Meet Rebecca Guidera | Somatic Psychotherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Guidera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am from South Carolina (I lived there from 2 years old to 20 years) and grew up in Charleston. Living in the South was a mixed experience for me because of the nature of the environment. I had a significant amount of privilege as a white, cis, and middle class person and I continue to unpack the ways my privilege clouded my awareness of the various layers of racism, capitalism, and oppression existing around me. There is a continual thread of grieving and healing in my process of learning about the layers of pain existing in the culture of being in the South while also recognizing the resilience that permeates alongside the past and present harm.

At the same time, living as a queer woman in a religiously culture environment impacted my journey with my identity, s*xuality, and connecting with others. As an adult, I continue to explore the layers of dismissing, hiding, and disconnecting from my queerness and the pain I held for so long as a “normal” part of my existence. While I thankfully had support from friends and family, I often felt isolated in my queerness because of the lack of femme and nonbinary queer role models and the internalized queerphobia I experienced even amongst other queer folx. While my healing continues to be a journey, I can feel where I create different choices today in my queerness and modeling a queer journey for others.

Who I am today comes from peeling back the layers of deconstruction, unlearning, and healing to understand more of my privilege and oppression and to utilize both in my work as a therapist. Working with themes of s*x, s*xuality, and relationships has been a beautiful and rewarding process in creating healing spaces for others. My hope as I continue this work as a therapist and a queer role model is to continue understanding the continual layers of identity, explore how to best support and validate my clients in their own healing journeys, and show up authentically and relationally in the broader healing work of societal and cultural norms and expectations.

What should our readers know about your business?
Liminality Counseling is my therapeutic and coaching private practice for folx navigating s*x, s*xuality, and relationships from a somatic lens. I specialize in working with women+, LGBTQ+, poly/CNM, and kink folx. I’ve been in private practice for over two years and I work with clients virtually across Colorado.

What sets me apart from others is my mixture of somatic focus, s*x positive, and queer affirming care for my clients and in my therapeutic work. I strive to have as inclusive of care as possible (from paperwork to continuing ed; from validating and celebrating queer identity to staying up to date with news and information impacting queer folx). I identify as queer as well and bring the relational experience of queerness into my work with clients. Integrating somatic awareness, tools and resources alongside s*x positive validation and emotionally supportive reflections bring a unique approach to my work with clients and their healing journey.

I am most proud of supporting a variety of clients in feeling more authentic within themselves, their s*xuality, and their relationships. I strive to create a healing space for clients to feel connected to their bodies and emotions, honour their true expression of self, and be who they are in their intimate relationships.

I got to where I am in my business through the journey of many years of schooling, lots of support from many people around me, and lots of internal trust in my path. I was incredibly lucky to have the support from my previous job The Parent and Family Wellness Center in Boulder, CO (formerly the Postpartum Wellness Center). Without the care, guidance, and generosity of the PFWC, I would not be where I am today. I am incredibly grateful to my therapist, my supervisor/mentor, my fellow therapists, and friends and family who supported and trusted in my journey. I am beyond thankful for all the ways I received care, guidance, and support in my vision of being a therapeutic support for clients.

I’ve learned along the way how much having a team of support is important for being a therapist especially in private practice. The most challenging aspect of being in private practice as a therapist is the loneliness that can come from not being as connected to others. I am learning how important it is for me to have a team of support around me to validate, problem solve, and remind me that I am not alone in this work.

I want the world to know the importance of focusing on pleasure in one’s identity, s*xuality and relationships as a way of healing, deepening into authenticity, and living from a place of joy, support, and celebration. My work with clients is about inviting as a supportive space for listening to your true self, healing the wounds of societal and cultural influence around s*x and s*xuality, and discovering what it means to be you within yourself and with others. With the support of emotional and somatic awareness, evoking a s*x positive and queer affirming space, and a validating therapeutic relationship, I strive to support my clients in being who they are truly and proudly.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are many things I would love to explore with folx visiting CO! For outdoor places, I would take them to hikes around Boulder, Denver Botanical Gardens, and park hangouts in Cheesman (or any of the parks in Denver). A Red Rocks concert (depending on the time of year) is a highlight of any Colorado visit for the unique location and wonderful music experience. Getting to explore the many towns filled with hot springs, gorgeous hikes, and lovely communities is absolutely worth a visit.

As a vegan, there are so many options for tasty plant-based options. I would highly recommend brunch at The Corner Beet or Nurture The Wellness Marketplace, a causal lunch at Watercourse or City o’ City, and a special dinner out at Somebody People or Blue Sushi. For drinks (including n/a) out and about, Hudson Hill, ESP, and Fort Greene are some of my fave places. Lastly, for my dancing folx, X Bar is my fave place to explore a queer affirming environment filled with wonderful music, amazing drag shows, and an all around fun vibe.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shoutout to Nora Alwah for her continual support in my journey and leadership in the field of psychotherapy. She is a social justice somatic psychotherapist and coach who empowers “n’betweeners”: folx who experience marginalized identities. She has been an inspiration in my professional and personal development and would love to give her the credit and recognition she deserves.

Website: https://rebeccaguidera.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pleasure.sex.therapy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaguidera/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liminality.counseling

Image Credits
Amelia Vilona