About
Renata Malinauskas
Hi, I’m Renata - a somatic therapist, meditation teacher, and guide in body-centred inquiry. My work lives at the intersection of healing, embodiment, and awakening through the wisdom of the body. Through Soma Wisdom, I hold spaces for both individual and collective exploration, supporting people to reconnect with wholeness through embodied awareness.
I support people on a journey toward healing, integration, and greater freedom in their lives. My work is grounded in helping you reconnect with your body, develop trust in its innate intelligence, and find a sense of safety and home within yourself.
I understand the body as a primary gateway to healing. My approach invites a deep listening to what is already present. I believe the body knows its way forward, and that healing unfolds organically when there is enough safety, presence, and support.
My Therapeutic Approach
Our work together focuses on creating a safe, attuned, and supportive therapeutic space where the body can gradually relax and guide the process toward integration and wholeness. I work relationally and experientially, drawing on somatic awareness and mindfulness to support nervous system regulation and deepen contact with your lived experience.
Sessions often include somatic practices to help you ground in the body, followed by somatic inquiry - a gentle, moment-to-moment process of attuning to sensation, emotion, and felt sense. This approach allows access to underlying patterns shaped by early relationships, trauma, and life experiences, supporting their integration rather than re-enactment.
When appropriate, I also integrate TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) as a way of supporting the body’s natural capacity to release held stress and trauma. For many people, the body holds on to protective patterns not because they are wanted, but because it has not yet felt safe enough to let them go. This work respects the body’s timing and wisdom.
A willingness to slow down and not immediately “know” is central to the therapeutic process. I value embodied presence as a foundation for healing - the capacity to be with yourself as you are, allowing insight, regulation, and change to emerge naturally.
Background & Influences
My work is informed by many years of engagement with somatic psychotherapy, trauma-informed approaches, and contemplative practice. I have a long-standing background in Buddhist mindfulness and inquiry, which informs my capacity for presence and attunement, while my clinical work remains grounded in relational psychotherapy and body-centred trauma healing.
I am trained in Psychosomatic Therapy, Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy, TRE®, Focusing, and mindfulness-based approaches. I also have a background in nutrition and movement, which supports a holistic understanding of health and the interconnectedness of body, mind, and nervous system.
Working Together
In my work with clients, I bring a steady, compassionate presence and a strong respect for your autonomy and unique process. Therapy with me is a collaborative exploration - a space where you can slow down, feel more deeply, and begin to relate to yourself with greater clarity and care.
People often come to therapy during times of transition, emotional overwhelm, trauma recovery, or when old patterns no longer serve them. Together, we explore what is happening beneath the surface, supporting integration, resilience, and a more authentic way of living.
I currently offer one-to-one psychotherapy sessions, both in person and online. If you feel drawn to this work, you’re welcome to get in touch to explore whether it feels like a good fit.
Teaching & Facilitation Experience
Embodiment Module Facilitator – Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors & Psychotherapists (AABCAP) (2026). Designing and delivering an embodiment module integrating somatic inquiry, trauma-informed practice, and Buddhist contemplative frameworks for counsellors and psychotherapists.
Founder and Teacher – Still Water Insight (2019–current). Teaching Insight Meditation through courses, retreats, Dharma talks, and ongoing practice groups, with an emphasis on embodied presence, inquiry, and lived integration - https://www.stillwaterinsight.org
Meditation Teacher & Facilitator – Workshops, courses, and retreats (2019–current). Teaching embodied inquiry, somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, and contemplative practice to groups and individuals.
Professional Qualifications & Certifications
Insight Dharma Teacher Training & Mentoring Program - Insight Meditation Institute
ISITTA – Innate Somatic Intelligence Trauma Therapy Approach (Levels I & II) - Embodywise
Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy Training
TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) Certification
Mindfulness & Compassion Teacher Training - Insight Meditation Institute
Certificate III in Psychosomatic Therapy - Psychosomatic Therapy College (PTC)
Certificate III & IV in Fitness - TAFE
Bachelor of Nutrition & Dietetics - Centro Universitário São Camilo
Ongoing Practice & Professional Development
The Philosophy of the Implicit – Eugene Gendlin (2019–current)
Ongoing study of felt sense, implicit knowing, and experiential philosophy.Diamond Approach – Ridhwan Foundation (2018–2023) - Long-term engagement in inquiry-based spiritual and psychological work.
Vipassana / Insight Meditation Silent Retreats - Over 500 days of residential retreat practice (2013–current)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Focusing – Levels I & II
Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
TRE® Workshops
Community & Service
Insight Meditation Institute (2021–current) - Ongoing service and support within the Insight Meditation community.
Sydney Insight Meditators (2016–2023) - Community involvement and teaching support within an established Insight Meditation sangha.
Get in Touch
