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Soothe Your Animal Defenses with Sensorimotor Psychotherapy September 21, 2018 . No Comments
By now, you have most likely learned about and understand what it means when people use the phrase “fight or flight” to describe how our bodies use animal defenses to keep us ... Read More
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Somatic Mindfulness: What Is My Body Telling Me? (And Should I Listen?) June 19, 2018 . 3 Comments
“Mindfulness” is a popular buzzword in therapy and personal-growth circles. Mindful.org defines mindfulness as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are ... Read More
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Why Do I Feel This Way? Over-Coupling and the Stress Response April 11, 2018 . 2 Comments
“I don’t know why, but every time I start dating someone new, I lose interest after three or four dates—even if they are really cool.” “This time of year just makes me miserable. ... Read More
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Why Self-Regulation Is the Most Important Thing in the World August 7, 2017 . 29 Comments
As a therapist who specializes in treating complex posttraumatic stress, I am often asked whether my practice is “depressing,” or whether it brings me down. It’s an obvious question: ... Read More
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The Charge of the Somatic Psychotherapist: Rewiring a Living System June 13, 2017 . 9 Comments
I recently became the proud owner of a 1913 craftsman home. Old homes are wonderful; they add a rich sense of history to our modern lives. However, they often require extensive repair, ... Read More
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Psychotherapy for Your Body: The Role of Somatic Psychology Today June 5, 2017 . 3 Comments
A racing heart and a roiling stomach. Panic attacks, nightmares, or fatigue. The body has myriad ways to manifest the many faces of trauma and fear. And for many people, getting help to ... Read More
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Is the Life You’re Living in Tune with Your Natural Rhythms? April 25, 2017 . 7 Comments
Let’s sit down and have a conversation, perhaps over a cup of tea. You know, the way people used to connect. We’ll sit together and enjoy the taste of the tea, the afternoon gently ... Read More
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Resilience and Overwhelm: How Full Is Your ‘Container’? February 8, 2017 . 4 Comments
Somatic psychotherapists often use the informal metaphor of a “container” in describing a person’s state of overwhelm or resilience. It’s a simple concept: If Janelle is experiencing ... Read More
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What Is Self-Regulation and Why Is It So Important? September 28, 2016 . 7 Comments
The term self-regulation means “control [of oneself] by oneself.” It refers to a system taking the needed steps to keep itself in balance. Many different systems can self-regulate, ... Read More
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Trauma Treatment: What’s Your Body Got to Do with It? May 7, 2015 . 27 Comments
If you were to join me at a trauma conference, you would hear a lot of talk about the body. While the fields of psychology and mental health have focused primarily on the mind, emotions, ... Read More
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Group Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma October 10, 2011 . 3 Comments
Experiencing traumatic events can cause impairments in physical and biological reactions that lead to psychological symptoms. The majority of mainstream treatment approaches for trauma ... Read More
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Core Energetics: What Is It and How Does It Work? February 11, 2010 . 7 Comments
Core Energetics (CE) was created by John C. Pierrakos in the 1970s. Pierrakos was a student of Wilhelm Reich and worked closely with Alexander Lowen. After jointly creating Bioenergetics, ... Read More