About Krystal Ying

Compassionate somatic therapy for healing, growth, and wholeness.

About Krystal Ying (she/her)

I live, work, and play on the stolen, ancestral homelands of the Southern Pomo, Coast Miwok, Graton Rancheria peoples. 

I love being in nature, where you’ll often find me with my dog and child exploring forests, beaches, trails, or camping. 

My favorite movie genres are dark comedies, coming-of-age, 80s and 90s, and documentaries. I love photography, stargazing, metaphysics, expanding consciousness, and collecting crystals and rocks, books, and plants - one can never have too many! I practice mindfulness and meditation, study Buddhism as a guide to life, and believe that learning and healing are a continuous, eternal journey.

I am passionate about helping survivors of all backgrounds work through difficulties and reclaim their spirit and selves. 

Having gone through my own hardships, I understand pain and suffering, and also healing and empowerment; this fuels the hope I have to help others. 

I have particular interest in advocating for and working with survivors of sexual trauma - including abuse, assault, rape, incest, or violence. It is always an incredible honor and privilege to walk alongside my clients. I get to witness survivors step into their strength, confidence, and wholeness. This is something that I find beautiful and inspiring.

Initiating therapy takes courage. Finding someone you connect with is one of the most important aspects of therapy. My hope is to create a space where you feel seen, believed, and empowered so you can address your past with compassion and support so that it no longer limits you. 

“The path doesn’t go from here to there, it goes from there to here..”

—Jack Kornfield

My Approach

Every person's story, experience, and nervous system are different, which is why the therapy process is just as unique

My work is grounded in trauma-informed, body-centered (somatic), relational approaches and incorporates neuroscience and parts work. It integrates the deep connection between mind, body, and spirit. 

Healing isn't simply about retelling what happened. It's also about helping your body release any unresolved trauma memories so you can experience greater safety, peace, and connection to yourself in the present moment.

Depending on your needs, our work together may integrate somatic therapy, mindfulness, talk therapy, attachment-based therapy, parts work, nervous system regulation, and other research-backed approaches that support meaningful, lasting change on a body-mind-spirit level.

Education &
Professional Background

Additionally, I am part of two monthly somatic trauma therapist consultation groups to ensure I am getting support to better serve my clients. I help clients in coming home to themselves and their bodies with a somatic, relational, and trauma-informed approach.

My professional work is rooted in advanced professional training, research-backed modalities that lead to lasting change, as well as deepening my inner growth and healing. Most invaluably, my work is inspired and guided by the sacred work I get to do with each of my clients. 

I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling from Sonoma State University and my Bachelor’s degree in Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz. 

I have specialized training and experience in sexual trauma, childhood trauma (CPTSD), and attachment wounds. 

    • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)  CA #105843

    • Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) CA #6216

    • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) OR #C7378 ​

    • Somatic Therapy (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy)

    • Sexual Trauma 

    • Complex Trauma (CPTSD) 

    • Developmental Injuries / Attachment Trauma

    • Mindfulness-Based Practices

    • Nervous System Regulation

    • Dissociative Disorders

    • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Levels I & II: advanced, specialized training in body-based (somatic) talk therapy for treatment of trauma, developmental/attachment trauma and wounds, complex trauma (CPTSD). See level 1 here. See level 2 here

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    • Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Levels I & II (CCTP-II): training and certification for treating trauma, complex trauma and dissociative disorders with Janina Fisher, Ph.D. Certificate# 423258. ​See here

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    • Flash Technique: Basic Principles and Protocols with Philip Manfield, Ph.D. See here

    • Yoga for Trauma Certificate: somatic-based approaches for nervous system regulation. See here

What You Can Expect

We'll work on feeling more in control of your life, where your day's not ruined from accidentally scrolling the news headlines online or seeing someone in the grocery store aisle. You'll learn the many ways of bringing yourself back to the present moment so that you're an empowered agent, rather than a passive passenger to life.

Many of my clients are overridden with shame that doesn't actually belong to them - it belongs to those who harmed them. Their symptoms and experiences are not evidence of being broken, but actually signs that their nervous systems are stuck in survival mode.

My goal is to help you reach your goals, even if you don't know exactly what they are yet. Maybe this includes feeling more confident that you can leave your bedroom, not freezing or panicking all the time, experiencing more awe and curiosity about yourself and the world around you, or feeling more connected to your body and spirit.

People have described therapy with me as compassionate, grounding, insightful, comforting, and warm. 

Healing is not linear, but rather unfolds like an upward spiral. I offer a way to reconnect with yourself and heal in an embodied way.

Beyond the Therapy Room

Outside of my work as a therapist, you can find me recharging in nature and working on my own continuous healing path.

Time outside, photography, being with my chosen family and friends, enjoying nourishing foods, playing and laughing, and connecting with the awe of the universe are ways I stay true to myself and feel the interconnectivity of us all.

Sun: Scorpio

Moon: Aquarius

Rising Sign: Virgo

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Reaching out for support can feel scary, but you don't have to have everything figured out before you begin. 

Whether you're navigating the aftermath of a traumatic event, feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges, or simply looking for a space to better understand the inner complexities of yourself, therapy offers an opportunity to look within, tend to your wounds, explore or update patterns that no longer serve you, and move toward lasting healing.

If my approach feels like the right fit, I'd be honored to work with you. 

Request an appointment