Ana Mael

About Ana Mael, Founder of Somatic Trauma Recovery Center

Restoring Dignity, Rebuilding Lives, and Unlocking Post-Traumatic Growth

For those who have endured the invisible wounds of trauma, survival is not enough. Healing is possible. Transformation is possible. You don’t have to live in the shadows of your past. You deserve a life where you own your story—not one where your story owns you.

I’m Ana Mael, founder of Somatic Trauma Recovery Center—a center dedicated to deep, sustainable trauma healing through nervous system repair, somatic restoration, and embodied resilience. I specialize in working with individuals who have survived personal, relational, systemic, and war-related trauma, as well as those carrying the weight of intergenerational oppression, displacement, and human rights violations.

But my expertise doesn’t just come from training—it comes from living it.

Why Work With Me? Because I Know This Terrain.

When people ask me, “Do you know what you’re doing?”—the answer is yes. Not only because of my degrees, certifications, and years of training under the world’s top trauma experts, but because I have walked through fire myself.

• Survivor of Three Wars → Between the ages of 14 and 22, I lived through multiple wars, displacement, and exile.
• War, Genocide & Human Rights Violations → I faced ethnic cleansing, lived through bombings, and survived an execution attempt.
• Trained as an Army Sniper at 14 → Forced into a reality no child should ever know.
• Refugee & Stateless for Years → Exiled multiple times, with no sense of home or belonging.
• Deep Trauma & Loss → Everything I knew was destroyed—family, identity, community, and safety.

These aren’t just words on a page. They are lived experiences that shaped my understanding of trauma not as an abstract concept—but as a brutal, undeniable reality.

And yet, I am still here. Thriving. Healing. Restoring meaning. And helping others do the same.

What You Can Expect When You Work With Me

I am not a “smile and nod” therapist who passively listens. I am with you in the trenches. I roll up my sleeves and work alongside you, not above you.

✔ Somatic Trauma Healing – Deep nervous system restoration through Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Touch, Transforming Touch, and Polyvagal-informed techniques.
✔ Restoring Emotional & Physical Safety – Releasing trauma from the body so you no longer feel trapped in survival mode.
✔ Liberation from Trauma Patterns – Helping you break free from freeze, shutdown, hypervigilance, or self-abandonment.
✔ Attachment & Relationship Repair – Healing relational trauma, betrayal wounds, and deep heartbreak.
✔ Post-Traumatic Growth – Moving beyond trauma into clarity, purpose, and embodied resilience.

Who I Work With

I work with highly resilient individuals who have endured complex trauma, war, exile, authoritarian abuse, systemic oppression, and deep emotional wounds.

✔ Survivors of war, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement.
✔ Children and teenagers forced into war, including former child soldiers.
✔ Trauma survivors struggling with PTSD, dissociation, numbness, chronic pain, and emotional dysregulation.
✔ Leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who have experienced childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, and burnout.
✔ Activists, healers, and therapists carrying vicarious trauma from working with human suffering.

If you’ve ever thought, “I shouldn’t complain—others have had it worse,” I want you to know:

➡ Your pain is real. Your trauma matters. You are worthy of healing.

This Is Not Just Therapy—This Is Somatic Trauma Recovery at the Deepest Level

At Somatic Trauma Recovery Center, I use a combination of science-backed, body-based healing with an uncompromising commitment to human dignity.

Healing trauma is not about “talking it out”—it’s about releasing it from your nervous system, your tissues, your cells.

✔ Somatic Experiencing® (SE) – Dr. Peter Levine
✔ Transforming Touch® (TEB) – Healing Developmental Trauma
✔ Polyvagal Theory-Informed Therapy – Dr. Stephen Porges
✔ Neurosensory Regulation & Attachment Rewiring
✔ Compassionate Inquiry – Dr. Gabor Maté
✔ Family Constellations & Intergenerational Trauma Work
✔ Nervous System Stabilization & Trauma-Informed Leadership

Healing Is Possible. Transformation Is Within Reach.

You don’t have to live stuck in survival mode. You don’t have to carry shame, fear, or hypervigilance for the rest of your life. You can have peace. Safety. A body that feels like home again.

I am here to help you get there.

🔹 Ready to begin?
🔹 Book a session or consultation today.
🔹 Let’s do this work—together.

Land Acknowledgment

I acknowledge that the land on which I live and practice is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Huron-Wendat, and the Anishinaabe peoples. I recognize their enduring connection to this land, their rich histories, and the importance of honoring Indigenous sovereignty, resilience, and healing.

As a trauma therapist, I acknowledge the generational and systemic trauma that has been inflicted upon Indigenous communities. My work is dedicated to supporting healing, restoring dignity, and creating safe spaces for all individuals seeking recovery from personal, collective, and intergenerational trauma.

Training & Education

I am a member of Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at Indiana University and Somatic Experiencing Institute. I practice under the ethical guidelines of the Somatic Experiencing® Institute. I hold an M.Sc. degree and advanced certifications in:

Advanced Somatic Trauma Training & Certifications

✔ Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) – Dr. Peter Levine (Body-oriented approach to healing trauma, PTSD, and stress disorders)
✔ Transforming Touch® (TEB) – Developmental Trauma Healing & Experience-Based Brain Therapy
✔ Advanced SE® Touch Skills Training (TST) – Clinical applications of somatic touch for deep nervous system regulation and trauma healing
✔ Somatic Attachment & Relationship Trauma Repair (DARE) – Healing relational trauma and attachment wounds
✔ Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) – Understanding the neurobiology of trauma, safety, and resilience
✔ Trauma Memory Reconsolidation & Coherence Therapy – Restoring emotional processing and releasing deeply held trauma imprints
✔ Perpetrator-Victim Dynamics in Sadistic & Narcissistic Abuse – Somatic restoration of safety, dignity, and resilience
✔ Polyvagal Theory & Neurosensory Integration – Dr. Stephen Porges (Regulating the nervous system through safety and co-regulation)
✔ Compassionate Inquiry – Dr. Gabor Maté (Mind-body approach to healing trauma, addiction, and emotional repression)
✔ Inherited Trauma & Family Constellation Work – Healing transgenerational trauma stored in the nervous system
✔ Mindfulness-Based Addiction & Relapse Recovery (MBAR) – Somatic-informed mindfulness for addiction healing

I facilitate Somatic Movements Trauma Recovery Groups and work tirelessly to support survivors of war, genocide, and displacement.

I am deeply committed to the rehabilitation of child soldiers, refugees, and those affected by mass trauma and oppression, including victims of climate disasters and climate displacements.

Books & Media

📖 Best-Selling Author of The Trauma We Don’t Talk About
🎤 Featured Speaker & Thought Leader in Trauma Healing
🎙 Listen to My Insights on Insight Timer

Ana Mael is actively expanding her reach through speaking engagements, collaborations, and thought leadership initiatives and healing summits worldwide on somatic trauma recovery, war trauma, and embodied resilience.

Final Words: This Is Your Time to Heal

No more minimizing your pain. No more waiting for the “right time.”

This is the time to heal, reclaim your power, and become the person you were meant to be—beyond the trauma.

💫 Let’s do the work together.
💬 Book a session now.