About Me and My Approach
I have been working in the social work field for the last 10 years specializing in working with suicidal ideation, survivors of sexual trauma, and acute mental health crisis. For 5, years I worked side by side with a psychiatrist gaining a deep understating of the mind body connection. While seeing the amazing benefits that talk therapy has to offer, I was also able to see how it left out some key components of the healing process. Somatic therapy takes more of a bottom up approach starting with healing the nervous system. Trauma, emotional or physical, affects our nervous system. The effects of the trauma on our nervous system shows up in our bodies.
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This can result in trauma causing us to have a disconnected relationship with our body's which makes it hard to feel safe, to regulate yourself and to feel comfortable connecting with others. Subsequently you may have anxiety, depression, PTSD, dissociation, panic attacks and more.
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It can also show up in the body with upset stomach, tightness in the chest, neck, shoulder, and hips, high pain tolerance or numbness, lack of balance and more. My goal is to help you regain ownership of your body by learning how to regulate your nervous system, creating a foundation of safety with in the body allowing you to work towards becoming your most authentic self.
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We will do this by building self-compassion & self-acceptance, managing & coping with anxiety, self-regulation, attachment & attunement, and boundary work. We do this through somatic processing through yoga therapy informed by Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, Affect Regulation Theory (ART), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT), Companion focused therapy (CFT) and Positive Psychology. Read further for more information on how somatic therapy uses this information to address the mind body connection.
About Somatic therapy:
Somatic therapy emphasizes helping patients develop resources within themselves in order to self-regulate their emotions, or to move out of the fight/flight/freeze response and into a higher-functioning mode where they can think more clearly. Through developing awareness of the mind-body connection and using specific interventions, somatic therapy helps to release the tension, anger, frustration, and other emotions that remain in a patient’s body from these past negative experiences. The goal is to help free the patient from what is preventing them from fully engaging in their lives.
​The somatic therapy is especially efficient for those who suffer from PTSD and are stuck in a continuous state of intense physiological arousal. This state can come with high-stress levels, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and more. It can help those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder overcome their traumas and be grounded in the present moment
Some of the overarching goals:
what to look forward to
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Creating body awareness
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Cultivating grounding tools
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Boundaries work
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Conscious breathing
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Empowerment
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Distress tolerance
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Emotional regulation
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Co-regulation
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A Deeper look:
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Mindfulness. A state of non-judgemental present-focused awareness of the totality of experience, attending it moment by moment. This practice teaches people to experience their thoughts and emotions without being overwhelmed, and it clears the blockages within the mind and body.
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Grounding. People tend to constantly be caught up in their thoughts and emotions, especially someone who suffered from a traumatic experience. This method helps people regain the ability to be “here and now,” connecting with the present moment through various actions such as sitting with your bare feet on the ground.
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Movement. This technique is at the core of dance/movement therapy, which helps people achieve optimal emotional, physical, and cognitive balance through dance movements. It can help reduce stress, improve coordination and mobility, and relieve muscular tension.
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Pendulation - a therapist helps guide the individual from relaxation to a state where they feel similar to the traumatic experience. As the energy gets released, a person may experience physical symptoms. A therapist will then help you go back into a relaxed state. The goal is to eventually be able to get into a relaxed state by yourself.
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Titration - In titration, as a therapist guides a person through a traumatic memory, they can observe and address sensations and changes that occur in the body.
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Resourcing - can help a person recognize what makes them feel good and safe. It could be certain relationships, places, or things that bring calmness. Recalling these things can help you find emotional balance and peace.
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