The Meaning Behind Stillness Therapy
Stillness is the Move, Haven’t You Heard? ⛰️
Welcome back! Today, I want to share the story behind my practice’s name and logo. The answer involves a Solange song, an ancient sea creature, and my journey out of burnout.
Choosing a name took some time, there were moments of panic about what to call something that felt so big and special. There was a lyric I held onto for years–stillness is the move. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time, particularly the Solange cover (sorry, Dirty Projectors). The cover boasts a beautiful west coast beat native Angelenos know and love, so it reminds me of home. Still, it was the lyrics that hooked me in (thank you, Dirty Projectors). I interpret it as an existential song reminding me of the sweetness of life as well as the suffering that comes with it. I enjoy art that has something to say, challenges me, and encourages self-reflection. This song helps me feel present, and in turn, be still, even if it’s for four minutes at a time.
What Stillness Means to Me
I left community mental health because I was burned out. And my intention was to build a practice that reflected my values and approach to therapy. Something that honored the work I do with clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and identity. While also something that captured peace and intentionality I wanted to bring to this new chapter of my career.
I kept this in mind while brainstorming names for my practice. I reflected on the survival-based stillness I experienced growing up. I personally understand how uncomfortable stillness can feel when we do it out of fear or necessity rather than choice. And it brings up painful memories. But I’ve learned that stillness doesn’t have to be feared. It can be transformed to something soothing and grounding. It’s a practice that can help us build feelings of safety over time and reconnect us to our bodies.
Often, people think of quiet, meditative practices when they think of stillness. But stillness lives and breathes in many things. Stillness is the move. How does stillness feel? Well, it may feel like acceptance, fluidity, and authenticity. The antithesis of an internal struggle. Stillness is being in harmony with yourself and the living things around you. How can we trust ourselves again to know what feels good for us by our own standards rather than someone else’s standards? We start by being still, and feeling, reflecting, and listening. In stillness, we find meaning and gain emotional insight of our inner and external world. We can practice stillness through silence, yoga, dancing, conversations, cooking, writing, solitude, and bonding. I don’t engage stillness as a practice I need to perfect, but more so, a practice that has potential to bring me deep joy, peace, connection to breath, and awareness. I like to help my clients understand this concept and apply it to their own lives in ways that feel safe and intuitive for them.
The Chambered Nautilus
Photo by Jossuha Théophile on Unsplash
Having recently quit my job, I finally had time to intentionally figure out the logo. The moment was ideal, dreamy, and organic. I had an important decision to make and I didn’t want to stress about it.
What could visually represent my intention? The light bulb went on one morning immediately after waking up from a dream. It had been a few months since I’d resigned from my job. I saw the image of the chambered nautilus so clearly in my mind and remembered the times I came across it throughout my life. It dates back to a one-on-one conversation I had with my AP English teacher Ms. Shelton. She referenced it once in class—I believe it was a Zora Neale Hurston book we were reading—and explained the meaning of the symbol. By coincidence, a few weeks or months after this conversation, my mother returned from a México trip and gifted me a chambered shell necklace. Synchronicities. I still have this necklace and I wear it from time to time. On and off, I’d thought about it for years. It all fell into place that peaceful morning. Serendipity.
I was on a journey to reconnect my dreams and life goals, having been spiritually disconnected from myself while working at a job that placed profit over quality care. I knew I needed time to recover and I gave myself that time. This period of recovery allowed me to gain back clarity and make meaningful connections such as the one I described above.
The thing that’s so fascinating about the chambered nautilus is that it’s one of the oldest creatures known to survive Earth’s oceans for over 450 million years. It is a living fossil. There’s a 12-month gestation period. When it hatches from the egg, there are four fully formed chambers. And as it grows, new chambers are formed and old chambers are sealed off. It gradually develops and matures, and forms up to 30 chambers in its lifetime. Does this remind you of anything? Additionally, if you look closely, you’ll notice this symbol appears in many things like sunflowers, trees, water, lemons, ocean waves, hurricanes, our vast galaxy, and the Golden Ratio based on the Fibonacci sequence, which is also called “the sacred geometry” (see below). It’s a symbol of grace, spirituality, movement, beauty, elegance, expansion, renewal, and strength. I often work with folks who are looking to tap into and develop those exact things. In a nutshell, I help folks gain insight, uniquely practice stillness, in order to grow and expand in meaningful ways.
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, appearing widely in nature, art, and architecture.
What to Expect from Stillness Therapy
I provide virtual therapy for adults in California, Colorado, and Texas, specializing in:
Anxiety, depression, and trauma
LGBTQ+ affirming care
Spirituality
Identity exploration and life transitions
Workplace stress and burnout
Immigration psychological evaluations (VAWA, U-Visa, T-Visa, Extreme Hardship)
I'm a queer non-binary therapist committed to social justice-oriented, trauma-focused care. I integrate Jungian theory, spirituality along with evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based techniques. My practice centers minoritized communities and honors the many ways people find healing.
If you're looking for therapy that celebrates your full identity and helps you practice stillness in ways that feel intuitive for you, I'd love to work together. Email me at noemi@stillnesstherapy.net to schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation.
Stillness Therapy reflects both the journey that brought me here and the work I do with clients every day. Whether you're navigating anxiety, exploring your identity, recovering from burnout, or seeking support through a difficult transition, my practice exists to hold space for all of it. Thank you for letting me share this story with you. And I hope you’ll reflect on your relationship with stillness.
