Accepting new clients · In person in Seattle & telehealth · English · Español · Português

Somatic & Intercultural Therapy

Come home to your body, your story, yourself.

A safe, culturally attuned space for adults to heal from trauma, find their footing between cultures, and feel at home in themselves again.

English·Español·Português

First step
Yane Barreto, licensed mental health counselor in Seattle
About me

Hi, my name is Yane Barreto and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

You don't have to leave parts of yourself behind to heal.

Perhaps you've spent years understanding your patterns, reading the books, talking things through, and doing everything you can to feel better, yet something still feels stuck. You long to feel calmer in your body, more connected to yourself, more confident in your relationships, and more at home in your own life.

I specialize in somatic therapy for adults navigating trauma, anxiety, relationship challenges, life transitions, and the emotional impact of living between cultures. I work with adults who are deeply committed to their personal growth and ready to move beyond survival into a life that feels more authentic, connected, and fully their own.

With almost 25 years of experience in clinical psychotherapy, I bring together Body-Mind Integrated Psychology, attachment-based work, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed care. Together, we explore not only your thoughts and emotions, but also the messages your body has been carrying, often for many years. Your body is not working against you; it has been doing its best to protect you.

I'm Brazilian, from Salvador, Bahia, and moved to Seattle in 2007. I know the losses that come with migration, and the feeling of living "in between," no longer fully at home in your country of origin or yet in the one you chose.

I can help if you are:

  • Carrying the weight of past trauma in your body, mind or relationships
  • Feeling stuck, anxious or overwhelmed, and what you've tried isn't working
  • Adjusting to a new country, a new language or a new identity
  • Looking to understand how your family and culture shaped who you are
LMHC, Washington State MA Existential & Phenomenological Psychology, Seattle University BA Psychology, Federal University of Bahia Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
Read my professional bio

I am an intercultural and somatic psychotherapist and trauma specialist, and I have practiced for almost 25 years in Brazil and in the U.S., working with a culturally diverse population. I hold a master's degree in Existential and Phenomenological Psychology from Seattle University and a degree in Psychology from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.

I worked for five years as a licensed psychologist in South America, in private practice and as part of a multi-professional team assisting low-income families through the post-graduate program in Family Health. In the U.S., I have extensive experience working with immigrants and multicultural families, providing counseling and psychosocial assessments for immigration cases. I also offer workshops for women on the embodied feminine and trauma healing.

My past clinical experiences include serving minorities and marginalized communities, crisis intervention services, and private group practice. I have a strong belief in social justice and that everyone's stories deserve to be heard. I am aware of my own privilege as a cisgender white woman, and I am committed to social justice and to healing from the trauma of patriarchy.

I hold a deep passion for the human being and for the innate capacity for transformation and resilience that lives within all of us. I see trauma not only as an injury of the past, but as a threshold toward greater self-awareness, integration and growth. By cultivating presence, embodiment and curiosity, I support people in reconnecting with their inner resources and re-establishing a sense of safety, meaning and vitality in their lives.

You are not your trauma.

Your experiences matter, and they deserve to be honored, but they do not define all of who you are. Healing is not about erasing the past. It is about transforming your relationship with it, so it no longer limits your capacity to live, love, connect and flourish.

Book a free consultation

Why work with me?

Experienced

Almost 25 years as a psychotherapist in Brazil and the U.S., a master's in Existential and Phenomenological Psychology from Seattle University, and more than 250 immigration evaluations completed.

Trauma-Informed

As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, I integrate mind and body to support nervous system regulation, so you can reconnect with your vitality and change unhealthy patterns that no longer serve you.

Culturally Attuned

As an immigrant myself, I understand your experience from the inside. I offer counseling in English, Spanish and Portuguese, because being understood in your own language and culture makes a real difference.

Approach

A collaborative, whole-person approach

Therapy is not one size fits all.

I see therapy as a collaborative relationship built on curiosity, compassion and trust, and I believe that relationship is at the heart of change. Clients often tell me they appreciate having a therapist who listens deeply, stays present, and creates a space where they don't feel judged or rushed. You are the expert on your own life. I won't tell you who you should become; I'll help you reconnect with the parts of yourself that may have become hidden beneath years of stress, trauma, caregiving, perfectionism, or simply doing what was necessary to survive.

Culture is part of who you are, so we'll make room for it: your values, your family of origin, and the relationships that formed you.

Sessions last 45 to 60 minutes, in person at my office in Seattle's Maple Leaf neighborhood or by telehealth through secure video, wherever you feel most comfortable.

Two people sharing warm mugs at a table

Somatic Experiencing

A gentle, body-based approach that helps your nervous system return to balance after trauma, stress or long periods in survival mode. Learn more

Attachment-based, relational work

Understanding how early relationships shaped the way you connect, and creating new experiences of safety and trust.

Body-Mind Integrated Psychology

Working with thoughts, emotions and the body together, as one whole.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Exploring how thoughts, feelings and behaviors connect, and changing the patterns that keep you stuck.

Mindfulness & self-compassion

Being present with your experience without judgment, and learning to speak to yourself with more kindness.

Existential & phenomenological

Attention to meaning, identity and choice, especially when life changes ask who we are now.

Somatic Therapy

Healing that includes the body

Somatic therapy is a body-based approach that helps restore balance to the nervous system, especially after trauma, chronic stress, or long periods of living in survival mode.

As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, I use a gentle approach to healing trauma that helps the body restore its natural ability to self-regulate. I will invite you to listen to the information your body holds about past experiences in the here and now, and also about your resources, strengths and resilience. Together we transform trauma responses such as fight, flight, freeze and appease, restoring your vitality, your sense of grounding, and your capacity for social engagement and connection.

Trauma takes many forms, from single events to developmental trauma. Your reactions are not a flaw. They are your body's way of adapting to experiences that were overwhelming. Therapy becomes a space to honor those protective patterns while gently creating new experiences of safety, flexibility and connection, and to change the patterns that no longer serve you.

More about somatic therapy in Seattle →

A woman resting with her eyes closed among trees

Somatic therapy may help if you feel:

  • Anxious, on edge, or unable to relax
  • Exhausted or overwhelmed, even when life slows down
  • Disconnected, numb, or "not really here"
  • Tension, pain or tiredness that seems connected to stress
  • Strong reactions that feel bigger than the moment

What a session can look like

Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we pause and notice sensations, images or emotions in the body, or gently orient to the space around you. We follow what is present, at your pace, so your system can remember what it already knows: how to rest, how to settle, and how to reconnect.

Understanding trauma

Trauma is more than what happened to you

A woman standing by the sea at sunset

Trauma is not only a single terrible event. It is what happens inside us when an experience overwhelms our capacity to cope, and the nervous system stays braced for danger long after the danger has passed.

Trauma can come from one shocking moment, but also from what happened slowly, over years, or from what was missing: the comfort, safety or attunement every person needs. This is often called developmental trauma, and many people carry it without ever calling it trauma.

Shock trauma

Single overwhelming events such as accidents, assaults, medical procedures, natural disasters or sudden loss.

Developmental trauma

Early experiences of neglect, emotional unavailability, instability or chronic stress in childhood that shape how we relate to ourselves and others.

Relational & attachment trauma

Wounds that happen in close relationships, including emotional abuse, betrayal and controlling or unsafe partnerships.

Complex trauma

Repeated or prolonged experiences, often with no clear way out, that can affect identity, emotions and the body.

Intergenerational trauma

Pain, fear and survival patterns passed down through families and communities.

Migration & cultural trauma

The losses and stresses of leaving home, displacement, discrimination and living between cultures.

Gender-based trauma

The impact of sexism, harassment, violence and the trauma of patriarchy on women's bodies and lives.

Chronic stress & burnout

Long periods in survival mode from caregiving, work, illness or simply doing what was necessary to get through.

Intercultural Counseling & Therapy

Every part of your story is welcome here

One of the greatest influences on my work is my intercultural perspective. As both a therapist and an immigrant who has lived and practiced in Brazil and the United States, I understand that healing never happens outside of culture. Our families, languages, identities, traditions, values and communities shape how we experience ourselves and the world around us.

Living between cultures can be both beautiful and deeply challenging. It can bring grief, loneliness, questions of identity, and the feeling that you no longer fully belong in either place. It can also expand your perspective, deepen your resilience, and invite a richer understanding of who you are.

As an intercultural professional, my work is deeply informed by phenomenology and Somatic Experiencing, integrating a holistic understanding of the human condition with a profound respect for cultural diversity. I approach each person as a unique expression of lived experience: embodied, situated, and shaped by the narratives, histories and contexts that define them. My practice is grounded in cultural sensitivity, acknowledging that healing and transformation unfold within the rich tapestry of your cultural and relational world.

You should never have to leave any part of yourself at the therapy room door.

Hands of people with different skin tones resting together

Intercultural therapy can help with:

  • Bicultural couples and multicultural or multiethnic families
  • Parenting across two or more cultures
  • Adults who grew up as Third Culture Kids
  • Identity shifts: feeling like a stranger both here and back home
  • Family-of-origin patterns and cultural expectations
  • Challenges faced by first-generation adults and their families
For Immigrants

Support for every stage of your journey

Moving to a new country is a deeply personal journey. Migration can be stressful and involves real losses: family, language, community, status, and a familiar sense of who you are. It can also become a source of growth.

As an immigrant myself, I understand this path from the inside. I can share both personal and professional knowledge of the steps toward feeling at home again, in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Therapy for Brazilians and immigrants →

A woman walking down a street with a red suitcase

Counseling for immigrants:

  • Adapting to a new culture in your relationships and your career
  • Grief for what was left behind
  • Life transitions far from home: marriage, new motherhood, losing a loved one, starting a career
  • Trauma linked to vulnerability as an immigrant, including documentation and citizenship stress
  • Loneliness, isolation and rebuilding community
For Immigrants · Psychosocial Evaluations

Immigration psychosocial evaluations

For immigrants and their attorneys. A psychosocial evaluation documents the emotional and psychological impact of what a person has lived through, in a clear written report that supports their immigration case.

Finding a clinician who understands immigration and can speak with you in your native language makes a real difference. As an immigrant myself, I know how stressful this process can be, and I work closely with attorneys so it is collaborative and efficient.

Asylum

Read more

For people who have suffered persecution, or fear persecution, because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The evaluation documents the psychological impact of persecution and trauma.

U visa

Read more

For victims of certain qualifying crimes in the U.S. who have suffered substantial physical or mental harm and have helped, or are likely to help, law enforcement. The evaluation documents the mental and emotional harm.

VAWA

Read more

Allows abused spouses and children of U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and abused parents of adult U.S. citizens, to self-petition without the abuser's participation. The evaluation documents the effects of abuse.

Extreme hardship

Read more

Some waivers require showing that a qualifying relative, usually a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent, would suffer extreme hardship if the applicant is not allowed to stay. The evaluation documents the emotional and psychological hardship to the family.

Format
A two-hour clinical interview plus a written report
Experience
More than 250 completed evaluations
Languages
English, Spanish and Portuguese

I am not an attorney; please talk with an immigration attorney about your eligibility.

Workshops for women

The embodied feminine & trauma healing

Alongside individual therapy, I offer workshops for women to reconnect with the body, with feminine wisdom, and with one another. In a safe and welcoming group, we explore how trauma and the pressures of patriarchy live in the body, and how to return to a sense of safety, pleasure, creativity and inner authority.

Workshops combine somatic practices, movement, reflection and sharing. No previous experience is needed, only curiosity and a willingness to listen to yourself.

Corporificar Fall Edition 2026 flyer: Embodied feminine energy through movement and awareness, November 7th, facilitated by Deise Costa and Yane Barreto.
Upcoming · Fall Edition 2026

Corporificar

Embodied feminine energy through movement and awareness

Date
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Format
A three-hour morning workshop
Location
Seattle, WA
Investment
$50
Facilitators
Deise Costa & Yane Barreto

Corporificar is a three-hour morning workshop in Seattle for women who want to experience presence, flow and grounding in their bodies. Now in its third year, it brings together my work as a somatic therapist with Deise Costa's expertise as a professional dancer and teacher specializing in Afro-Brazilian culture.

Through movement, somatic practice, expressive arts and reflection, you'll reconnect with your body, your emotions and your own feminine energy.

This is an intimate workshop, so spots are limited.

Questions? Send me a message about this or future workshops.

English · Español · Português

Atendo em português.
Atiendo en español.
Here for you in English.

Terapia em português →
Fees & insurance

Getting started

Appointments

Call (206) 229-6143 or send a message below to book your free 15-minute consultation. Sessions are available in person in Seattle or by telehealth.

$175–$195 per session

Payment is due at the time of service. Please cancel at least 48 hours ahead, or the full fee will be charged.

Insurance

I'm in network with Kaiser Permanente and First Choice Health.

For most other plans I can bill as an out-of-network provider: you pay me directly and I give you a statement to submit for reimbursement. I'm happy to help you figure it out.

FAQs

Common questions

Can therapy help me?

Research consistently shows that psychotherapy improves quality of life. Working with someone you trust helps you understand and reframe your concerns, learn emotional and social skills, and find more satisfaction in your life.

What is somatic therapy?

Somatic therapy includes the body in healing. Along with talking, we gently notice sensations, breath and emotions to help your nervous system feel safer and more regulated. It is not hands-on, and you set the pace, always. Read more

Do you offer telehealth?

Yes. Sessions are available in person at my Seattle office or by secure video, so you can choose what feels most comfortable.

Can we work in Portuguese or Spanish?

Yes. I offer counseling in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and we can move between languages when that feels more natural.

Why isn't talking to a friend enough?

Friends can offer real support. A therapist is trained, impartial, and focused entirely on your needs and goals, and counseling gives you a private space to say things you might not say anywhere else.

What happens in the first session?

Please complete the intake form before we meet. We'll talk about what brings you to therapy and what you hope for, and I'll explain how I work and answer your questions.

Before that, you're welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation. If we're not the right fit, I'll gladly help you find another therapist.

How do I know you're the right therapist for me?

The right therapist is someone you trust and feel comfortable with. A free consultation lets us both see whether we'd work well together. I also encourage you to look into any therapist's background and training.

How will I know when I'm done?

It depends on the goals you set. Short-term goals take less time; deeper work takes longer. Some clients gradually reduce sessions before finishing. I see ending therapy as an important step and invite you to talk openly about it.

What is your training?

I worked as a licensed psychologist in Brazil for five years after earning my degree at the Federal University of Bahia, completed a master's in Existential and Phenomenological Psychology at Seattle University in 2010, and have practiced as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington since then. I'm also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.

How long is a session, and how do I pay?

Sessions last 45 to 60 minutes and the fee is $175–$195 per session. Payment is due at the time of service, and I'm in network with Kaiser Permanente and First Choice Health. For most other plans I can bill as an out-of-network provider. See fees and insurance

Contact

Take the first step

If you're looking for a therapist who will meet you with warmth, curiosity and cultural humility, I would be honored to walk alongside you. Send a message to schedule your free 15-minute consultation; you'll receive a confirmation email, and I'll reply personally. Escreva em português · Escriba en español.

For your privacy, please keep your message brief and don't include sensitive personal or health information. Email is not fully confidential; we can talk about details by phone or in session.

Land Acknowledgment

We are practicing on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.