Integrative Somatic Psychotherapy
The use of Somatic Focus in therapy allows us to integrate the body (Soma) sensations with the mind, thoughts, and emotions. When we ‘see’ the body as part of the Self (rather than the Mind as the Self), then we naturally consider integrating the body into treatment.
When the body is split off from the mind, we are missing out on vital information that can help us process what has happened/is happening to us in our lives. Emotions are produced in the body as sensations and interpreted by the brain as stories about how we feel. This gives us our sense of self over time. Thought, emotions, and sensations are all interconnected and influence one another.
According to Peter Levine in An Autobiography of Trauma,
The Somatic experiencing method is a naturalistic and neurobiological body-oriented approach to healing trauma and other stress disorders. The SE approach releases traumatic shock and restores connection, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma. It offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight or freeze responses and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states to restore authentic self with self-regulation, relaxation, wholeness and aliveness.
Human beings have an innate ability to overcome the effects of diverse traumas. The SE approach facilitates the completion of self-protective motoric responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body and nervous system, tus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approaced by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions, building their capacity for containment and resilience.
The use of Somatic therapy combines conversation, and physical practice involving breath, sound, or movement, and can include a guiding focus on intentional therapeutic touch with self-directed or via the Client’s or practitioner’s contact with the body’s connective tissues through table bodywork. This can be included as occasional components or the full focus in sessions depending on what is called for between the client and the practitioner.
The goal is for people to connect to what it feels like to be embodied, wholly present, without the tug of past imprints that cause them to live from and out of the past. It’s about transforming into a more alive and aligned Self, living with purpose and presence with a capacity to feel all sensations. This experiential focus creates a body-based intuition that enhances integration with cognitive self-understanding. We build coherence in the body-mind-spirit and help clients remember and connect to their resiliency. This supports the regulation of the nervous system’s defenses and develops attunement in our attachment relationships.
Our work together is centered around meeting and metabolizing personal nervous system imprints so you can practice your most aligned and authentic work in the world with more ease and enjoyment.
Somatic trauma resolution, energy medicine, and embodiment practices are the foundational tools offered to you as you deepen into your most integrated authentic self, realize your visions, and radiate your light out to the world.
I offer Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Hypnosis, Internal Family System (IFS), and several modalities of energy healing, including Process acupressure, Emotional freedom technique, Emotion and Body code, soul work, guided meditation, Reiki, and energy healing. My paradigm also includes a strong basis in attachment theory (From Diane Poole-Heller) and Polyvagal theory (Deb Dana and Dr. Stephen Porges).
Somatic Experiencing student’s personal sessions
I am approved to provide individual sessions for Somatic experiencing students toward their SE certificate through the beginning year of training. I am working on getting approval for the Intermediate year of training.