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Monday 9am - 8pm Tuesday 9am - 8pm Wednesday 9am - 8pm Thursday 9am - 8pm Friday 9am - 8pm Saturday 10am - 7pm Sunday 10am - 7pm

Melody Wright, Somatic Psychotherapy

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United States
Berkeley, CA
Melody Wright, Somatic Psychotherapy

Somatic Psychotherapist and Founder of Life by Design Therapy. Offering therapy and mental health education for all.

10/22/2025

✨ Please join us in welcoming Jhane Vargas, AMFT, to the Life By Design Therapy™ team!

Jhane brings a grounded, compassionate presence to her work, helping clients slow down, reconnect with themselves, and explore the patterns that shape how they move through the world.

She supports adults navigating stress, anxiety, life transitions, and identity exploration, and she’s passionate about creating a warm, safe space where clients can feel seen, understood, and empowered to grow.

Jhane is currently accepting new clients with in-person, online, and evening appointments available.

💛 If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy or finding a therapist who truly meets you where you are, we’d love to help you connect with Jhane.

10/17/2025

Did you know nearly 60% of students report feeling stressed every day?

For many teens, that stress doesn’t sound like “I’m overwhelmed.”
It looks like pulling away, staying in their room, snapping back, or sleeping more than usual. Beneath those behaviors is often a nervous system trying to keep up with the constant pressure of school, social media, and expectations from every direction.

As parents, one of the most powerful things you can do is shift from correction to connection. Your teen doesn’t need you to fix everything; they need to feel seen, safe, and supported.

Here are a few ways to help:
✨ Create space beyond screens. Invite your teen into moments that pull them into real life, like cooking together, taking a drive, or just sitting side by side.
✨ Support authentic self-expression. Show interest in what lights them up, even if it’s not your thing. Feeling understood builds confidence.
✨ Notice and celebrate everyday joys. Remind them that even on hard days, moments of laughter, music, or sunlight still matter.

There’s no perfect way to parent through stress, but showing up with curiosity, compassion, and presence makes all the difference.

💛 Want more ways to support your teen’s mental health? Read our latest blog for 10 practical tips to help your teen navigate stress and find balance.

10/16/2025

Behind every “boss” title is a human who carries a lot. You make decisions that ripple through others’ lives, constantly problem-solving, and carry the invisible mental load of leading well and caring deeply.

If you’re in that role, this is your reminder: you deserve support too.
You can take a breath, delegate, and let rest be part of your leadership.

Protecting your mental health isn’t just good for you; it’s what allows you to lead with clarity, compassion, and presence.

💛 Today, we’re also celebrating our incredible founder and leader, Melody Wright, LMFT, whose vision, empathy, and authenticity make Life By Design Therapy™ what it is. Thank you for leading with heart and intention every day.

If you’re ready to create space for your own mental health, our therapists at Life By Design Therapy™ are here to support you. [Link in bio]

10/15/2025

You don’t have to wait for things to fall apart to start therapy.

Sometimes the first signs you’re ready are quiet; you feel stuck in patterns you can’t name, you crave a space to talk without judgment, or you just want to feel more like yourself again.

Therapy isn’t about fixing what’s broken; it’s about understanding what your mind and body have been trying to tell you.

At Life By Design Therapy™, our holistic and somatic therapists help you reconnect with your nervous system, rediscover balance, and move through life with more calm and clarity.

✨ Learn more or schedule a consultation with the link in my bio

10/09/2025

Have you ever caught yourself wondering… is this stress, or is it anxiety?

They can feel almost identical in your body…your chest gets tight, your thoughts start racing, your shoulders tense, your energy dips.

And sometimes, you don’t even realize how much you’ve been carrying until you finally sit down at the end of the day.

Here’s the tricky part: stress usually has a clear “why.”
Maybe it’s a deadline, a packed calendar, or something unexpected happening in your life. Once the situation eases, your body can usually let go and settle.

Anxiety, though, is different.
It doesn’t always need a reason. You can wake up with it, feel it during a calm afternoon, or notice it creeping in when life should feel fine.

This is where the DSM-5’s description of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) helps us understand the difference. According to the DSM-5, GAD involves excessive worry on more days than not for at least six months, and it’s paired with symptoms such as:

- Restlessness or feeling keyed up/on edge
- Fatigue or low energy
- Difficulty concentrating or a blank mind
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Trouble falling or staying asleep

You don’t have to experience all of these for anxiety to be real—but these patterns highlight why anxiety feels so consuming and why it’s not just “normal stress.”

That’s what makes it so confusing: you’re left asking yourself, “Why do I feel like this when nothing’s even wrong?”

And this matters because how you respond changes everything.

Stress might need rest, delegation, or a break.

Anxiety often asks for something deeper…like support for your nervous system, grounding tools, or therapy to help address what’s keeping your body on high alert.

The more language you have for what you’re feeling, the more power you have to care for yourself in ways that actually help.

Naming it is the first step toward shifting it. 🌿

Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and is not meant for self-diagnosis. If you’re wondering whether you may be experiencing anxiety, consider reaching out to a licensed therapist or medical provider for support.

10/08/2025

If your mind never seems to rest, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

Anxiety has a way of convincing us that we’re failing when really, it’s your body working hard to protect you.

When peace feels far away, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your nervous system is doing its best to keep you safe.

The shift comes when we stop fighting ourselves and start meeting those moments with gentleness.

✨ Slow down. Inhale. Exhale.
This moment is enough. You are enough.

💬 Share this with someone who needs the reminder today. You don’t have to carry anxiety alone.

10/07/2025

I know what it’s like when anxiety feels heavier than usual, when your body is tense, your mind is racing, and even the smallest things feel overwhelming. 🌿

Right now, so many of us are living with more uncertainty, constant exposure to difficult news, and the weight of caring for others.

Your nervous system wasn’t built to hold this much for this long, which is why it may feel like you’re always on high alert.

But it doesn’t mean you’re weak or failing. It means you’re human and living in a world that feels overwhelming.

✨ Therapy can help lighten that load. It gives you a safe space to process what’s weighing you down, learn how anxiety shows up in your body, and discover tools that bring steadiness back into your day-to-day.

💛 If your anxiety has been feeling heavier lately, know you don’t have to carry it alone. Support is here when you’re ready.

10/06/2025

Therapy isn’t always about “feeling fixed” overnight; it’s about noticing steady, meaningful shifts in your daily life. 🌿

With somatic and holistic therapy, those shifts often begin in the body. You might notice…
✨ Tension that feels easier to release
✨ A steadier nervous system, fewer extremes in mood or energy
✨ Healthier ways of coping that feel natural, not forced
✨ Relationships improving as you hold clearer boundaries
✨ A growing sense of trust in yourself and your ability to handle what comes

These are signs that therapy is working, even if the process feels slow at times.

Somatic and holistic therapy go beyond understanding your thoughts; they help you connect with your body, too.

By bringing your body, mind, and emotions into alignment, this approach creates change that feels deeper and more lasting, not just surface-level.

💛 At Life By Design Therapy™, we specialize in somatic and holistic approaches that go deeper than “talking it out.”

If you’re ready to experience therapy in a way that truly supports your whole self, book a call with us today. The link is in our bio!

10/03/2025

When anxiety hits, it can feel like your whole system has been hijacked. Your heart races, your thoughts spin, your body tenses up, and all you want is relief, fast.

The good news? There are ways to support your nervous system in the moment.

These aren’t about forcing anxiety to disappear, but about signaling to your body that it’s safe enough to begin settling again.

✨ 3 Body-Based Tools to Calm Anxiety Quickly:

1️⃣ Ground through your senses
Look around and name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This anchors your nervous system back into the present moment instead of letting the mental loops continue.

2️⃣ Release stored tension
Anxiety often shows up in clenched jaws, tight shoulders, or restless hands. Try rolling your shoulders down and back, unclenching your jaw, or closing your fists and spreading your fingers wide. Releasing tension in the body tells your brain: “It’s okay to let go.”

3️⃣ Reset with your breath
Place one hand over your chest and inhale slowly, letting your belly rise. Exhale longer than your inhale (for example, in for 4, out for 6. This helps lower your heart rate and cues your body to move out of fight-or-flight.

🌿 Remember: anxiety is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s your body working hard to protect you.

When you learn to meet it with gentleness and give your body the tools it needs, you create space for calm to return.

✨ Save this post so you have these tools ready the next time anxiety shows up.

10/02/2025

Morning anxiety can feel like it takes over before your day even begins. Your heart’s racing, your thoughts are spinning, and your body feels like it’s already in survival mode.

For many people, cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, peaks right after waking up. If you pair that with a nervous system already on alert, mornings can feel overwhelming before your day even begins.

That’s why body-based practices can be so powerful in the morning.

Instead of pushing through or trying to “calm down” with thoughts alone, you’re giving your nervous system what it actually needs: signals of safety and regulation.

The practices in this post are designed to do just that: help your body recognize the present moment, interrupt the spiral, and create a calmer baseline to start your day.

Save this post to try tomorrow morning 🌿

10/01/2025

Anxiety often makes us feel like we need to think our way back to calm…to fix every thought, find every answer, silence every worry.

But peace doesn’t come from perfect thoughts.

It comes from reminding your body what safety and ease feel like.

Sometimes that looks as simple as softening your shoulders, slowing down your breath, or pausing long enough to notice the ground beneath you.

Not because the worry is gone, but because your nervous system can still find moments of relief even in the middle of it.

🌿 You don’t have to hold it all together. You don’t have to earn calm by fixing every anxious thought. Your body deserves these moments of rest…just as you are.

✨ Save this for the days you need the reminder: calm doesn’t mean the anxiety has disappeared, it means you’ve given your body a chance to breathe again.

09/30/2025

Sometimes my body feels anxious before my mind does.
A tight chest, a stomach that won’t settle, a racing heart out of nowhere.

And I catch myself wondering, what if this could be anxiety?

Anxiety doesn’t always start with spiraling thoughts. For many of us, it shows up in the body first, restlessness, tension, trouble sleeping, or a heaviness we can’t quite explain.

That’s why “just calm down” rarely works. My mind might know I’m okay, but my body hasn’t caught up yet.

It needs something different, grounding, breath, gentle movement, or touch to remind it that it’s safe.

If your body feels on edge even when your mind seems calm, it might be anxiety showing up in its own way. And that’s not a flaw, it’s your nervous system asking for care. 🌿

💛 If this feels familiar, know you don’t have to figure it out alone. Therapy can give you the tools and support your body needs to find steadier rhythms. Contact us today to find out more info!

Address

Berkeley, CA

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 8pm
Tuesday	9am - 8pm
Wednesday	9am - 8pm
Thursday	9am - 8pm
Friday	9am - 8pm
Saturday	10am - 7pm
Sunday	10am - 7pm

Website

https://www.melodywright.com/

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Our Story

Hi, I’m Melody Wright, LMFT. I am the Founder of Life by Design Therapy and a Licensed Somatic Psychotherapist.

I enjoy working with adults and couples and I’m passionate about supporting clients in healing old wounds, connecting with their deepest desires and creating lasting change that has the potential to impact generations to come.

I also support therapists, coaches and entrepreneurs struggling to feel empowered around money and their practice. I utilize 18+ years worth of business ownership, tax and bookkeeping knowledge to support you in creating a business that brings you joy and abundance!

Meet Our Therapy Team Melody Wright, LMFT #107069 - Founder and Somatic Therapist Ashley Gregory, LMFT #110299 - Somatic Therapist Dr. Nia Saunders, PSY#31472 - Clinical Psychologist