Finding Safety in Emotions Through Emotional Regulation – An Interview with Somatic Coach Malak ElShazly

Malak ElShazly is a compassionate, certified guide in emotional regulation and mind-body connection, helping people feel their emotions safely and fully.

Her work is rooted in personal experience, navigating her own challenges and discovering the missing link that transformed her life: the body. Over years of study, therapy, and self-exploration, she came to understand that the mind, emotions, and physical sensations are not separate, but part of one intelligent system.

Malak empowers her clients to identify patterns, name emotions, and connect with their bodies, creating lasting shifts in how they experience daily life. She specializes in helping people navigate stress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm by teaching practical, individualized tools that honor the nervous system’s natural rhythms.

With a focus on safety, consistency, and compassion, Malak shows that emotional regulation is not about being calm all the time, but about building the capacity to feel, respond, and move through emotions without fear. Her clients learn to trust themselves, reclaim agency, and experience the transformative power of living fully embodied.

Malak ElShazly, Somatic Coach

Who is Malak ElShazly?

Malak ElShazly is a deeply curious and compassionate person who teaches what she once needed most herself. Her work is rooted in lived experience through personal hardships and a persistent sense that something essential was missing despite doing “all the right things.”

Over time, Malak learned to express and name her emotions, but she noticed true change remained out of reach. The missing link was the body. Through years of exploration – from therapy to personal experimentation she discovered that emotions, physical sensations, and the mind are parts of one intelligent, interconnected system.

This realization shifted how Malak saw herself and those around her. The more she learned, the more she stood in awe of how the mind, emotions, and body work together. Befriending the body became the turning point in her own healing. Today, she helps others reconnect with this missing piece, guiding them to feel safely and interpret their emotional and physical experiences as meaningful information, not problems to fix.

What inspired you to start your journey in emotional regulation and balance?

From a very young age, I was invested in understanding myself. I journaled, reflected, and analyzed my emotions relentlessly. But over time, I realized I wasn’t actually feeling my emotions, I was intellectualizing them. Half my life was spent understanding myself rather than living myself.

When I finally turned toward the body, it felt overwhelming, like my system had been frozen in ice for years. As that ice melted, everything my body had been holding back surfaced. Awareness intensified before it softened. It got worse before it got better, and I almost gave up.

That experience taught me one of the most important truths I now share with clients: healing is painful, but it’s always worth it. Pain cannot be avoided; it must be felt safely and consciously. After years of trying everything, a somatic approach became the missing piece. Once I began listening to my body rather than fighting it, my life shifted. I moved out of survival mode, fear lessened, and I found clarity. That became the foundation of my work.

Can you share a breakthrough moment in your career that made you realize this work is your calling?

The breakthrough came when I started working with clients and saw their transformations in real time. People began understanding themselves in ways they never had before, even after years of working with other professionals.

The real shift happened when they understood that their nervous systems had been programmed from childhood and linked it to how they carry themselves now. Their bodies began to soften. Breath changed. Patterns that had felt permanent started to loosen.

When clients received practical, body-based tools, they didn’t just understand intellectually, they felt change. Witnessing this repeatedly confirmed that this work was not just something I had learned; it was something I was meant to offer.

What are the most common emotional struggles your clients face, and how do you help them overcome them?

Many clients struggle to understand their patterns, especially how their nervous system responds to stress. They often resist feeling their emotions because it feels overwhelming. Naming emotions, noticing triggers, and understanding that contradictory emotions can exist simultaneously are common challenges.

I help clients work slowly, often starting with simple, gentle practices from bed. I see every client who chooses to explore their emotions and work with their body as brave. Over time, they begin to feel grounded, less reactive, and more capable of meeting themselves with clarity and compassion.

How do you tailor your approach to meet the unique needs of each client?

I start by helping clients observe how they react to stress in real life, so we can identify which state their nervous system is in. This is critical because each state requires a different approach and different tools. What works for one person may backfire for another.

By understanding whether someone tends to activate, shut down, or fluctuate between states, I can meet them where they are and provide tools that are safe and effective. This individualized approach helps regulation happen naturally, instead of forcing it.

Can you describe the process your clients go through when working with you?

From the start, I explain that my approach is different. We focus on the body, not just thoughts. Clients begin by noticing their responses to stress in real time. We then name emotions and connect them to patterns in their lives.

As awareness grows, they start to feel tangible changes in their body and reactions. Progress happens slowly and consistently. The work becomes less about fixing and more about listening, responding, and staying present, where lasting balance develops.

What tools or techniques do you use to help individuals better regulate their emotions?

All clients work on identifying and naming emotions, noticing triggers, and enhancing the mind-body connection.

For those in a sympathetic state, feeling anxious or on edge: we use grounding techniques, breath awareness, and mindfulness to help the nervous system settle. For those in a dorsal vagal state – experiencing numbness or disconnection: we use activation exercises to bring aliveness back into the body and reconnect with sensation.

Every tool is chosen to meet the nervous system where it is, creating safety, trust, and sustainable regulation.

How do you stay motivated and energized to continue helping others on their emotional journeys?

I stay motivated by practicing my own daily regulation. Before sessions, I ensure I am present and able to notice subtle body language and what’s unspoken. There are moments when it’s challenging, I’m human too, but I love this work.

Consistency with daily regulation tools is essential. Every client teaches me something new, and that ongoing learning keeps me energized and inspired.

What advice do you have for someone who is struggling with emotional regulation but doesn’t know where to start?

Start with safety. Safety is the foundation. Begin with tools that help you feel secure in your body, even in small ways.

Patience and compassion are key. Shame often keeps people stuck, so I encourage noticing somatic patterns and triggers without judgment. Even two minutes a day of mindful practice can show the body it can exist in safety, not danger. Over time, emotions that once felt overwhelming become manageable, and the nervous system learns to trust itself.

In your experience, what are some misconceptions about emotional regulation that you’d like to clear up?

Many people think emotionally regulated people are always calm or “zen.” That’s not true. Regulation is a skill, not a permanent state.

It’s about capacity: being able to feel the full range of emotions, from sadness to anger to joy, without being overwhelmed. Regulation also involves completing emotional cycles in the body so emotions don’t get stuck. Awareness and safety allow release to happen naturally, and over time, responding to emotions becomes easier and more integrated.

What do you hope your clients take away from working with you, and how does it impact their daily lives?

Above all, I want clients to feel hope. Emotions can feel unbearable, but change is possible. They can learn to love and forgive themselves after enduring pain.

I want them to know it’s okay to feel and express emotions, even difficult ones. Over time, they develop self-reliance, emotional agency, and trust in their body. Emotional regulation becomes a lived skill, making daily life more manageable, connected, and meaningful.

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