Debra Clydesdale

Debra has completed certification training in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (Masters Degree), Somatic Experiencing, Hellerwork, Acupuncture Detoxification and Addiction (NADA), is a Registered Somatic Movement Educator/Therapist (RSME/T) and has been recognized as a Qualified Medical Evaluator by the State of California. She has board specialization as a Diplomate in Acupuncture Orthopedics, is a NCCAOM Diplomate (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) and has provided CEU training courses for acupuncturists and massage therapists which she coordinated, marketed and taught. She is published on Electro-acupuncture in the Medical Acupuncture journal, in using Acupuncture for Eating Disorders and has presented to physicians and clinicians at locations such as UCLA Medical Center and at the Rand Corporation. She has volunteered many hours in pain management facilities and addiction treatment centers – and works with physicians and insurance companies with patients that have experienced medical trauma.

She specializes in early life trauma resolution, head injuries, medical trauma and unresolved early life (syndromal) trauma patterns and integrating bodywork, movement and touch into Somatic Therapies. She also has provided sessions, consultation and training with many physicians, nurses, health care professionals, therapists, movement and yoga practitioners, and dancers on integrating Somatic work into their practice.

Debra has studied Herbal Therapy in her Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program and has completed extensive study in addition to this in Nutritional therapy and Whole food Nutrition. She has completed Nutrition Network Advisor Training at the cutting edge of low carbohydrate healthy fat (LCHF) nutrition as well as the Applied Clinical Nutrition Program (ACN). She has completed many post-license seminars in nutrition and lab testing (and its application), integrating this knowledge with her extensive background in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Traditional Herbal Therapy and Functional Herbal therapy. She specializes in Nutrition for those that have compromised digestive systems, integrating nutrition and herbal therapy in a trauma sensitive manner.

Debra started as an electrical engineer at Penn State was a University Scholar and member of the Schreyers Honors College, President of Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society and has worked for large corporations such as Eastman Kodak, IBM and GTE before moving into the field of Trauma Resolution, Health and Healing as a result of her own traumatic car accident and head injury. She also has done much personal healing work and taken many, many professional workshops throughout her 30+ year career in somatic modalities, nutrition, physical medicine, attachment, psychology, bodywork, mindfulness, and trauma resolution.

She started her dance life in her teen years and then travelled to NYC where she explored voice, dance and movement. She studied ballet at Steps with Zena Rommett, and at Broadway Dance Center Jazz with various teachers including Frank Hatchett and Natasha Baron. She studied Dunham technique at Alvin Ailey with Joan Peters. She also loves to sing and was a lead singer in a rock band that toured internationally. She played Camilla Parker Bowles in an off off Broadway show in NYC and enjoys working with those in the performing arts. She has completed the Vocal Yoga Training with Heather Lyle.

She is currently on Faculty Somatic Experiencing International. She has assisted Peter Levine as well as with many of the current and former faculty in post advanced trainings. She is also a Somatic Experiencing Faculty Level Advanced Assistant and Consult and Group Consult Provider for the SE US Program. She is an “SE Basics” provider/teacher for the Southwestern US region, after coordinating the Southern California area trainings for almost a decade.