Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy

01/08/2026

Thinking about therapy in the new year?
This is your sign. ✨

Contact MCSP today.
406-541-2662

01/06/2026

New year. New possibilities.
Same you—just supported.

Therapy isn’t about fixing what’s broken; it’s about strengthening what’s already there. If you’re ready to work through stress, anxiety, relationships, or life transitions, MCSP might be a good fit.

If you want to learn more about our services or are interested in getting set up with a therapist. Please contact us at 406-541-2662 or visit our website at Montanacsp.com.

01/01/2026

Happy holiday from our team here at Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy!

12/30/2025

Understanding the Spectrum of Anxiety Disorders: It’s Not Just About Being Worried All the Time

Everyone hears about anxiety and how it causes you to be constantly worried. However, anxiety is not just about those racing, worrying thoughts. As it turns out, like many other psychological or developmental disorders, it comes in a spectrum. At its core, anxiety is a natural human response. It’s what keeps us alert, aware, and safe. But when that response becomes overwhelming, it shifts into something far more complex than everyday nerves.

How Anxiety Becomes a Problem

So, what makes an anxiety disorder a disorder? It often comes down to intensity and impact. People may experience racing thoughts they can’t turn off, physical symptoms like trembling or shortness of breath, or a constant sense of dread that shows up without an apparent trigger. These symptoms can quietly affect work, relationships, and daily routines, even when someone appears “fine” on the outside.

Trust us when we say that you should dig a little deeper when someone says they are doing fine and their body language says otherwise.

The Spectrum of Anxiety

Anxiety comes in many forms that dictate thought, manifest different symptoms, and create triggers. Here’s what we mean when we talk about a “spectrum”:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, excessive worry about everyday life situations.

Panic Disorder: Marked by sudden, intense panic attacks.

Social Anxiety Disorder: Centers on a fear of judgment, embarrassment, or rejection in social or performance situations.

Specific Phobias: Intense, irrational fear of a particular object or situation.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Though often categorized separately, OCD involves intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Also categorized independently, PTSD can arise after trauma and brings symptoms like hypervigilance, flashbacks, and avoidance.

Anxiety’s complexity is also not comforted by advice such as “relax” or “don’t worry about it.” It must be treated.

Get Help Today

The Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy can help treat and manage any anxiety disorder. If you’re ready to have better days, we’re ready to serve you. Contact us today to learn more.

12/16/2025

Navigating Relationships and the Holiday by Becca Barcom, MCSP Therapist

Relationships are commonly one of the most difficult aspects of being a human. There are many considerations we make for ourselves, others, and the relationship itself. To complicate matters further, the world gives us- *December*. December is filled with many realities: darkness, cold
(depending on where you live), insurance changes, end of year goals, illness season, and… the holidays. December is full of holidays that many people celebrate. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, Winter Solstice, Boxing Day, or the end of the calendar year, chances are you may have a heightened amount of interaction this month. Whether with family or friends, relationships may have extra requirements and considerations this time of year. How best to navigate this reality? Let’s find out some options in the following paragraphs.

1. Focus on yourself (for the most part).
While it may seem counterintuitive to focus on yourself when trying to navigate a relationship, it is an essential step. Without exploring our part of the equation, it will be impossible to find an “okay enough” solution to help us through the holiday season. It can be helpful to have a notebook handy, and work through several explorations. Firstly, ask yourself:
●How am I lately?
●What emotions have been common for me?
●Do I notice any relationships I’m worried about engaging with?
●Where am I in my Window of Tolerance? What protective moves have I been
activating?

2. Engage in non-judgemental assessment of the relationship/situation.
Once you’ve explored your experience, land on any relationships that feel tricky or you feel worried about. Call upon the skill of non-judgement, and list out all of the pros and cons of being around this person. Ask yourself, am I willing to experience the cons to get
some of the pros? If not, consider exploring some of your interaction needs. If so, identify some of the cons, and list out a resource or boundary for each con. This pre-planning can assist you in feeling calmer and more confident in engaging with this person.

3. Focus on yourself (again).
Really an important step. Ask yourself what else you need, and what else might be supportive for you before you start engaging in certain relationships. Perhaps you want to try and schedule more sleep, get your favorite coffee, or find your favorite scarf to wear to feel protected and comfortable.

4. Reach out to positive relationship support. We cannot solve relationships on our own. It can be extremely helpful to experience relationships that do feel supportive and pleasant as we navigate unsteady relationships. If it feels difficult to reach out to others, try and mindfully explore what it’s like to experience neutral relationships. “How did I feel ordering my coffee from the barista?” “What was it like to talk to that librarian and have them help me?”

As you go out into the rest of your month, we here at MCSP hope you can have the unique December experience you need. If you have questions or difficulty exploring your own needs, boundaries, and relationships, feel free to reach out to MCSP via our website or phone to
schedule an appointment.

*Content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy
with your professional therapist

12/09/2025

Attention! For those that have been curious or interested in this unique opportunity for movement, the registration has been extended as there are still a few spots available. Please contact MCSP today if you would like to know more or are interested in getting signed up.

12/02/2025

Reminder to please consider MCSP on this Giving Tuesday. MCSP will be matching the first $5000 that is donated to the fund on Giving Tuesday. We are seeking other matching donors as well as community donors. If you are interested in making a donation for please follow the link below.

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLVXVMT1EVBJ4/checkout/OZT5IZQJN4YOOP5IJFG6MAF6

12/01/2025

Reminder that Giving Tuesday is tomorrow💜. MCSP is accepting donations to address Montanas Mental Health Crisis and will be matching the first $5000 that is donated to the fund on Giving Tuesday. We are seeking other matching donors as well as community donors. If you are interested in making a donation for please follow the link below.

This Fund will support clients with financial hardship to continue therapy at MCSP.

11/26/2025

The 2026 Authentic Movement Retreat is open for registration through December 1st. This retreat will be held from January 9-11 at Boulder Hot Springs in Boulder, Montana. For more info and registration please go our website or call (406)541-3662.

11/25/2025

Please welcome our newest member of the team Alanna Masony.

“I believe in meeting people exactly where they are and walking alongside them as they navigate self-discovery, healing, and learning to make space for themselves in daily life. In my view therapy is not only a place for growth and transformation, but also a space where we can laugh, cry, celebrate victories, vent about life’s frustrations, and hold
everything in between.”

Alanna therapeutic approach is rooted in a relational model that emphasizes
authenticity, trust, and genuine connection. Alanna’s passion lies in using Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients explore their inner world with compassion and cultivate a more integrated and aligned sense of self. She also draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to equip clients with practical, in-the-moment tools for
emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Alanna
incorporates creative and experiential tools such as art activities, journaling, and gentle movement - depending on what best supports each individual’s process. She is engaged in ongoing training for attachment-focused EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples (EFT), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.

Alanna’s experience involves supporting individuals with mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, trauma, identity exploration, navigating recovery, suicidal ideation, and attachment-based challenges. Alanna works with individuals ages 13 and older, as well as couples.
Alanna Masony received her Master of Social Work Degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and has worked in the social services and mental health field for the past five years, including community-based outreach and helping to grow a women-owned holistic private practice in Florida. She is delighted to set down roots now in Missoula, where outside the therapeutic space she can be found exploring her new home painting, reading, and finding moments of stillness in practicing yoga.

If you feel that Alanna could be a good fit for you or someone you know, please contact MCSP to make a referral.

11/18/2025

Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy(MCSP) is launching a MCSP Therapy Fund to address Montana’s Mental Health Crisis.

Our caring therapists currently see over 350 clients. Many of these clients are covered through Medicaid or Marketplace insurance and stand to lose their coverage 2026 open enrollment. We have started a Therapy Fund to subsidize treatment for clients who are not able to pay.

Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy’s mission is to provide access to the highest quality compassionate mental health care integrating the body and mind in Montana. We achieve this goal through support of our clinicians in continuing to stay at the cutting edge of treatment training. These clinicians then are able to provide warm, creative, well informed, individual, couples, family, and group counseling that incorporates the body, emotions, and the mind.

According to NAMI (National Alliance On Mental Health) Montana is facing a mental health crisis. 1 in 5 adults in Montana has mental illness compared to the national average of 1 in 20. 1 in 6 adolescents in Montana experience a major depressive episode each year. 1 in 9 adolescents in Montana has had serious thoughts of su***de each year. 1 in 20 adults in Montana has serious thoughts of su***de each year. We lost 389 people to su***de in 2023. 44,000 people in 2018 reported that they needed mental health treatment and did not seek it because of cost.

Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy is doing our part to address this mental health crisis. We have expanded this year to a second location. We have capacity for 16 therapists and are working to meet the needs of Montanans across the state through in person sessions in Missoula and telehealth. We need your support to help Montanans access the mental health care they need. Please donate to our Montana Center for Somatic Psychotherapy Fund to make sure that clients who need care can continue to access services even if their insurance is terminated.

MCSP will be matching the first $5000 that is donated to the fund. We are seeking other matching donors as well as community donors. If you are interested in making a donation for the link is here.

https://square.link/u/rhLWOb3m

This Fund will support clients with financial hardship to continue therapy at MCSP.

11/14/2025

MCSP held another Somatic Approaches to Psychotherapy Training this week. This allowed some of our staff members to come together with other clinicians, connect, and offer skills in somatic work with clients. Thanks to all that attended. We appreciate the work you are doing for your communities.

If you are interested in any of our other upcoming trainings, please see our website for more details.