Therapist Pacific Palisades | Trauma Therapy

I offer somatic therapy and body-centered healing support in Pacific Palisades, CA for adults who are thoughtful, sensitive, creative, and often used to staying strong through grief, illness, trauma, or transition. You may feel connected to nature, family, community, or meaningful work, while still sensing that your body is carrying tension, fatigue, or emotion that has not had enough space. My role is to offer a steady, relational space where you can slow down and practice being with yourself in a more embodied way.


I have served clients throughout the Westside of Los Angeles for years, including those connected to the coastal neighborhoods, canyon roads, village life, family communities, and natural landscapes of Pacific Palisades. This area holds a unique mix of beauty, privacy, achievement, and proximity to the ocean and mountains. Many people here value wellness and spaciousness, yet still find that external space does not automatically create internal ease.


In Pacific Palisades, the challenge is often feeling pressure to hold things together quietly, especially during grief, chronic illness, relational change, or identity shifts. You may be longing for support that does not rush you or ask you to turn healing into another performance. I offer body-centered care that respects your timing, listens to what has been held, and helps you reconnect with presence in a grounded and sustainable way.

Here’s What’s Included

Step 1: Slowing Down and Building Awareness

We begin by creating space to notice what is happening in your body, thoughts, and emotional life. Together we explore patterns of tension, sensation, and response, helping you understand how your nervous system has learned to organize itself over time.

Step 2: Developing a Relationship with Your Inner Experience

Rather than trying to fix or override what you feel, we build curiosity and capacity with what arises in the moment. This may include somatic awareness, relational dialogue, EMDR when appropriate, or gentle movement and creative exploration.

Step 3: Supporting Integration Over Time

As awareness grows, many people begin to notice meaningful shifts, more room to breathe, more flexibility in how they respond to stress, and a deeper sense of trust in their own bodies. 

Explore my therapy services and specializations


Somatic Psychotherapy

A season of grief, chronic illness, trauma, relational change, or transition may have you trying to stay strong while something inside feels tired, braced, or far away. You may have access to beauty, nature, or support around you, but still feel disconnected from your body inside.


The contrast between what surrounds you and what you feel internally can be painful. The ocean, canyon roads, quiet homes, or family routines may offer moments of relief, but they may not reach the deeper places where grief, fear, anger, or exhaustion are still held.


In somatic psychotherapy, we may explore sensation, emotion, pacing, memory, movement, and the ways your system has adapted through loss, stress, or change. This work makes room for the parts of you that beauty alone cannot soothe and helps your body feel less alone with what it has carried.


Movement Therapy

A season of grief, chronic illness, trauma, relational change, or transition may have left you feeling disconnected from your body, even when beauty and quiet are close by. You may sense that walking, nature, or movement helps, but does not always reach the deeper places where something is still held.


Movement can become a way to meet what words cannot organize yet. You may begin to feel more grounded, more able to notice your limits, and more connected to the emotions or impulses that have been paused by survival, loss, or responsibility.


Through movement therapy, we may explore sensation, rhythm, breath, grounding, stillness, memory, and the body’s own timing. Canyon roads, coastal space, school and family life, private grief, and the quiet pressure to stay strong can all shape what the body carries. This work gives those places room to move.


Trauma Therapy

Beauty and spaciousness can offer relief, but they do not always reach the places where trauma is stored. Even with nature, family structure, or quiet around you, your body may still feel braced, tired, or disconnected inside.


There may be grief, fear, anger, or exhaustion that has not had enough room to move because staying strong became necessary. Trauma therapy can help your system feel less alone with what it has been carrying.


We may explore sensation, memory, emotion, pacing, movement, and the body’s protective wisdom. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, and private grief can all shape what needs to be met with steadiness rather than force.


EMDR Therapy

Beauty and quiet may offer comfort, but they do not always reach the memories your body still holds. Loss, trauma, illness, or relational rupture may remain active beneath strength and composure.


Processing what has stayed charged can help your body feel less trapped in old responses. You may begin to experience more groundedness, softness, and choice.


With EMDR therapy, we may explore sensation, memory, emotion, and the beliefs that formed around painful moments. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, and private grief can all shape what needs room to be met.


Ketamine Therapy

Grief, trauma, illness, or depression may still feel close even when nature, family, or quiet surroundings offer some comfort. Your body may need deeper support for what beauty alone cannot soothe.


Ketamine therapy can create space for perspective, emotional movement, and contact with parts of the self that have felt distant. Integration helps those moments become steadier and more useful in daily life.


We may explore intention, sensation, imagery, grief, memory, and what your system needs afterward. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, and private loss can all shape what is ready to be met.


OCD Therapy

Even with quiet, beauty, and structure around you, OCD can make the inside feel loud. You may replay, check, avoid, research, or seek reassurance around health, safety, relationships, morality, or whether you have done enough.


This work can help you build a more sustainable relationship with uncertainty. The goal is not perfect calm, but more freedom to live without letting fear set every rule.


Through OCD therapy, we may explore intrusive thoughts, compulsions, avoidance, shame, and body sensations. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, and private worry can all shape the places where anxiety asks for certainty.


Chronic illness therapy

Nature and quiet can support the body, but they do not erase the grief, fear, or disruption of chronic illness. You may be surrounded by beauty and still feel far from the body you once knew.


The work can help you stay connected to yourself through changing capacity. Relief may come through pacing, self-trust, and allowing grief to exist alongside moments of aliveness.


In chronic illness therapy, we may explore fatigue, pain, medical stress, loss, body trust, and the pressure to stay strong. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, and private grief can shape what your body needs to feel less alone.


Religious trauma therapy

A controlling spiritual or religious past can remain in the body even after distance, education, or life changes. Fear, shame, grief, and the pressure to stay strong may still shape how safe it feels to choose for yourself.


The work can help you honor the complexity of leaving, questioning, or rebuilding. There may be love, loss, anger, relief, and confusion all at once.


In religious trauma therapy, we may explore belief, belonging, identity, consent, shame, grief, and nervous system responses. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, and private family dynamics can all shape what freedom asks of the body.

I serve clients in Pacific Palisades and nearby areas

I support clients virtually across California, including adults connected to Brentwood, Santa Monica, Malibu, and the surrounding coastal areas. Canyon roads, coastal space, school life, family rhythms, and private grief can all shape what the body carries. My approach offers grounded support for people moving through loss, transition, illness, trauma, and the need for deeper internal safety.

Testimonials

“Danielle is a wonderfully intuitive practitioner who knows how to listen and empathize at a very deep level. She also has a deep, spiritual presence and understanding that can only be attained through real life experiences - In other words she gets it. She really helped me gain clarity on my goals and feel more grounded. I’d recommend her to anyone looking for a blend of intellect and intuition.”

Client

"What I valued most about working with Danielle was her genuine curiosity. She made a real effort to understand me rather than fit me into a framework, which helped me build more self-compassion and trust in myself. I always felt like a partner in the process, never a patient being managed. I'm so grateful I found her."

Client

“The space Danielle creates could only come from someone who has done deep excavation work and returned with the medicine of her soul. She is exquisitely embodied, attuned, and holds a torch for others to safely inhabit their bodies and express themselves – no matter where they are on their journey. No matter where I am inside of myself when I enter her classes, I leave feeling more connected to myself and my own expression.”

Student

Hello, I’m Danielle Wiggins, a somatic therapist serving Pacific Palisades


I am the founder of Space Takes Practice, a somatic therapy and movement-based practice shaped by my relationship with grief, chronic illness, movement, and the slow work of learning to stay present with what is real. I created this space for people who may be strong, thoughtful, and self-aware, but still feel distant from their bodies or tired from pushing through. My approach brings together somatic psychotherapy, EMDR, KAP, movement, and trauma-informed care to support deeper self-trust, presence, and internal safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How does virtual therapy work?

    Virtual therapy sessions are held through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You’ll receive a private link before your session—no downloads needed. All you need is a stable internet connection, a quiet space, and a device with a camera and microphone.

  • Can I use my insurance for virtual therapy?

    Yes! We are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ambetter, QualChoice, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Arkansas Medicaid.


    If we are out-of-network with your provider, we can provide a superbill that you can submit for potential reimbursement.

  • What if I prefer in-person therapy?

     We currently offer both virtual and in-person sessions at our Little Rock office. You can choose the option that best fits your schedule, comfort, and needs—many clients even combine both for flexibility.

  • What if I need to cancel or reschedule my session?

    We understand that things come up. We ask for at least 24 hours’ notice to reschedule or cancel your appointment.

    • First late cancellation or no-show: $25 fee
    • Second occurrence: $50 fee
    • Third and following: $100 fee

    This policy helps us reserve time for clients who are waiting for sessions while respecting your therapist’s schedule.

  • Can I switch therapists within Vida Collective?

    Absolutely. We know the right fit matters. If at any point you feel another therapist might better meet your needs, our team can help you transition smoothly to another provider within our practice.

  • Do you offer therapy in Spanish?

    Yes! Vida Collective Counseling is a bilingual practice offering therapy in both English and Spanish. You can choose the language that feels most natural and comfortable for you. We believe healing happens best when you can express yourself fully, in the language of your heart.