Somatic Hound

Bianca is a somatic practitioner with over a decade of experience in the mental health field, specializing in Somatic Experiencing®-informed work. Her approach is grounded in the understanding that our experiences live not just in the mind, but in the body—shaping patterns, behaviors, and emotional responses in everyday life.

She began her work in mental health as a volunteer on the Distress Lines with Community Torchlight and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Guelph, along with a post-graduate certificate in Addiction: Treatment and Prevention from Georgian College. She is currently completing her certification as a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, with full qualification expected in May 2026.

Bianca currently works as a Community Outreach Counselor with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, supporting both adults and youth navigating complex challenges, including homelessness, addiction, PTSD, medical trauma, and experiences of physical or sexual abuse. Her work is grounded, practical, and deeply client-centered, shaped by years of real-world experience supporting individuals in high-acuity situations.

In addition to her clinical work, Bianca has a strong foundation in dog behavior. She began working as a veterinary care attendant in high school and continued through university, where she also raised three Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guide puppies. She has continued her education with respected trainers: Rachel Allen of The Healing Pack, Liz Foley of Your Favourite Dog Trainer, Hanna Feuer of Mindful Dog Co., and Nelson Hodges of the Canine Human Relationship Institute.

Bianca is especially passionate about the intersection of human emotional well-being and dog behavior. She supports her clients in developing greater self-awareness and emotional capacity, while also helping their dogs learn, regulate, and succeed. Her work recognizes that lasting change happens not just through training the dog, but through supporting the nervous system of the human as well.

Known for her thoughtful and compassionate presence, Bianca helps individuals who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected begin to shift long-standing patterns with greater awareness and empathy. She creates space for a more attuned relationship with the self—where all emotions and sensations, both comfortable and uncomfortable, can be explored and integrated in a way that supports meaningful, lasting change.

Follow on Bianca on  Instagram 

Bianca's counseling website: Primal Wisdom

CHRI Workshops 

Glossary of Nervous System Terms 

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William Garrido has been working with dogs since 2009. He entered the field through a working-dog training school, where he studied obedience, protection work, tracking, scent detection, and handling. After six months in this intensive environment, William went on to work with police dogs and personal protection dogs, and later deployed to Afghanistan as a contractor, serving as a trainer for Contract Working Dog teams in Bagram and Shindand.

Committed to continued learning, William furthered his education through advanced training programs and numerous professional seminars.

Throughout his career, William has authored several books, worked extensively with pet dogs, supported service dogs for veterans with PTSD and TBI, served as head instructor for a dog training school, and participated in protection sports. Today, he remains a respected and knowledgeable resource for pet owners, professional dog trainers, and dog sport enthusiasts alike.

William and I had a lively and nuanced discussion about why, in many cases, no socialization can be better than poor socialization—particularly when it comes to dogs attending daycare or visiting dog parks. We both agree that there are intentional, thoughtful ways to socialize dogs, as well as many effective options for enrichment and exercise that don’t involve daycares or dog parks at all. Every dog is an individual, and the key is finding the approach that best supports your dog’s unique temperament, needs, and well-being. 

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Maryna Ozuna nee' Sheryl Studley, B.S. Biology Vassar College; J.D. Thomas Jefferson School of Law, IACP # 1372 CDT (International Association of Canine Professionals), certified member of NADOI (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors) is the owner of the Arizona Doggy Dude Ranch training center, the founder, and principal practitioner of the Canine Kinaesthetics (tm) system of bodywork, and the founder and principal instructor of the Movement Markers (tm) clinics.

In this conversation, Maryna and I explore proprioceptive mapping in dogs (and people) and how it directly influences learning capacity. We unpack the roles of collection, balance, and recruitment in motor control, and how these concepts intersect with drive states and emotional regulation. As always, we return to one of my favorite subjects: the profound role of touch in shaping safety, awareness, and connection.

This was a truly fascinating discussion, offering eye-opening insights into how modern dogs may need more support than we realize. At the root of learning, confidence, and relationship is a healthy, functional, and coordinated body—because how a dog moves and feels in their body shapes how they learn and engage with the world.

You can find Maryna Ozuna at these websites and socials:

www.azdoggyduderanch.com
www.dogbodycare.com

IG: Movement Markers

Facebook: Movement Markers

Please also check out my new project: Center for Canine Somatics where I will be giving courses like:

Co-Regulating with Your Dog

and webinars such as: 

Foundations for Canine Health: Exploring the Nervous System

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During his ten-year teaching career, Grant recognised that his students needed more from traditional education. He decided to create a program to help students feel more connected and engaged in their school environment.

Grant’s great passion for education has driven him to research the benefits of training wellbeing dogs for the classroom. He willingly shares his knowledge and scientific evidence, teaching students and staff how to build emotional intelligence and resilience. Many schools are now witnessing first-hand the impact the program is having on academic outcomes.

Find Dogs Connect online: https://dogsconnect.net.au/

Dogs Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogsconnectaustralia/

Dogs Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogs.connect/

Dogs Connect virtual course on Polyvagal Institute: Dogs Connect--Connection, Regulation, and Empathy

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Mary Debono helps dog lovers support their dogs' mobility, comfort, and vitality—while improving their own. A Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner and creator of Debono Moves, Mary combines movement science, gentle touch, and mindset work to foster greater ease, awareness, and connection between dogs and their humans.

She is the award-winning, Amazon bestselling author of Grow Young with Your Dog, a practical and inspiring book that helps people bring out the best in their dogs—and themselves. Mary's gentle hands-on processes support dogs dealing with arthritis, weakness, or injury, and help prevent problems before they start.

With over 30 years of experience, Mary has worked with dog lovers around the world through her online programs and coaching. Her students appreciate how even small changes can lead to big improvements in both human and canine well-being.

Learn more at marydebono.com
Get her free video training at marydebono.com/lovedog

Grow Young with Your Dog (includes companion video and audio files): https://www.marydebono.com/offers/ijNWxpmP/checkout

Blog post about the chihuahua who recovered from a paralyzing stroke: https://www.marydebono.com/blog/dog-recovers-from-stroke

Mary's podcast: Easier Movement, Happier Life 

This podcast is truly a labor of Love! Please review, subscribe, and share!!!

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Guests for this podcast are brother and sister, Campbell and Nerida, who grew up immersed in the world of dogs at their family’s boarding kennels, where their mum bred and showed champion Borzoi and kept Staffies. 

After finishing school, Campbell wasn’t sure what direction to take, so he traveled the world before settling into a decade-long career in finance. Realising this was not a fulfilling career, he reignited his passion for dogs and decided to make it his life’s work.

Campbell joined a mentorship program, and obsessively studied canine behavior, securing a job as a behavior trainer at Melbourne’s Lost Dogs Home. There, he assessed thousands of stray and surrendered dogs over three years, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in behavior work.

From those foundations, Campbell launched his own business: Act of Dog, specializing in fear, anxiety, and aggression cases. Today, he balances running his business with working at the RSPCA, helping post-adoption dogs and private clients with behaviour intervention. Campbell’s journey from finance to canine behavior showcases his dedication to improving the lives of dogs and their guardians.

Instagram handle: actofdog.com.au

Website: actofdog.com.au

Nerida Barclay, a Psychotherapist and Behaviour Support Practitioner. Nerida provides one on one counselling and family therapy for all ages however she specializes in working with young people in a fun and creative manner. Nerida also provides clinical based training and consultation to workers that engage with young people who experience mental ill health, and with young people who identify as LGBTIQPA+.

Nerida holds a bachelor of Social Work and a masters of Narrative Therapy and Community Work with sub training in behaviour based therapies. For over ten years she has assisted young people and their families to reconnect with storylines that represent their preferred identities, their communities and their values to life. In forming these connections Nerida believes that we can locate the resources we need to overcome mental health difficulties, let go of behaviours that are not serving us, challenge systems that hold us back and heal traumas and injustices.

Website: Tidal Therapy

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Mindset matters! Grow your emotional capacity by learning how to deal with stress and making room for feelings! Kajsa explains to us how radical acceptance of stressful situations and the feelings that they produce can bring us closer to a sense of peace and well being.

Kajsa's Coaching Website: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/

Kajsa and Rusty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruscattledog

Ruff Around the Edges Podcast: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/ruff-around-the-edges-podcast/

Kajsa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanoverbeekfotografie

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Hey! Today I give you something a little different where I was actually a guest on a podcast called Ruff Around the Edges, hosted by Kajsa van Overbeek. Kajsa is a mindset coach for people with reactive dogs. We had such a productive exchange here! I also interviewed Kajsa about her coaching business and how mindset is such an important factor when we face challenging situations with our doggos.

Here you can find her website: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/

Follow Kajsa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theruscattledog

Ruff Around the Edges Podcast Page: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/ruff-around-the-edges-podcast/

Canine Movement Lab (for dog training and rehab, the somatic way): https://www.caninemovementlab.com

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Center for Canine Somatics

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The Somatic Hound Podcast is all about how to use somatic technology with your canine companion, helping you and your best doggie friend co-regulate and live a happy life together!

I was honored to speak with Karishma Warr from Calm Canine Academy, all about biological fulfillment for your dog and how this affects their nervous system.

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JDnJPTe6gLI6xOcSpfz6n

Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-somatic-hound/id1542632285

Calm Canine Academy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/calmcanineacademy/

Calm Canine Academy Website: https://www.calmcanineacademy.com/

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Allegra's Website: https://www.thenakeddogtraining.com/

Allegra on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thenakeddog/

IG vid that sparked our convo: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu2H7mJJTkc/

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Canine Movement Lab in Chattanooga Tennessee

Center for Canine Somatics

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