ABOUT SOULCRUM
A lifelong curiosity about the human body
I’m Catherine Tiesteel. For more than twenty years I’ve worked with people through their bodies, first as a Registered Massage Therapist and clinic owner, and now as a somatic practitioner and nervous system educator.
I help people become fluent in the language of their nervous system, and develop a kinder, more curious relationship with their bodies.
Catherine Tiesteel
Founder & Director, Soulcrum
Somatic Practitioner & Nervous System Educator
“Take my hand dear weary soul and journey through the vast unknown. For hope travels here. Rather this curious uncertainty than on the familiar road, alone.”
— Catherine Tiesteel
WHERE IT BEGAN
A twenty-year apprenticeship
I’ve always been curious about how the body moves, adapts and responds to the world, and how something as simple as touch, movement or the presence of another person can change what we experience within ourselves.
That curiosity led me into massage therapy more than twenty years ago. I trained as a Registered Massage Therapist in Ontario, Canada, and spent two decades in hands-on care, eventually owning and running my own clinic.
My formal education gave me a strong foundation in anatomy, physiology, movement and clinical care. But it was the thousands of hours in practice that truly deepened my understanding. Looking back, those years were much more than a career. They were an apprenticeship in the somatic work I do today.
The questions that kept me curious
01
Why did some people find lasting relief while others returned with familiar patterns of discomfort?
02
Why could two people with similar physical complaints have vastly different experiences?
03
What influenced the way a person responded to touch, movement or rest?
Over time I saw that understanding the body meant looking beyond muscles and joints. The body is also responding to our experiences, our relationships, our environments, and the ways we’ve learned to navigate the world. That realization opened an entirely new chapter in my work.
A WIDER LENS
From working with the body to learning its language
My curiosity led me deeper into trauma physiology, the autonomic nervous system, attachment, and somatic approaches to healing.
These experiences didn’t replace my clinical training. They let me see it through a wider lens. Tension wasn’t always something to release. Withdrawal wasn’t necessarily something to overcome. And the body’s responses weren’t problems that needed correcting. Often they were adaptations: intelligent ways the nervous system had learned to respond to the conditions of a person’s life.
I STOPPED ASKING
“How do we fix this?”
AND BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT
“What might the body be communicating?”
Training
Registered Massage Therapist
Ontario, Canada · 20+ years in practice
Somatic Trauma-Informed and Nervous System Coaching
Two-year certification
Yoga teacher training
Movement, awareness and embodiment
WHEN THE WORK BECAME PERSONAL
Learning to listen to my own body
While I was deeply curious about the human body, for much of my life I struggled to truly see my own.
I had become very good at living on autopilot: pushing through stress and exhaustion, caring for others, meeting expectations, and navigating life in a flurry of survival patterns and self-criticism. I knew how to keep going, even when running on empty. I could spend hours listening to the physical experiences of others, yet I was only beginning to learn how to listen to my own.
As my understanding of the nervous system deepened, so did my relationship with myself. I began noticing how my body responded to stress, uncertainty and connection. I became curious about my reactions rather than judging them, and slowly, something began to change.
I began to see myself.
Not as someone who had figured everything out, but as a woman who could meet herself with awareness, curiosity and compassion. Today I make room for my emotional messiness and my grief. I pause, orient to the world around me, and listen to what my body is communicating. When I feel like I’m failing, I’m learning to offer myself the same compassion I so readily extend to others.
I haven’t become a different person. I’ve simply developed a different relationship with the person I’ve always been.
THE WORK I DO TODAY
Three relationships at the heart of the work
Through Soulcrum I bring together clinical experience, somatic training and lifelong curiosity. As a Somatic Trauma-Informed Guide and Educator, I use nervous system education, guided reflection, gentle movement and embodied exploration to create space for people to slow down and discover what is happening within them.
With your body
Learning to notice sensations, emotions, impulses and subtle signals.
With your environment
Exploring how your surroundings influence your sense of ease, protection and safety.
With others
Understanding how your nervous system responds in connection, and how to stay grounded in yourself while being with others.
There is no perfect state to achieve and no expectation to feel calm all the time. We simply begin with curiosity.
THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME
Soul + Fulcrum
Soulcrum grew from both my professional work and my personal journey of learning to trust myself. It is the meeting point between nervous system awareness and the deeper discovery of who we are.
SOUL · THE DEPTH
Our authentic essence, inner wisdom, intuition and lived experience. The part of our humanity that holds our capacity for meaning, connection, curiosity and authentic expression.
FULCRUM · THE PIVOT
In physics, the point of support on which a lever pivots, making movement possible. For us, it’s the support we develop through body awareness, nervous system understanding and connection: not a place of perfect balance, but a foundation from which we can respond, adapt and move.
I believe our bodies are not machines to be fixed. They are living, responsive ecosystems shaped by our lived experiences. Over time we develop patterns of protection and adaptation. Sometimes they serve us well; at other times they limit our sense of choice, connection and authentic expression.
My work isn’t about becoming perfectly regulated or free from difficult emotions. It’s about developing the capacity to be present for your whole human experience, and discovering that you don’t have to abandon yourself when life becomes difficult.
After more than twenty years of working with the human body, I am still curious. There is always more to discover.
The body speaks. The mind listens. The soul moves.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Helping someone feel safe in their own body
Many of the people we serve have experienced trauma that disrupted their sense of safety and belonging. Through accessible, low-cost programs, we bridge the gap between knowledge and embodied healing.
Your contributions directly fund:
Low- or no-barrier access for individuals in recovery or experiencing financial hardship.
Training and education for facilitators, recovery coaches, and community leaders.
Safe, inclusive environments where trauma survivors can learn and connect.
Community partnerships that extend trauma literacy to underserved populations.
“Each donation, no matter the size, helps someone feel safe in their own body, sometimes for the very first time.”
Let’s work together
If you’re curious about learning the language of your nervous system, I’d love to hear from you. Fill out a few details and I’ll be in touch shortly.