Meet Our Team
The Somatic Wisdom staff is composed of trauma informed individuals who hold the sacred manner of this work with the deepest reverence.
Leah Grace is the founder of the Somatic Wisdom Institute, a space devoted to disrupting the systems that separate us from our bodies, the earth, others, and from the intelligence that lives within us.
Leah's journey began over 25 years ago. Her expertise is working with women facing complex, epigenetic or systemic trauma, who have already been in therapy for 5-10 years, ready to enter a new threshold of healing. Leah holds space with fierce compassion, depth, and precision, gently guiding women through a journey of deconstructing, unbinding, and most importantly the reclaiming of true essence and expression.
Leah’s passion lies in integrating modern methods of somatic trauma healing and parts work with earth-based wisdom traditions. Her approach emphasizes breaking free from the traps of relentless hustle culture and the endless pursuit of self-improvement. She helps women recognize that their worth is not tied to productivity and constant achievement.
On the other end of trauma we get to foster a culture where rest and contentment are valued, Leah supports her clients in disconnecting from external validation and embracing a more balanced, authentic way of living, ultimately reconnecting with their true desires, intuition, expression, and joy.
Leah’s lineage of training includes certifications in Somatic Emotional Release & Bodywork Therapy from the Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts, iPEC Coaching (ICF accredited), Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release (Levels 1 & 2), and Healing Developmental Trauma certification. Her work is enriched by extensive study in parts work, spirituality, trauma, regenerative systems thinking, and collective healing frameworks. Currently, she is learning earth-honoring practices with various teachers and is passionate about decolonizing therapy.
Leah’s work invites people to slow down, listen deeply, and remember what has always lived within them — the body as compass, the earth as teacher, and presence as a revolutionary act.
Erinn is a mentor, guide, and lead teacher at the Somatic Wisdom Institute, where she helps shape spaces of deep personal and collective transformation. With over 20 years of experience supporting individuals through thresholds of change, Erinn’s work is grounded in a simple but radical truth: when we remember the wisdom of the body and the earth, we begin to reclaim who we truly are.
Her path has moved through the realms of theology, justice work, nonprofit leadership, and rites of passage work — all in service to dismantling the internalized systems and narratives that keep us disconnected from ourselves and from one another. Erinn holds a master’s in theology and brings extensive training in somatic therapy, labyrinth facilitation, and nature-based initiation practices.
At the Somatic Wisdom Institute, she supports people in all seasons of life — those navigating change or loss, those unraveling old systems and stories, and those longing to reconnect with something deeper and more true. Erinn holds space for people to challenge the dominant culture’s obsession with productivity, disembodiment, and control — and instead, to root into presence, relational integrity, and embodied truth. Her facilitation invites a gentle but powerful return to the body, where authentic connection, clarity, and transformation can unfold. Whether walking with someone through grief, identity shifts, or spiritual awakening, Erinn holds space for the kind of inner restoration that ripples outward.
Erinn is particularly skilled at guiding people through liminal spaces — moments of unraveling, emergence, or transition — with steady compassion and clear sight. Her work offers a gentle but powerful disruption to the systems of shame, ego, and separation that so often shape our lives.
Through the Somatic Wisdom Institute and her own lifelong devotion to earth-honoring practice, Erinn helps others remember that wholeness is not something to be earned, but something we return to — again and again — through the body, through connection, and through the sacred work of remembering.
Ryan is a somatic therapist and holistic health coach. He’s passionate about how our thoughts and emotions impact our physical health, the science of spirituality, and the heart-brain connection. He works with clients who value their physical and emotional wellbeing and are ready to(re)align with their life's purpose by developing a stronger relationship to their intuition. Ryan empowers clients to view life’s challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. He believes we all have the capacity to heal ourselves, and that starts by developing awareness of our unconscious survival patterns, regulating our nervous system, and learning the language of our body and intuition.
Ryan has worked as a Lead Practitioner of Somatic Wisdom Institute (formerly the Vitalist Institute) since 2022, which has included working with clients individually, leading group workshops, and assisting Vitalist School. His training includes: trauma-informed somatic therapy, SOMA breathwork, Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique, vocal toning, and Reiki l/ll.
Ryan is also the founder of Cacao de Luca. He roasts and refines pure cacao locally in Grand Rapids, and educates customers about cacaos health benefits and how to use it intentionally for meditation. He believes cacao is truly medicine for the mind, body, and soul! Ryan sources his cacao ethically from Honduras, and is honored to partner with a company that has a personal relationship with all of their cacao producers. He sells bags of pure cacao and a variety of other cacao products, in addition to offering group educational workshops.
Sarah Simon
Sarah is a devoted heart-tender, soul mother, and a radiant presence of warmth, welcome, and deep belonging. Walking the path of long-term recovery, her life is a testament to healing—mending ancestral wounds, breaking generational cycles, and planting seeds of love and resilience for those yet to come.
A trauma-informed yoga teacher, she honors the yogic tradition with reverence and devotion - through mantra, meditation and Sanskrit studies. Her yoga classes and 1:1 sessions are a sanctuary of rest, where clients are encouraged to connect with their bodies, quiet their minds, and tap into their innate wisdom. As a member of Yoga Alliance (RYT), a certified SHE RECOVERS yoga teacher and a two-time graduate of Vitalist School, Sarah is passionate about helping others find balance and healing through the wisdom of their body.
In addition to her deep heart and healing presence, Sarah is an essential pillar of the Somatic Wisdom Institute. As Office Manager, she brings a rare blend of warmth, clarity, and precision—gracefully weaving the behind-the-scenes magic that allows our offerings to flourish. From designing and scheduling to nurturing and promoting each program, Sarah ensures every detail is infused with care, coherence, and intention. Her steady presence is part of what makes the Somatic Wisdom Institute feel like home.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact support@somaticinst.com
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*Space is limited. If you need to cancel, please contact us as soon as possible, as there is often a waitlist. Cancellations will be refunded with a $50 processing fee, if you notify us in writing prior to 14 days before the event. Within 14 days of the event, refunds will not be given due to health reasons, weather, or winter road conditions, unless your space is able to be filled (minus $50 processing fee). Please plan accordingly.
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Pregnancy, severe asthma, severe heart disease, unmedicated high blood pressure, mental illness, epilepsy and/or history of seizures, acute physical injuries, severe or unregulated diabetes
*If you are unsure if breathwork is right for you, please reach out to us for a conversation. We offer many unique adaptations and modifications to meet your needs.
