Eve Arbel Holistic Therapy

Eve Arbel Holistic Therapy Somatic therapy for individuals and couples preparing for or navigating parenthood. Online in California.

AI is compelling, to say the least.It can reflect, organize, validate, and respond with empathy-adjacent language.But th...
02/04/2026

AI is compelling, to say the least.
It can reflect, organize, validate, and respond with empathy-adjacent language.

But therapy isn’t primarily a conversation.
It’s a biological, relational process.

From an interpersonal neurobiology lens, healing happens below words, in the nervous system, in co-regulation, in being felt and witnessed by another human system.

AI can help you think about your experience on a cognitive level. Experiential therapy helps you have a different experience from within. And this felt experience, not insight or advice, is what rewires the brain.

AI cannot replace the healing power of human presence.

I go more in depth on this topic on my website blog. Link in bio.

✨

therapythoughts healingisrelational traumainformed coRegulation

The to-do list isn’t going anywhere.So what if, instead of rushing through it, we held the goal of being present, and ev...
01/20/2026

The to-do list isn’t going anywhere.
So what if, instead of rushing through it, we held the goal of being present, and even finding pleasure in it? Viewing each errand, each task, each responsibility as a privilege; a gift.

This mindset shift is actually a healing brain state. There are brain states that help us integrate our systems and experiences, and brain states that serve to protect and defend us from real or perceived danger and threat. Neither is better than the other; they serve different purposes.

Our life circumstances, history, and biochemistry shape how often we live in each state. Many people come to therapy wanting more access to healing states—
gratitude, compassion, acceptance, radical love.

Therapy doesn’t eliminate defensive states, because sometimes we truly need them.
Therapy can help us understand them, regulate ourselves through them, and put them in context. Because every symptom makes sense given the context it formed in.
Therapy can help us access those healing brain states when it’s safe to.

So if you’re struggling with stress, just know that your body and mind’s responses are wise adaptations. They’re doing their jobs. And sometimes they need a gentle refresh for the version of you you’re moving towards.

Making space for multiple truths. Share with a parent who could use the reminders 🤍
01/14/2026

Making space for multiple truths. Share with a parent who could use the reminders 🤍

Sometimes it’s the simple tools that work best. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths. Say k...
01/12/2026

Sometimes it’s the simple tools that work best. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths. Say kind words to yourself. Notice how your body reorganizes and your system knows what it needs next. Repeat as often as necessary.





Experiential therapy is therapy that helps you feel your way into change, not just talk about it.Instead of staying in y...
11/26/2025

Experiential therapy is therapy that helps you feel your way into change, not just talk about it.
Instead of staying in your head, we work with the felt sense of your body, your emotions, your memories, and the patterns shaped by your nervous system.

At its core, experiential work is about engaging the brain pathways that hold our stories, defenses, and long-learned ways of relating. When we bring these patterns into the present moment and create new experiences of safety, connection, and choice, the brain begins to naturally rewire.

In practice, this can look like:
✨ slowing down and noticing what’s happening in your body
✨ tracking micro-shifts in safety, tension, and emotion
✨ exploring imagery, movement, breath, or sensation
✨ repairing old patterns in real time with a supportive other

It’s not about performing or getting it “right.”
It’s about giving your nervous system the experiences it needed then, and still needs now, so you can feel more grounded, connected, confident, and at home in yourself.

Change happens through experience. Experiential therapy creates the conditions for the experiences that heal.





✨ The quiet magic of unstructured play ✨My almost-4-year-old often lines up her stuffies as her “students” and reads boo...
11/18/2025

✨ The quiet magic of unstructured play ✨

My almost-4-year-old often lines up her stuffies as her “students” and reads books to them. Today her little sister joined as the assistant.
No direction, no agenda; just her own inner world unfolding. In these moments, I get a glimpse of what she experiences at preschool, what she’s integrating, and how she makes sense of her day.

Children reveal themselves most clearly when we step back and truly observe. When children have space to lead, they naturally rehearse new skills, integrate their day, and express emotions in ways words can’t yet reach.

Unstructured play is where we see their competence, their curiosity, their problem-solving, and their emotional processing. Boredom serves as the starting point. Not something to fix, but a space that invites creativity, imagination, and inner leadership.

Our role as caregivers isn’t to constantly entertain or direct.
It’s to create a safe, nurturing environment where play can unfold naturally, and to be present and available when they need safety, connection, boundaries, reflection, or information. We protect the container; they lead the journey.

Unstructured play is not empty time.
It’s the deep work of childhood.

🌸 Virtual office is now open for new clients in CA 🌸 Check out the new website to learn more— evearbeltherapy.comAnd sha...
11/10/2025

🌸 Virtual office is now open for new clients in CA 🌸
Check out the new website to learn more— evearbeltherapy.com
And share with any new or expectant parents who could use some support 🩵

Part 2: The Gifts of Acceptance 🌿As I deepen into the practice of acceptance, I’m realizing a few more gifts it offers:1...
10/07/2025

Part 2: The Gifts of Acceptance 🌿

As I deepen into the practice of acceptance, I’m realizing a few more gifts it offers:

1️⃣ Acceptance creates space.
It allows a gentle pause between you and your thoughts, emotions, and actions. And we love a good pause — a little breathing room within.

2️⃣ Acceptance makes you a witness.
You begin to observe your internal experience rather than being merged, identified, or overcome by it.

3️⃣ Acceptance awakens your inner wise one.
With that space and witnessing, you become the soothing, steady presence for yourself.

Because accepting doesn’t mean we like or approve of what’s happening.
It simply means we’re willing to be with it.
We can accept that something is hard, that we don’t feel good, that we wish it were different.

Through witnessing and being with, we stay by our own side — through the hard, through the tender.
Less avoiding. Less frantic fixing.
More calm. More love within. ✨

As we practice acceptance, compassion naturally blooms. When we stop fighting our experience, we soften toward ourselves. Acceptance opens the heart — and self-compassion flows in to fill that space.

Acceptance is the doorway to self-compassion. The moment we allow ourselves to be as we are, we become kinder, more understanding, and more patient with our own humanity.

Through acceptance, we meet ourselves with tenderness. What we once judged, we now hold with care. And in that holding, compassion takes root. 🌸

10/06/2025

The practice of acceptance is profoundly stabilizing and grounding. It brings us into direct contact with reality.

When we release resistance, judgment, and the stories we tell about what is, we discover equanimity and freedom. And when we notice ourselves resisting the present moment—accept that too.

It becomes a kind of playful challenge: to catch ourselves in non-acceptance, and then gently return to acceptance. In that return, there’s both insight and peace. We see where we’re caught, and we embody the clarity of radical acceptance, even if only for a moment. ✨

It’s been a while! I used to post here regularly as a somatic psychotherapist. Then I had two babies, went quiet, and li...
08/06/2025

It’s been a while! I used to post here regularly as a somatic psychotherapist. Then I had two babies, went quiet, and lived a few lifetimes off the screen.

Motherhood has rewired me in the best ways, so I’m feeling called to start sharing again slowly.

This glimmer of drawing with my kiddo feels like a perfect place to begin. Nervous system regulation meets art therapy, play edition.

My practice isn’t open to new clients just yet, but that’s coming…along with writing, audio, and a few offerings I’m excited to shape.

If you’d like to stay in the loop, DM me your email and I’ll add you to the list 💌

Start where you are. Start imperfectly. Drop comparisons to others. Their journeys are theirs to live, plus no one does ...
08/06/2025

Start where you are. Start imperfectly.
Drop comparisons to others. Their journeys are theirs to live, plus no one does it quite like you ✨
Do the work and allow the path to unfold. No need to rush anything, because each piece— even the seemingly ugly ones— is part of the greater puzzle. Radically accept the messiness, mistakes, and the unknown. Equally embrace the moments of inspiration, joy, clarity, and flow.

My daughters and I pass these fragrant roses on our daily walks. We stop, smell them, talk about the colors. Nature, movement, slowing down, mindfulness— they all help uncover these moments of peace.

In times of overwhelm or overstimulation, choose to pause, place one hand over your heart and the other on your belly, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. Feel your feet on the ground. Simple, quick grounding. Change begins within🪞

I’m practicing right along with you ☺️

For more holistic mental health tips follow and tag or share with a friend who needs it 💞

Just one of the many gems from the amazing training I recently completed: The Neurobiology of Feeling Safe, Working with...
09/30/2022

Just one of the many gems from the amazing training I recently completed: The Neurobiology of Feeling Safe, Working with Boundaries Inside and Out by . I learned so much about how to work with the brain and body to cultivate healthy boundaries and create more safety and self esteem both within and in relationships. The training has already infused my work with clients and we’re seeing incredible results. I’m excited to delve into Level 2: Safety Within and Between.

If you are wanting to feel more grounded, secure, and confident in yourself and out in the world, this boundary work may be for you. I have a few openings for therapy for adults, teens, and couples. Contact me for a free consultation to explore working together.

Strong back, soft front, wild heart 💖

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Oakland, CA

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