Photo by Kerry Constantino

Kristen Stake, LCPC, Somatic Psychotherapist

Qualifications

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
Yoga Teacher Certification, The Breathing Room
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of Southern Maine
Master of Fine Arts, Poetry Writing, Vermont College
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, University of Southern Maine

Specialized Trainings

Level 1 IFS Training, Internal Family Systems Institute

IFS Online Circle Training, Internal Family Systems Institute

Integrative Somatic Parts Work with Fran Booth, LCSW, (IFS Clinical Consultant), The Embody Lab

Polyvagal Theory in Action with Deb Dana, LCSW, Professional Education Systems Institute

Embodying Polyvagal Theory with Deb Grant, LCSW

The Discipline of Authentic Movement Retreat with Susan Cahill, LCPC, BC-DMT, IFS Clinical Consultant

Integrating IFS, Dance Movement Therapy, and Drama Therapy for Externalization of Inner Parts, American Dance Therapy Association

Befriending Our Parts: Merging Action Methods with IFS and Psychodrama, 50 hrs with Miriam Zachariah and Danielle Phegan, The Centre for Psychodrama and Sociometry of Ontario

My name is Kristen Stake (she/her) and I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor offering embodied IFS Therapy in Portland, Maine. I specialize in embodied parts-work therapy because I believe an experiential approach offers a depth of healing that talk therapy alone can not achieve.

As a life-long mover, I have spent the past twenty years studying somatics including Authentic Movement, Vipassana (Insight) Meditation, Imaginal Practice, Body-Mind Centering, Contemplative Dance Practice, Contact Improvisation, Massage Therapy, and Thai Medicine. As a somatic therapist, I help clients utilize the tools of body awareness, mindfulness, movement, and embodied parts work to facilitate self-compassion, personal transformation, and healing.

I became a therapist in 2019 after practicing massage therapy for ten years. Through my love of mindfulness meditation and my own experience with IFS therapy as a client, I became inspired to become a licensed counselor in order to combine my love of inner child work and embodied healing.

I am passionate about healing. I believe that everybody is born with an inner preciousness that can get beaten down and covered up over the years as we experience trauma, challenges, and stress. With the right support and curiosity, it is possible to relax our defenses, uncover what has been hidden, release the burdens we have been carrying, and enjoy more calm and contentment.

Clients who thrive in my practice are interested in getting to know the different parts of themselves and exploring the healing power of IFS therapy through movement and somatics. Clients often report having already tried talk therapy and feeling like something is missing or that they did not get to the source of their issues. I also work well with folks who are interested in learning about somatics, exploring fun and gentle ways to introduce movement as a form of self-therapy, understanding how embodiment is connected to stress and emotions, and those who simply want to feel more embodied and experience their body as a source of creativity and connection.

I also enjoy providing consultation for therapists, counselors, social workers, coaches, and other helping professionals looking to incorporate somatic practices into their work.