The Meaning of Velvære
Northwoods Velvaere Studio began with a single word: velvære.
In Scandinavian culture, velvære is more than well-being. It is a way of living—one that values connection, presence, balance, and living in rhythm with nature rather than constantly striving or pushing through.
To me, velvære means coming home to yourself.
It is remembering that healing isn't about becoming someone different. It's about reconnecting with who you've always been beneath the stress, expectations, and survival strategies that helped you through difficult seasons.
When I paired that philosophy with the forests, lakes, and changing seasons that have shaped my own life, Northwoods Velvaere Studio was born.
Today, Northwoods Velvaere Studio brings together private-pay somatic therapy, yoga, workshops, and community experiences to support women in healing, learning, and belonging.
Our Story
Meet Bobbi Jo
Hi, I'm Bobbi Jo Hamilton.
I'm a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Somatic Mental Health Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), Army veteran, and founder of Northwoods Velvære Studio.
I created Northwoods because I believe healing begins when we stop asking, "What's wrong with me?" and begin remembering who we are beneath the roles we've carried, the stories we've lived, and the ways we've learned to survive.
Many of the women I work with have spent years living in survival mode while quietly carrying trauma, PTSD, complex trauma, ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, burnout, chronic illness, or major life transitions. They are often caring for everyone else while feeling disconnected from themselves.
My role isn't to fix you.
It's to walk beside you with compassion, curiosity, and respect as you reconnect with yourself and discover the strength and wisdom that have been there all along.
Outside of my work, you'll usually find me in my gardens, spending time with my family, or enjoying the quiet beauty of the Northwoods. Those simple rhythms continue to remind me that healing often happens slowly—in moments of presence, connection, and simply allowing ourselves to be.
Education & Continuing Professional Development
I believe being a therapist means remaining a student. In addition to my clinical training and licensure, I continue to deepen my understanding of trauma, the nervous system, and embodied healing through ongoing professional education.
My continuing education includes:
Somatic Soul-Based Trauma Training (55 contact hours) through the Somatic Nature Therapy Institute
Currently completing Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies with Linda Thai
Ongoing study in nervous system regulation, attachment, mindfulness, Jungian psychology, and body-centered psychotherapy
Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), integrating breath, movement, and body awareness into my understanding of healing
Each experience has contributed to what I now call The Northwoods Approach—an integrative framework that combines somatic therapy, nervous system regulation, attachment-informed care, inner child work, parts-informed therapy, shadow work grounded in Jungian psychology, mindfulness, nature-based reflection, and neurodivergent-affirming care.
My Belief
I believe every woman carries a story.
Some chapters are filled with joy. Others with loss, uncertainty, survival, or change. Over time, it's easy to lose sight of who we are beneath the roles we've carried and the expectations we've tried so hard to meet.
Healing isn't about becoming someone new.
It's about remembering yourself.
Like the changing seasons, healing asks different things of us at different times. Sometimes we are growing. Sometimes we are resting. Sometimes we are gently letting go of what no longer serves us. Every season has purpose.
My hope is that every woman who finds Northwoods leaves feeling a little more seen, a little more understood, and a little more hopeful than when she arrived.
Because you are not broken.
Sometimes, what we need most is a place where our nervous system feels safe enough for us to reconnect with who we've been beneath years of survival.
