Sylvie Eyral, Psychotherapist in Santa Fe, 87505

Sylvie Eyral, LISW, SEP

Profession(s):
Psychotherapy, Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Counseling
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Licensed Independent Social Worker

My Approach to Helping

Would you like to feel alive, engaged and more able to enjoy a range of experiences? Are you restless, anxious,or overwhelmed? Are you unhappy with new habits you've picked up to cope (overeating, coffee, alcohol, etc.)? Do you feel stressed and unable to meet daily challenges?

You are not alone. Most people who consult with me are suffering from some or several of these symptoms. Many times their suffering is connected to a specific event or crisis (i.e.: loss, accident, illness), at other times it is not so clear. Symptoms which bring people into therapy are often the result of an overwhelmed or dysregulated nervous system. Nervous system dysregulation can happen over time or suddenly secondary to "ordinary" events such as car accidents, falls, violence, even surgery, or because of "extraordinary" events such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Anxiety disorders such as acute stress or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop as a result of witnessing or living through an event perceived as "life-threatening." Everyone's perception of the same event varies based on developmental and later life experiences. Our nervous system can become overwhelmed (traumatized) when we live through something that happens too fast or last too long.

Since stress and trauma are part of daily life, I like to think of therapy as helping you develop life skills. You are more than a collection of symptoms or problems, and since you have already succeeded to make it to adulthood, it means that you have many strengths and resources.

It is my firm belief that the most important element of effective therapy is a genuine connection between you and me and together developing a safe container for your work. My approach is gentle, empathic, invitational and supportive.

To engage in therapy takes courage. The benefits of allowing yourself to be open to your own experience can be immense. The rewards can range from a feeling of wellbeing, to a greater capacity to relax, an incredible sense of freedom, abundance, creativity and self-expression.

More Info About My Practice

My practice (Somatic Psychotherapy) is devoted to working with adults, teaching self-regulation, building capacity and resilience in the nervous system to help you enjoy a wide spectrum of experiences.
One of the key principles that changed my practice from a psychoanalytic perspective to a body-centered approach is that "Trauma is in the nervous system not in the event" (Peter Levine, "Waking the Tiger")
Somatic Psychotherapy draws from training in, and practice of Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Art and play therapy and mindfulness. It is a body-centered psycho-physiological approach to resolve and heal trauma. It addresses symptoms of traumatic stress and of unresolved responses of fight, flight and freeze. With Somatic Psychotherapy we'll work with the body's innate ability to heal itself and safely release energies mobilized to meet "life-threatening" events. When these energies get discharged from the body, clients often report experiencing a reduction or complete disappearance of their previous symptoms. Teaching your nervous system to settle and integrate enables transformation and healing to occur, restoring resilience and aliveness.
Neurological research suggesting "plasticity" implies that the brain is constantly creating and expanding new neural pathways. It means that all areas of the brain are "plastic" well beyond childhood, and in fact throughout adult life. It supports evidence that with proper therapeutic guidance the human mind-body system has an inherent capacity to heal itself since the brain (nervous system) changes throughout the lifespan in response to new experiences.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

Trauma resolution. It is so exciting to witness people's recovery from trauma, the restoration of their resilience and their rediscovery of enjoyment for life.

Services I Provide

Individual Therapy & Counseling
Consultation
Clinical Supervision
Online Counseling / Phone Therapy
Residential Treatment or Hospitilization

Ages I Work With

Adults
Elders

Languages I Speak

English
French

Groups I Work With

Groups I work with:
Stress/Traumatic Stress; Auto accidents, Personal injury; Sexual abuse/Emotional abuse; Spirituality and Trauma; Medical/Surgical trauma; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Anxiety/Depression; Shock and Developmental trauma.