An old Sufi tale tells of a caravan traveling across the desert.  Each camel was weighted with a considerable burden.  One of them sought relief in the unbearable dry heat.  Spying a stream far below, she ran down and plunged into the cool water, which dissolved the salt she carried.  Her load thus lightened, she sprang from the stream.  This caught the attention of another sufferer, who likewise raced to the stream and took the plunge, expecting the same relief.  His load, however, consisted of cotton, which absorbed the water, and he drowned.

Not all interventions work for all people, just as not all therapists can relate to every potential client.  It is important, as you seek the care that is right for you, both to meet me, and to know about some of the interventions I use.   As resources are limited, I’ve chosen to be trained extensively in the following modalities which, despite their obvious differences, have a few things in common: 
Each has been tested for effectiveness, and is proven useful in the treatment of mental disorders
Each has applications to the physical body, the “soma,”  where trauma is stored
Each understands that symptoms of “illness” and distress, such as depression, anxiety, and defensiveness, are actually reflective of strategies that are intended to protect the self…when we come to see ourselves as having inadequate coping mechanisms which can be corrected, we free ourselves from seeing ourselves as “sick”

 If the following seem to strike a chord with you, it’s a good sign that it’s time for us to meet:

When someone experiences overwhelming trauma, the natural ability to flow between the calmness of everyday reality and the urgency of fight and flight becomes “stuck.”  People can then experience constant anger or anxiety, even though there is no apparent reason for this, or have difficulty becoming motivated about anything, although the reality of their lives has much to offer.  Somatic Experiencing (trauma healing.com) provides people with the ability to once again self-regulate, tapping into the healthy defense mechanisms that anger-fight and fear-flight are meant to be.  A healthy system then allows one to return to the calm clarity of everyday existence, restful sleep, and enjoyment in everyday activities.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR) in an information processing therapy integrating elements of many effective psychotherapies.  Tapping into the same bilateral stimulation that the body spontaneously gives itself during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, EMDR facilitates the mind in tapping into resources and in calming areas of the brain which, overly activated by trauma, are unable to process traumatic events.  After EMDR processing, clients generally report that emotional distress related to the memory has been eliminated, or greatly decreased, and that they have gained important cognitive insights, usually resulting in spontaneous behavioral and personal change.

We are made of many parts, yet few of us live up to the potential that is offered by this inner wealth.  This is primarily because, as we grow up, we receive messages about what is acceptable and what is not; our environment, as well, may simply not stimulate valuable qualities in us.  We learn to be dutiful, for example, because our parents supported this in us.  Yet, years later, we are confounded in our failure to challenge what should have been challenged, because we did not also embrace our inner rebel.  Voice Dialogue allows my clients to explore their inner terrain, and expand their tolerance for all, including disowned, parts.  “I am…” becomes a dynamic exploration, ever changing and full of life.  Voice Dialoguing also speaks to relational difficulties, both in finding, and in maintaining, deeply satisfying friendships and partnerships.   We often draw to us those people embodying qualities we most dislike in ourselves; we find ourselves stuck in the same arguments with our lovers and spouses, as we become stuck in complimentary parent/child roles.  Voice Dialogue is therefore ideal for couples work, and in general allows us to make peace with the qualities we dislike, freeing us to enjoy more in the people around us.

Deepening the work of relating meaningfully to others, and also to one’s self, is Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), which fosters the in-depth processing of difficult emotional and relational experiences.  Key to this experiential enterprise is the establishment of the therapeutic relationship as secure base,  from which the client can navigate inner terrain more safely, and acquire the felt sense of connecting with a caring other.

As healers of many stripes come to a deeper understanding of the body/mind connection, and that connection’s own relationship to distress, the need for modalities of touch therapy that are effective and non-traumatic has become imperative. Research conducted in the late ’70s by Dr. John Upledger let to the discovery that the body often retains the emotional imprint of physical trauma.  The body attempt to adapt to these “energy cysts,” and eventually the daily demand for extra energy becomes exhausting.  That’s when symptoms and dysfunctions begin to appear.   CranioSacral Therapy (CST), and SomatoEmotional Release (SER) (upledger.com), provide gentle, non-intrusive, well-intentioned touch, facilitating the release of trauma and other distress stored, especially in connective tissue.  By complementing the body’s own natural healing processes, instead of pushing, SER facilitates the body in its own ability to express, and discharge,  past hurts. 

Reiki, in which I have been trained through level II, adds to the effectiveness of hands-on work, is based on the idea that an unseen “fife force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive.  If one’s life force is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress.; if high, it lends vitality to our mood and activities.

Finally, spirituality in all of its aspects is always honored as an important element in my clients’ healing paths.  While I have received training in shamanic and other techniques, I have found that one’s own unique spirituality can be tapped, enhancing one’s experience of, and connection to, the world.

Blessings to all of you, on your healing journeys!

Although a few of my clients utilize both bodywork and psychotherapy, I’ve found it best to start with one or the other, in order to establish as clear and safe a therapeutic relationship as possible.  If you are unclear about where you should start, explore the following questions to ascertain which is right for you: I have a very hard time talking about my thoughts and feelings. I tend to be intellectual, seeking reason and logic rather than exploring feelings. I don’t know what’s wrong with my life, I just know it’s not working for me. I don’t need to change, others around me do When I’m anxious or stressed, I feel it all through my body. I believe I’m pretty aware of what’s making me tick, and have a strong sense of what’s troubling me. I feel the need to be touched in a caring, non-sexual way. When people touch me, it makes me uncomfortable. I’m interested in exploring multiple modalities, including alternative and complimentary treatments. I trust more in Western medicine and treatment; I’m not comfortable with or don’t think alternative treatments would be as effective. I need to touch, and otherwise physically explore, in order to learn a new skill; I learn best by doing, rather than sitting in a classroom. In classrooms or other learning situations, I do well by visually absorbing and listening to new information. My life is going fairly well, and feel generally satisfied – I’m just a little stressed. Even when my life seems to be going well (if at all) I’m unsatisfied and distressed. I’m having difficulty sleeping, but my appetite is OK (or vice-versa). I’m having difficulty sleeping, my appetite is not good (or I’m overeating), and have little or no pleasure in my life. If you agreed more with odd answers than even answers, consider bodywork as an option for you.  If you found more agreement with even answers, psychotherapy might be the better course.