Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Vaz Antunes.
Hi Andrea, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
If someone had told me I’d be an educator one day, I wouldn’t have believed them. I actually dropped out of high school early in my senior year. But every unexpected turn along the way has somehow prepared me for the work I do now, supporting people through their own complex and meaningful journeys.
When I started community college, I was drawn to philosophy and art. Then I met a group of refugees, and after speaking with the caseworker who accompanied them, I realized I wanted to do work that centered diversity, culture, and healing. That encounter shifted everything. I learned how to learn, and eventually pursued a degree in International Studies.
I worked in refugee resettlement for a while before deciding to get my master’s in Social Work. At the time, I thought I’d focus on providing mental health support to refugee children. I received a county mental health stipend while in grad school, and again, my path shifted. I remained passionate about working with children, but my focus expanded to trauma in a broader sense, particularly the way trauma shows up in the body. I became fascinated by the patterns I could feel and sense somatically.
Today, I own a private therapy practice, teach in a master’s program in Counseling Psychology, co-host a podcast, and create art alongside friends and sisters. It’s been anything but a straight line, but each piece of the journey makes sense in hindsight.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been facing my own mental health and learning to show up for myself in the same ways I was inviting others to show up for themselves. That meant making real changes in my own life, not just talking about them.
It hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to learn (sometimes the hard way) how I hold my own trauma, how to feel the hard feelings instead of avoiding them, how to set boundaries, and how to keep showing up for myself even when it’s uncomfortable.
I’m still growing. I continue to draw from my own struggles, heartbreaks, and healing to deepen my understanding of the human experience. That’s what allows me to hold space for others as they learn to navigate their own nervous systems, their own pain, and their own paths toward healing.
We’ve been impressed with Ponderosa Therapy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My primary work is as a therapist. I co-founded Ponderosa Therapy with a good friend, and stepping into that journey together was a real gift. We’re both naturally drawn to somatic psychotherapy, and our practice reflects that shared passion. We’re licensed in both New Mexico and California and work with individuals navigating a range of life experiences, with an emphasis on trauma, grief, attachment, and the nervous system.
I’m trained in EMDR, Bioenergetic Analysis, and several attachment-focused modalities. My foundation is rooted in a lineage of therapy more common outside the U.S. Reichian psychotherapy. Specifically, I practice Bioenergetic Analysis, developed by Alexander Lowen, a student of Wilhelm Reich. It’s a body-centered approach that helps clients safely explore their emotions, trauma, and relational patterns through the lens of the body.
What sets my work apart is that I don’t just use somatic tools as techniques; I view the body as central to the healing process. I always return to the body as a compass, helping clients build safety from the inside out, and expanding their capacity to tolerate and integrate deep emotional work.
In addition to my private practice, I co-host Body Talk Podcast with another Bioenergetic therapist to help demystify somatic therapy. It’s especially geared toward therapists who are curious about somatic relational work, but it’s also accessible to anyone interested in somatics and emotional healing.
I’m proud that my work honors both clinical depth and human connection. I don’t believe in rushing healing or fitting clients into boxes. My offerings are relational, embodied, and deeply personal. Whether it’s through therapy, teaching, or the podcast, my goal is always to support people with gentleness and genuine care.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The first people who come to mind are my friends. I’ve been incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who believe in me, walk beside me, and remind me who I am when I forget. Amanda, my co-founder at Ponderosa Therapy, has been such a steady presence.We built something meaningful together, and that partnership has been foundational. Maring, my co-host on the Body Talk Podcast, has been both a collaborator and a deep source of inspiration in this somatic work.
Beyond that, I have so many friends who have held me during the moments I felt the weight of the world. The people who begin to see you through your own eyes, especially as you start letting walls down. My sisters, my children, old friends and new. This beautiful circle of people I’m lucky enough to do life with. They have all helped shape the way I show up in the world and in my work. I wouldn’t be here without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ponderosatherapy.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio.body.talk?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avazantunes
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/body-talk-podcast/id1748607977
