Mo Mata, AMFT
explore YOUR MIND-BODY CONNECTION WITH A SOMATIC THERAPIST
Who is Mo & who does she primarily work with?
Monique 'Mo' is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist that specializes in individual therapy. Mo works with adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and life transitions. She also has extensive experience supporting those with trauma, PTSD and LGBTQIA+ issues. Mo is a trauma-informed therapist with expertise in somatic experiencing, IFS/parts work, surf therapy, and DBT.
Previously, Mo has worked with at-risk youth, individuals with chronic pain, and in the nonprofit sector. She is currently part of Groundswell, a non profit that offers Surf Therapy for individuals experiencing trauma and its residual mental health impacts.
How does Mo’s past experiences influence her as a therapist today?
Growing up it became natural for Mo to be empathetic, caring and attuned to her emotions. She found herself in situations where people would come to share their experiences and struggles with her. After experiencing therapy herself for her own healing journey, she found a passion to hold space for individuals who are struggling with their mental health. She is very proud to be a lantinx, queer therapist to not only show representation in the mental health field, but also to be able to relate to folks who are having a hard time finding a therapist that understands where they are coming from.
How does it feel to be in a therapy space with Mo?
Through her own experiences, Mo understands that being vulnerable with someone can feel awkward and challenging. However, she also knows the healing power of letting yourself be seen. She strives to create a non-judgmental, safe, calm and comfortable space where you both can feel authentic. Leaning into her somatic approach, Mo incorporates body checks and movement into sessions.
She knows that 50 minutes is limited, so she empowers clients to make the most of their therapy time. She is guided by what works for each client and trusts in the therapeutic process to help them achieve their goals.
How does Mo bring the mind-body connection into somatic therapy?
One of Mo's specialities is helping clients bridge the gap between their minds and bodies. At the start of each session, Mo guides her clients through a grounding exercise. A favorite technique and one she uses at the start of each session is body scanning - this helps clients tune into their body & physical sensations.
Mo believes that our bodies hold a wealth of wisdom that can guide us towards alignment - signaling when something feels right or wrong. After a traumatic experience you may lose touch with your body - part of the trauma work Mo does, involves reconnecting with your physical sensations and learning to listen to them with compassion and understanding.
In addition to grounding and body scans, Mo also uses parts talk from Internal Family Systems to help clients build relationships with different aspects of themselves and identify where they reside within each part of themselves.
How does Mo work with those struggling with anxiety?
Mo understands that anxiety can be overwhelming and may limit your sense of potential. However, she believes that these feelings can also offer valuable insights. Mo guides clients in developing a different relationship with their anxiety part. By understanding where anxiety resides in their bodies, how it manifests, and what it’s trying to communicate, Mo can help clients build a healthier relationship with it. She supports her clients by helping to reduce the overwhelming feelings associated with anxiety while also teaching and implementing coping skills and tools to manage anxious feelings.
During a session, You may hear Mo say ‘give yourself grace’ or 'you are doing your best with what you have’, when there is a setback in her client's healing journey. Mo loves to remind her clients that healing takes time - this little reminder to give ourselves grace when we feel like we should have “done better” can go a long way!
How does Mo like to spend her spare time?
Mo has recently gotten into road biking! It has been her favorite hobby to ride her bike around the city with her friends and grab food somewhere. She also loves anything outdoors like surfing, snorkeling, slow pitch softball, rock climbing, and volleyball.
growgood psychology has a team of trauma-informed therapists that are committed to creating a safe and collaborative healing environment.
Confronting the pain we’ve endured can be both challenging and a catalyst for profound personal growth. Here at growgood, our therapists work to create a safe holding space for you to reconnect with your body - teaching and implementing coping skills and tools to manage those overwhelming emotions. Connect with us today to start a quest for wholeness and self- discovery.