“My experience working with CEF was FANTASTIC! The funding gave me breathing room and an ability to focus on growing the business.”
– Maira Holzmann, Owner

Q&A with Owner, Maira Holzmann

Give a high level overview of your business. What products or services you offer, where you're located, etc.
Somatic Therapy Partners (STP) is a group psychotherapy practice offering 1-1 individual therapy to support clients in healing from trauma, anxiety and depression. We have a free ebook on how to listen to the wisdom of the body; we put on a once a month live and in-person workshop dedicated to helping people learn about what somatic therapy is and also provide education on nervous system regulation; and we offer free consultations for any prospective client. We focus on using somatic or body-based approaches to heal nervous system dysregulation. We have been serving Denver since 2020 and our practice is conveniently located in central Denver in the Cherry Creek/Glendale neighborhood.

How did the idea for your business come about?
STP was born out of my own healing path and liberation from the impacts of early trauma. I wanted to create a mental health group practice dedicated to using somatic approaches and serve clients who struggle with the impacts of trauma.

Describe your typical customer and what you love about your customers.
People who seek us out are often folks who have tried all forms of healing from talk therapy, to seeing shamans, and doing breathwork. Our typical customer tends to be highly intelligent, do-gooders, curious and open-minded.

What led your business to seek out new/additional funding
We needed to expand. In less than a year, we went from three employees in two offices to 6 employees and six offices.

How did you find out about CEF?
My husband, who is also a small business owner, told me about CEF.

What was your experience like in working with CEF?
My experience working with CEF was FANTASTIC! The person assigned to me was personable, real, honest and really wanted me to succeed in business. She was a great communicator and encouraging to me when I felt discouraged or overwhelmed by the process of seeking funding.

How did the funding you received from CEF make a difference for you, your employees, or even your community?
The funding gave me breathing room and an ability to focus on growing the business. A direct result of receiving funding meant that I could afford to offer free, educational workshops to the Denver community and beyond.

Tell us about some of the defining moments for you in your business, whether struggles or successes.
In 2024, we have seen the highest monthly revenues since opening in 2024. Our hiring, on-boarding and training process for new clinicians continues to improve and evolve such that we have a solid and positive reputation amongst our clients and in the Denver community.

What is something you're looking forward to in the next 3-6 months in your business?
Hiring for 3 more clinicians, start writing a book and start a somatic mentoring program for other mental health providers.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I'm just so grateful for CEF funding so my business can grow and also to spread the word about the importance of somatic approaches to healing from trauma.