Integrative Somatic Inquiry -

A path for attuning to your body's wisdom and becoming your best self
You were born with a natural and organic tendency  to heal and to become whole. As you "grow up" this beautiful and ordinary process gets blocked and you lose touch with it...and with yourself. But it's always available, and it can be fostered. Through an approach I'm calling Integrative Somatic Inquiry you can free this process of unfolding in yourself and discover your best self.
The work is highly experiential: by inquiring moment by moment into your felt experience, you learn to attune to the sensations in your body and the meaning that they carry. You learn to welcome and trust your experience, allowing it to unfold into deeper self-knowledge, self-contact and self-expression. You start to relax, and the energy once used to hold back is available for living.

When we  get our bodies back, we feel whole.

Experiential work that includes the body leads to faster and more stable change because all of you is engaged.
You don’t just gain insight, your way of being shifts. Parts of yourself – actual places in your body - that were previously numb or unavailable, become resources. You discover strengths and abilities you already have and learn to own them, increasing your resilience and self-confidence.

Beyond Insight

Longstanding, self-protective patterns may naturally drop away. Over time you begin to inhabit your body.
To inhabit your body is to experience a deep intimacy with yourself. 

When you are intimate with yourself, your relationships with others become more authentic.

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You can hold on to yourself while remaining on contact with another. With a strong sense of self, you aren't dependent on others for validation. You are free to be yourself, in relationship. Genuine love, compassion and communication are possible.

When you show up differently, the world shows up differently for you.

The more we know ourselves in this way, the more we recognize our value. From this embodied way of being, deep resources are naturally integrated into daily life.You show up more connected, engaged, and available. And, as a result, the world shows up differently for you – more vivid, welcoming, and richer in possibilities.

The journey can be spectacular!

Creativity, inner beauty, true strength, self-compassion -- these are just a few of the discoveries we make when we stop trying to fix ourselves and open to who we truly are.

Our work together is a partnership of mutual authenticity

I bring not just my extensive and varied training, but also what I've learned on my own journey as a person to our relationship. My focus is always to offer what I believe will be most useful,  in service of what’s most important to you, your goals and your growth.
"I work with people who are on the journey of development for its own sake – people who are driven by a love of the truth and a desire to know themselves deeply and live life fully."
Who works with me?
If you're like me you may call yourself a seeker. You are deeply curious about yourself and  you want to live this life as fully as possible.
  • You may be in a transition - expected or not - that has awakened a longing to live a life that is in greater integrity with your values.
  • You may be older, having achieved success by society's standards, but something is still missing.
  • You may or may not be spiritually inclined.
  • You may be a coach or therapist yourself.
  • You are someone who wants to keep growing and deepening, so that you can be your best self.
  • You may be a creative. An artist myself, I also work with other artists - both practicing and stalled - to learn how to create in the middle of their busy lives. You can learn more here about my Creativity Coaching programs.

Some appreciations

"Laura was spot-on in her attention to what was going on beneath the surface. She helped me attend to my body and emotions in non-threatening, gentle, but effective ways. She is grounded, focused and in touch. I had a powerful breakthrough regarding my relationship with a family member that years of talk therapy didn't touch. Because I got to experience what was actually happening in present time and through body memory together, with my heart,  real movement took place. I am very grateful."
~ Pam N, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Director at Oakland Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center
"Laura was exactly the coach I needed at this phase in my life. She was warm, but also firm. I was always amazed how with a few simple questions, she could get to the core of the issue. Her approach allowed me to get to know myself better. As a beginner coach, her guidance was invaluable. She really clarified how to develop an integral coaching program and gain a deeper level of understanding of the methodology. I would highly recommend working with Laura in your first years as a coach."
~ Wendy de Hoef, Executive Coach, MarVic Consulting
"Laura uses a lot of novel approaches as a coach and sessions are always fresh and interesting. I've been going through a lot personally over the last year and have found Laura to be an amazing guide during a really big transition. Her insights have translated into new actions for me, like learning to keep better boundaries for myself and I'm forever grateful."
~ Danielle Strachman, Venture Capitalist
"The feeling of being around Laura is of being with someone you can completely trust, who is wise and fun-loving, and who is authentic and courageous. Laura offers a deeply loving, compassionate, and finely attuned presence to her clients. I have known Laura for five years. I invited her to be a coach and group leader for my self-development school. I always walk away from conversations with Laura with many new and important insights. I just love her questions and bottomless curiosity! She has studied in many different traditions of self-development and seamlessly blends them to create a way of working with clients that is responds to their uniqueness. I'm honored to be collaborating with and learning with her."
~ Steve March, Founder, Aletheia School of Integral Unfoldment, Trainer, New Ventures West
"Laura was my mentor during my time with New Ventures West as I was going through their Life Coaching Program. She was able to provide me with insights into my practices that helped me move forward. She asked me powerful questions when I was "stuck". Her presence in conversation was attuned to my whole self - mind, body and heart. I have been inspired."
-- Theresa Pak, New Ventures West Graduate Coach and Nurse Manager
"I've worked with Laura as a coach. She is very skilled, warm, and attentive. She has an uncanny ability of getting to the heart of the matter. I loved working with her!"
~Angelo O - Therapist and Coach
"Laura is a great coach. Our work together was extremely valuable. Her use of somatic coaching techniques helped me break through many long standing patterns and allows me to lead a more effective and fulfilling life. I found our work on increasing my leadership effectiveness especially valuable and saw immediate changes in how I showed up as a leader at work."
-- Harry Gilling, Agile Coach, ScrumMaster
"In my 43 years of exploring human potential, I've been blessed to work with many of the leaders and founders of what is now somatic coaching. Laura Malone is on par with the best of these. I am particularly grateful for Laura's beautiful way of synthesizing many types of learning and working with people. As a person who's overloaded with imagination but often lacking persistence and patience, I can easily get away from myself and my visions. Thankfully, Laura has patience enough to lead me back to my own grounding. With her, tough and tricky challenges are easier to break down into smaller, doable parts. All of my life is richer thanks to working with Laura: health, creativity, romance, and business. With deep gratitude, I give her my highest recommendation."
-- Pat Sullivan -- Author, Speaker and Coach, Your Natural Genius

About Laura

Originally trained at New Ventures West as an Integral Coach, my work is also informed by training in Bodynamics, Hakomi, and the Aletheia School of Integral Unfoldment, where I coach individuals and groups. I am certified in Somatic Coaching by the Strozzi Institute and am a student of the Diamond Approach.  This latter method of deep inquiry provides a spiritual foundation for my approach to human problems and aspirations. In addition to Integral and Somatic coaching, I offer coaching supervision for both individual coaches and groups.