Vanessa
Simmons
Somatic Practitioner · Nervous System Specialist · Sound Therapist
Vanessa founded Embodied Wisdom Institute from nearly a decade of walking alongside individuals through the nervous system, witnessing again and again what becomes possible when people feel genuinely safe enough to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what is already there.
Her work is guided by compassion, curiosity, and a deep respect for the body’s innate intelligence. She understands that change unfolds differently for each person, and that support is most sustainable when it honors choice, pacing, and lived experience. This philosophy shapes everything EWI offers.
A practitioner who brings the nervous system into the workplace.
Vanessa’s work lives at the intersection of nervous system care, somatic practice, and organizational life. She founded EWI from nearly a decade of walking alongside individuals through the tender terrain of the nervous system. Over time, that work expanded into organizations and teams who are ready to take their people’s well-being seriously.
She consults with organizations on what it looks like to operate through a trauma-informed lens in practice, not just in policy. That means exploring how nervous system safety shows up in communication, management, onboarding, physical space, and the everyday rhythms of team life. Her consulting work is strategic and practical, not clinical, and is designed to help leaders and HR teams create conditions where people can genuinely show up and thrive.
- Nervous system-informed workplace culture
- Implementing trauma-informed care principles in organizations
- Psychological safety and team well-being strategy
- HR and leadership consultation on somatic awareness and staff support
- On-site and virtual wellness sessions for teams
In every space she holds, whether a weekly class, a private session, or a consultation with an organizational team, Vanessa centers choice, consent, and pacing. She does not push. She does not prescribe. She creates conditions, offers invitations, and follows your lead.
In 2025 Vanessa attended the 9Ways Academia 12-Day Gong Camp, studying with world-renowned teachers Mitch Nur, Mike Tamburo, Michael Bettine, and Thomas Orr Anderson — deepening her relationship with the gong as a tool for regulation, resonance, and embodied listening.
“Support is most sustainable when it honors choice, pacing, and lived experience. That is the principle I return to in every space I hold, whether it’s a sound session or a conference room.”