An Embodied Approach to Healing

BodyMind or somatic psychotherapy integrates traditional talk therapy with somatic (body-centered), mindfulness-based approaches. Modalities like Focusing, Hakomi, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, IFS, EMDR, Gestalt, Yoga, EFT, Havening Techniques, and Reiki, work to resolve depression, anxiety and trauma, as well as access deeper body wisdom and self-compassion. Because communication is 90% non-verbal…

The focus of the process remains on your internal experience, or “felt sense”, in order to tap the inherent truth that resides within you. In somatic (body-centered) psychotherapy we mindfully track our felt sensations in breath work, movement, and slowing down to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of how we have organized ourselves around certain beliefs and habits.

Why emphasize the body? We carry our entire history and the present moment in the body. Our bodies are a gateway to our unconscious feelings and emotions. Our bodies are the signatures of who we are as expressed through movement patterns, gesture, voice, and facial expressions. It is through somatic (body) awareness that we experience transformation, as change can only happen in the present moment.

Somatic psychotherapy honors the connection between body, mind, and spirit. Most of us live a certain distance from our bodies. Through body-oriented psychotherapy, we begin to bridge the gap between our body and mind, feel more integrated, and come to understand how we organize and regulate ourselves in our different relationship environments. Working experientially with mindfulness and a Rogerian-based dialogue process we are able to cut through the mind’s defenses, and arrive at layers of meaning and associations in a non-linear way.

Through embodied awareness, we can unlock holding patterns and rigid beliefs which no longer serve us and create more choices for ourselves. We also have an opportunity to develop greater presence, openness and curiosity toward ourselves and the world around us.

If you have felt stuck in traditional talk therapy, then body-oriented psychotherapy may be helpful in facilitating insight and change. My extensive training in depth-oriented, somatic psychotherapy modalities allows us to collaborate in a way that nurtures both your inner world and your nervous system. Together, we will explore the unique language of your body and parts, honoring their wisdom as we work toward lasting change.