The Power of Somatic Therapy in Overcoming Trauma – Exclusive Interview with Anna Kuyumcuoglu

Anna Kuyumcuoglu, a licensed trauma therapist and founder of Wall Street Therapy, shares her unique approach to healing, blending trauma-informed care, somatic therapies, and EMDR. Specializing in helping individuals overcome anxiety, trauma, and relationship struggles, Anna’s therapy offers profound and lasting change beyond traditional methods.

Anna Kuyumcuoglu, Licensed Psychotherapist

Who is Anna Kuyumcuoglu and what inspired you to become a therapist?

I’m a licensed trauma therapist and creative arts therapist, and the founder of Wall Street Therapy. I was drawn to this work through both lived experience and deep professional curiosity about how people survive, adapt, and heal. Early on, I became fascinated by the gap between what people know intellectually and what their nervous systems actually hold. I didn’t want to just help people understand themselves – I wanted to help them truly change how they feel, relate, and live in their bodies. That led me into trauma-informed, somatic, and depth-based therapies that work at the root rather than the surface.

What makes your approach at Wall Street Therapy unique compared to traditional therapy?

Wall Street Therapy is designed for people who function highly on the outside but feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or dysregulated internally. My approach integrates trauma-informed, somatic, attachment-based, and relational therapies rather than relying solely on insight or conversation. We work with the nervous system, the body, and unconscious patterns – not just symptoms or diagnoses. Sessions are structured, attuned, and experiential. The focus is clarity, integration, and lasting change – not endless talking without movement.

Who is your ideal client, and what are the common challenges they come to you with?

My ideal clients are thoughtful, capable people who feel like something still isn’t working – despite insight, success, or past therapy. They often struggle with anxiety, trauma, relationship patterns, emotional overwhelm, burnout, or feeling disconnected from themselves. Many are professionals, creatives, couples, or individuals navigating transitions who want depth, precision, and real change – not surface coping strategies.

How do trauma-informed and somatic therapies help people heal in ways other talk therapies might not?

Trauma-informed and somatic therapies recognize that trauma lives in the nervous system and body, not just in memory or language. Talking alone doesn’t always reach the places where survival responses are stored. By working with sensation, emotion, movement, and regulation, we help the body experience safety, completion, and coherence. When the body changes, the mind follows. This allows healing that feels embodied, stable, and real – not just understood.

Can you explain how EMDR works and why it’s effective for trauma and stress?

EMDR helps the brain reprocess experiences that were overwhelming or never fully integrated. Through bilateral stimulation – such as eye movements or tactile input – the brain is supported in completing what it couldn’t at the time of the event. Distressing memories lose their emotional charge, and new, adaptive information can take root. EMDR is effective because it works directly with how memory and stress are stored neurologically, not just cognitively.

What types of issues do you most often help adults, couples, teens, and children overcome?

I work with adults, couples, teens, and children around trauma, anxiety, depression, attachment wounds, relationship difficulties, identity issues, developmental trauma, and emotional regulation. With couples, I often help shift stuck dynamics, improve communication, and repair attachment ruptures. With children and teens, I integrate expressive and somatic approaches that allow them to process experiences in developmentally appropriate ways.

How do you tailor your therapeutic approach to meet each person’s individual needs?

No two nervous systems are the same. I tailor therapy based on a person’s history, physiology, attachment style, and current capacity. Some sessions are more structured and grounding; others are deeper and experiential. I draw from modalities like EMDR, IFS/parts work, somatic therapy, and relational work depending on what the moment calls for. Therapy should meet the person, not force the person to fit the model.

What results or transformations have your clients experienced from working with you?

Clients often report feeling more regulated, clear, and grounded in themselves. They experience fewer trauma responses, improved relationships, better boundaries, and a stronger sense of agency. Many describe feeling “back in their body,” more emotionally available, and more aligned with who they actually are. The change isn’t just symptom relief – it’s a shift in how they relate to themselves and others.

Why is it important to address both the body and mind in therapy?

Because the body keeps the score. The mind may understand, but the body decides whether we feel safe, connected, and alive. When therapy includes the body, change becomes sustainable. Addressing both allows healing to move from insight into lived experience, where real transformation happens.

What should someone expect during their first session with you?

The first session is focused on safety, clarity, and understanding what you need. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you in, but we’ll also pay attention to how you’re experiencing the conversation in your body. There’s no pressure to perform or disclose everything. My goal is to create a grounded, attuned space where you feel seen, respected, and supported from the start.

What is one piece of advice you would give someone hesitant to seek therapy right now?

You don’t have to be at your worst to start therapy. You just have to be curious about feeling better. Seeking support isn’t a failure – it’s a sign of self-respect. Therapy isn’t about being broken; it’s about allowing yourself to be supported in becoming more whole.

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