My Story.

I am

Gabriel Trachtenberg

For much of my life, I felt lost—disconnected from myself, trapped in cycles of anxiety, depression, and frustration. I grew up in a volatile home with an explosive father, constantly walking on eggshells, never feeling truly safe. This shaped how I moved through the world—I carried deep social anxiety, struggled to regulate my emotions, and felt isolated. School was no different. I was disruptive, misunderstood, and shamed for being "too much." I internalized the belief that something was wrong with me, that I had to fix myself to be accepted.

As I got older,

I did what I thought would bring fulfillment—I pursued success, got the degree, landed the job. But despite checking all the right boxes, I still felt empty. I felt empty, lost, and disconnected—from myself and from my masculinity.

 I had learned to associate masculinity with violence, arrogance, and conflict, so I rejected it entirely. Any time I was challenged, I collapsed. I was comfortable in my emotionality but completely disconnected from qualities like strength, direction, and grounded presence. And because I couldn’t accept those qualities in myself, I distrusted them in other men.

 I had learned to associate masculinity with violence, arrogance, and conflict, so I rejected it entirely. Any time I was challenged, I collapsed. I was comfortable in my emotionality but completely disconnected from qualities like strength, direction, and grounded presence. And because I couldn’t accept those qualities in myself, I distrusted them in other men.

When I found embodiment work, everything started to change.

Through somatic healing, I started reconnecting with my body, learning to feel safe inside myself for the first time. I discovered how much trauma I had been holding—years of fear, grief, and anger stored in my nervous system. I studied somatic facilitation based on the HAKOMI method, nervous system regulation, and trauma awareness, diving deep into the science of how trauma shapes us and, more importantly, how we heal. I learned that healing wasn’t about “fixing” myself—it was about integration. About welcoming back the parts of me I had rejected.

And one of the biggest pieces I had to reclaim was my masculinity.

I stepped into men’s work, and it changed everything. Sitting in circles with men, I was able to see my reflection in them—see my own wounds, my own fears, and for the first time, see masculinity differently. I started to understand that masculinity isn’t just dominance or aggression. There are healthy, necessary masculine qualities—integrity, presence, strength, leadership, protection, truth—that I had completely shut out. As I healed my relationship with other men, I started embodying those qualities myself. I stopped collapsing. I learned to hold my ground, to set boundaries, to lead, to hold my partner, to show up with focus and direction. And it didn’t make me less emotional, less sensitive—it made me more whole.

Through somatic healing, I started reconnecting with my body, learning to feel safe inside myself for the first time. I discovered how much trauma I had been holding—years of fear, grief, and anger stored in my nervous system. I studied somatic facilitation based on the HAKOMI method, nervous system regulation, and trauma awareness, diving deep into the science of how trauma shapes us and, more importantly, how we heal. I learned that healing wasn’t about “fixing” myself—it was about integration. About welcoming back the parts of me I had rejected.

And one of the biggest pieces I had to reclaim was my masculinity.

I stepped into men’s work, and it changed everything. Sitting in circles with men, I was able to see my reflection in them—see my own wounds, my own fears, and for the first time, see masculinity differently. I started to understand that masculinity isn’t just dominance or aggression. There are healthy, necessary masculine qualities—integrity, presence, strength, leadership, protection, truth—that I had completely shut out. As I healed my relationship with other men, I started embodying those qualities myself. I stopped collapsing. I learned to hold my ground, to set boundaries, to lead, to hold my partner, to show up with focus and direction. And it didn’t make me less emotional, less sensitive—it made me more whole.

That’s why I do this work.

I believe true masculinity is grounded, present, and deeply connected—not through force, but through a regulated nervous system and the ability to stay with discomfort without shutting down or disconnecting. My work is science-based, trauma-informed, and deeply experiential. It’s not about teaching men who to be—it’s about supporting them in reconnecting with their own truth, their own power, their own body. Because when a man is fully connected to himself, he becomes a better father, a better partner, a better leader.

At The Embodied Man, we don’t just talk about change—we live it. Together, we challenge outdated ideas of masculinity, heal our wounds, and reclaim the full range of who we are. This is the masculinity the world needs. And this is what I’ve dedicated my life to.

See What Men Say About Embodied Man

Certifications & Trainings

Somatic Facilitator Training

Nativ (400 hours over 2 years, including assisting facilitator training)

TVM Somatic Trauma Healing Practitioner

Integrated somatic institute

Trauma-Aware Certification

Union Institute for Trauma Awareness

Somatic Trauma Therapy

The Embody Lab

Somatic Parts Work (Level 1)

The Embody Lab

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

Trained in conflict resolution and authentic communication