Meet Lilly Rachels

Somatic relationship coach, co-founder of Relational Somatics, and host of the Growth Over Easy podcast. With a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, training in Relational Life Therapy at the Relational Life Institute with renowned couples therapist Terry Real, and experience as a therapist, personal trainer, and trauma-sensitive yoga instructor, she brings a unique, holistic approach to relational healing.

Lilly specializes in working with men who shut down when things get intense. Men whose partners call them "emotionally unavailable" or "avoidant." Men who hear "I need space" come out of their mouths but don't know why intimacy feels like suffocation. Men who want deep connection but their nervous system treats closeness like a threat.

They're not broken. They're not cold. Their bodies learned a long time ago that vulnerability wasn't safe—so now, when someone gets close, everything in them says run.

Lilly works with the guy who:

  • Withdraws when his partner wants to "talk about us"

  • Feels trapped when someone needs too much from him

  • Knows he cares deeply but can't seem to show it the way they need

  • Goes from "all in" to "I need distance" without understanding why

  • Gets called out for "shutting down" but doesn't know how to stay present when emotions run high

Lilly helps men go from "I need space" to connected and supported. Not by forcing them to be someone they're not, but by removing the barriers that keep them from receiving the love they actually want.

Through Relational Life Therapy principles, the Blueprint Awareness Method, and body-led somatic work, she doesn't just talk about patterns—she helps rewire them. Her clients learn to stay present when their instinct is to bolt. To understand what their nervous system is trying to protect them from. To build the capacity for intimacy without losing themselves.

This isn't therapy. It's skills-based coaching that treats root causes, not symptoms.

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Lilly also serves on the advisory board for Survivors for Change, supporting athletes who have survived sexual abuse. She believes we're pack animals wired for connection—but sometimes our wiring gets scrambled along the way. That's fixable.

Core Approach:

  • Relational Life Therapy (trained by Terry Real)

  • Blueprint Awareness Method

  • Somatic (body-based) nervous system regulation

  • Treating root causes, not just symptoms

  • Accountability and real-world application

  • Building capacity for intimacy without losing autonomy