about me

Somatic psychotherapist & Integrative Healer


I’m a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) in the state of California, working under the supervision of Leah Smith, LMFT. I’m also a registered Somatic Yoga Teacher (RYT), intermediate-level Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP), EMDR-trained therapist, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy provider (KAP), Reiki Master, and certified Psychedelic Integration Specialist.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK WITH ME

I’m Deeply Relational, Super Somatic, Kinda Woo, and Always Authentic.

The way I work as a therapist is, first and foremost, informed by my own healing journey—by the deep work I’ve done and continue to do in my personal therapy. Then, it’s informed by the formal training, education, and certifications that qualify me to do this work.

My approach is heavily body-based, nervous-system focused, and trauma-specialized. The work I do goes beyond talk therapy. Conversation is still part of our work, but we intentionally quiet the mental narrative to invite the body’s wisdom to the forefront.

I weave together a number of somatic therapies, inner child work, energy healing, psychedelic/plant wisdom, and psychoeducation to help clients process trauma, regulate their nervous systems, and reconnect with their bodies, emotions, and intuition. And of course, I bring in plenty of sarcasm, laughter, and create space for all emotions to emerge safely.

I’m not a bobble-head therapist…

I take a client-centered approach that meets you where you are—and helps you move forward.

I know that every person needs a different pace, approach, or modality, so I mold therapy to you and your nervous system. My clients describe me as deeply compassionate, loving, and attuned—but also direct, and not afraid to call you on your sh*t when you need it. I keep it real. I’ll challenge you, nurture you, and walk alongside you through the highs and lows. We’re here to work, so let’s make the most of your time and investment.

Also? I cuss a lot. And I’m usually barefoot.

My philosophy is that true healing is holistic. Our experiences don’t just live in the mind—they’re embedded in the nervous system, held in the emotional and energetic body, and reinforced through lived experience. I work with all of it—mind, body, heart, and spirit.

The mind wants to understand • the body wants to feel • healing requires both.

The Mind-Body-Clarity Method

1. foundational education

We begin by learning about the nervous system, trauma responses, attachment patterns, and the ways your brain and body have adapted to keep you safe.


2. less talking, more feeling

We shift away from intellectualizing emotions and into feeling them as sensations in the body—healing moves from something you think about to something you experience.


3. change starts to happen

When we give the mind and body what they each want, you begin experiencing a different kind of self-awareness and nervous system regulation. You know more about who you are (deeply, intellectually, and somatically), what you need, and how to move forward in a way that feels expansive and free.

Getting a degree is easy. Doing the personal (and ongoing) healing work is hard.

There are plenty of therapists out there with impressive credentials, trainings, and letters after their names—but that doesn’t necessarily mean they know anything about healing. I truly believe the best therapists are the ones who continually engage in their own deep healing work, across a number of disciplines and modalities.

Professional QUALIFICATIONS

In addition to 20+ years of personal psychotherapy, countless plant medicine journeys, weekly supervision, and ongoing consultation with accomplished experts, here are some of the things that give me credibility in the Western world for doing this work:

  • Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
    California Board of Behavioral Sciences, #149677

    Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology
    Antioch University, Los Angeles

    Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
    University of California, Los Angeles

  • SE Intermediate Level Practitioner (in progress)
    Somatic Experiencing® International

    EMDR Basic Training
    Trauma Therapist Institute

    Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
    Journey Clinical | Fluence

    Relational Movement & Touch for Attachment Trauma
    Leah Smith, LMFT, SEP

    Introduction to Developmental Movement
    Debra Clydesdale, SEP

    Unfreezing the Fawn with Somatic Experiencing®
    Shideh Lennon, SEP, PhD

    Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate
    Dr. Abi Blakeslee, SEP

    Trauma-Focused CBT Certificate
    The Medical University of South Carolina

    Certified Reiki Level I & II
    Mikao Usui lineage; attuned by Justin Randolph

    Certified RYT-250, Vinyasa & Yin Yoga
    SolSeek, Manhattan Beach

    Certified Plant Medicine Integration Coach
    Kat Courtney, Plant Medicine People

    • Somatic Experiencing® (SE)

    • Eye-Movement & Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

    • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

    • Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

    • Psychodynamic Therapy

    • Attachment & Relationally-Oriented Therapy

    • NeuroAffective Touch & Kathy Kain’s Somatic Approach

    • Embodied Integration

    • Somatic Yoga & Movement

    • Reiki & Pranic Energy Healing

Clara Mackinlay Plant Medicine People Psychedelic Coach Psychedelic Integration Therapist
Clara Mackinlay Somatic Yoga Trauma Informed Yoga
CAMFT Somatic Therapist near me Holistic therapist
Somatic Therapist near me Holistic therapist
UCLA therapist UCLA Psychology Somatic Therapist near me Holistic therapist
Antioch University Psychology Somatic Therapist near me Holistic therapist

my motto, in life + therapy

Healing is messy, and Being human is hard … so Find your people, get weird, and let it be awkward, hilarious, and kind of amazing.

Kind Words from Colleagues

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