens during a somatic experiencing session?

A somatic experiencing session is a guided, body-based session that begins with a check-in on your current nervous system state. Shannon guides you to notice body sensations (tightness, temperature, movement impulses) rather than retelling your story. Using titration (small, manageable doses of activation), your body slowly discharges trapped survival energy through natural completion responses: trembling, deep breaths, warmth, or spontaneous movement. Sessions are 45 minutes, conducted via secure video, and most clients describe the experience as surprisingly gentle.

What is nervous system dysregulation and what are the signs?

Nervous system dysregulation occurs when your body's stress response system gets stuck in survival mode (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn) even when there is no current threat. Common signs include chronic anxiety or hypervigilance, insomnia or disrupted sleep, emotional reactivity disproportionate to the situation, brain fog or difficulty concentrating, chronic fatigue despite adequate rest, digestive issues, and feeling wired but tired. High-performing leaders often mask dysregulation through overwork, which compounds the problem.

What is polyvagal theory and how does it apply to healing?

Polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how the vagus nerve governs three distinct nervous system states: ventral vagal (safe, social, connected), sympathetic (fight or flight), and dorsal vagal (shutdown, freeze, collapse). Healing trauma requires understanding which state your nervous system defaults to under stress. Shannon uses polyvagal mapping to help clients recognize their patterns and build the capacity to return to ventral vagal safety, the state where clear thinking, genuine connection, and sustainable performance are possible.

What is a dorsal vagal state and how do I know if I'm in one?

The dorsal vagal state is the oldest, most primitive branch of the vagus nerve, associated with immobilization, collapse, and shutdown. It's your nervous system's last-resort survival response when fight or flight isn't an option, the dorsal vagal system activates to play dead. Signs you're in a dorsal vagal state include feeling numb, disconnected, or dissociated; profound fatigue that rest doesn't fix; a sense of hopelessness or giving up; difficulty speaking or finding words; and feeling not here or spaced out. Many high-performers mistake dorsal vagal collapse for burnout, but true recovery requires understanding that this is a protective nervous system response, not a personal failure.

How is somatic experiencing different from EMDR or CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works top-down, changing thoughts to change feelings. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to reprocess traumatic memories. Somatic Experiencing (SE) works bottom-up, directly addressing the physiology of the nervous system where trauma is stored. SE does not require you to retell your trauma story or relive the event. Instead, it tracks body sensations to safely discharge survival energy that got trapped during overwhelming experiences. Many clients come to SE after CBT or EMDR provided partial relief but the body-level activation persisted.

Can somatic experiencing help with ADHD or neurodivergent nervous systems?

Yes. Neurodivergent nervous systems (ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences) are not broken they are wired differently and often carry accumulated dysregulation from navigating a world not designed for them. Somatic work can help with the nervous system consequences of neurodivergence: sensory overwhelm, emotional reactivity, shutdown cycles, and the chronic stress of masking. Shannon's approach respects neurodivergent wiring rather than pathologizing it, focusing on building capacity rather than forcing neurotypical patterns.

What causes burnout in high-performing leaders?

Burnout in high-performing leaders is driven by chronic nervous system activation more than workload alone. It can also reflect chronic stress physiology, overadaptation, unresolved trauma patterns, or identity structures built around performance. Executive burnout specifically originates in the nervous system running on chronic sympathetic activation adrenaline and cortisol loops that drive overperformance, hypervigilance, and eventual collapse. Common root causes include unresolved developmental trauma driving perfectionism, a nervous system conditioned to equate rest with danger, and identity structures built entirely around achievement. Sustainable recovery requires addressing the physiology, not just the schedule.

Is somatic experiencing evidence-based?

Yes. Somatic Experiencing (SE) has a growing body of peer-reviewed research supporting its effectiveness. Studies published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress and Frontiers in Psychology have shown SE reduces PTSD symptoms, with randomized controlled trials demonstrating significant improvements in trauma-related symptoms compared to control groups. SE is grounded in neuroscience, specifically polyvagal theory and the biology of the stress response. It was developed by Dr. Peter Levine after decades of studying how animals in the wild discharge survival energy without developing trauma symptoms.

How many sessions will I need to see lasting change?

Most clients need 3-5 sessions to notice meaningful shifts in their nervous system baseline better sleep, less reactivity, clearer thinking. For deep pattern resolution (childhood trauma, chronic burnout, entrenched relational patterns), a full container of 10-20 sessions is typically recommended. Shannon offers packages at 5, 10, and 20 sessions, with the 20-session container being the most common choice for clients seeking genuine transformation rather than symptom management. Neuroplasticity requires repetition and time the depth of change correlates with your investment in the process.

What qualifications does Shannon have for psychedelic integration?

Shannon holds MAPS-approved training (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) for integrating non-ordinary states of consciousness. She is a member of the American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences. Combined with her Somatic Experiencing certification, she brings both the neurobiological framework and transpersonal training needed to safely support clients processing psychedelic, mystical, or spiritual experiences. Shannon does not facilitate substance use her role is integration: helping the nervous system and psyche process and ground what has already been experienced.

What should I do to prepare for my first session?

Preparing for your first session is simple: find a quiet, private space Use a computer or tablet with a stable internet connection and a camera (video is required for somatic work, as Shannon needs to see your body's responses). Wear comfortable clothing. You don't need to prepare anything specific no homework, no journaling, no need to recall traumatic memories. Come as you are. The first session includes a brief intake conversation followed by a gentle introduction to tracking body sensations.

Can I work with Shannon if I'm outside the United States?

Yes. Shannon's practice is entirely virtual and she works with clients worldwide, regularly serving clients across North America, Europe, and beyond. All sessions are conducted via secure video. As an integrative coach and somatic educator (not a licensed psychotherapist), her services are not restricted by state or country-specific therapy licensing requirements.

What is the difference between a single session and a package?

A single session (Path 1: Clarity & Insight Session) is a 60-minute strategic mapping session designed for clarity on a specific question or situation. It is a one-time container with focused outcomes. Packages (5, 10, or 20 sessions) are designed for ongoing transformation. Deep nervous system change requires repetition each session builds on the last, expanding your window of tolerance and creating new neural pathways. Clients who purchase packages consistently report deeper, more lasting results than those who book single sessions sporadically.

Do you offer free consultations?

No — instead of a free consultation, Shannon offers the $99 Clarity Call. It is designed to give you immediate value: a strategic assessment of your nervous system state, clarity on what is driving your symptoms, and a clear recommended path forward. Many clients find that this single session alone provides actionable insights. If you are unsure whether the work is right for you, this session is designed to answer that question with specificity rather than a general conversation.

For therapists, doctors, and former clients

Sending someone

Everything you need to decide whether to hand Shannon's name to someone, and one paragraph you can paste when you do.

Who this is for

Founders and self-employed people carrying work they cannot hand to anyone else.
Executives responsible for many people whose old way of working is no longer sustainable.
People who have already done therapy and want the body's half of the work, not a second talking cure.

Who it is not for

Not crisis care, and not a replacement for therapy or medical treatment. Not for anyone who wants someone to run operations, or a single session with no commitment.

What happens after they book

1. They book a time directly. Nothing is charged.
2. Forty-five minutes with Shannon.
3. They pay $99, and a written Baseline Map arrives within 24 hours — their dominant state, their patterns in their own words, one practice, and a recommendation.
4. The fee is credited toward any program started within 30 days. If nothing fits, the map is still theirs.

What you can say

One paragraph, paste it as it is:

“For founders and executives carrying more than they can hold, who are not in crisis. Shannon Myers, MS, SEP runs a 45-minute session for $99, and a written map of the pattern arrives within 24 hours. You book a time directly. Nothing is charged until after the session.”

That is the whole claim. There is no outcome promised, no timeline promised, and no replacement for your care.

Scope, stated plainly

Non-clinical coaching and somatic education. If activation rises beyond that scope, Shannon slows down or refers them on. You can say that to the person you are sending, and it will hold.

Book the Clarity Call

Or send them the page first. What an integrative somatic practitioner does. Questions before you send anyone: email Shannon.