Questions and Answers
Q:
What is Somatic Psychology?
A:
Somatic refers to "body" and of course a psychologist
studies and treats our mental and emotional make-up. Somatic
Psychology, or somatic psychology, is a field synonymous with
BodyMind Therapy, or the BodyMind Connection. I work with body and
mind together, two intertwined parts of a whole person. Since it's
absurd to point to an anatomy chart and say, "there's the
mind," it's evident that mind is in the body.
Q:
How does "somatic" psychotherapy differ from regular
psychotherapy?
A:
Somatic psychology/psychotherapy acknowledges the body's powerful
role in healing the mind. Since many emotional issues are in
the subconscious mind, or the bodymind where our instinct for
well-being resides, we use the body's experience, such as
sensation, tension, numbness, etc., to help deactivate old trauma
patterns. By freeing the bodymind, we can restore healthy
skills for meeting the rewards and challenges of life.
Q:
What is trauma?
A:
The Diagnostics Statistics Manual say's "trauma is caused by
a stressful occurrence that is outside the range of normal human
experience... a serious threat or harm to one's self, loved ones
or others, sudden destruction of one's home or community, seeing
another person who is or has recently been injured or
killed...." Peter Levine, Ph.D. explores trauma
further in his book, Walking the Tiger, saying any event that,
"the body unconsciously perceives as threatening," can
qualify. When our daily routine at work, leisure, in
relationships and within one's self-awareness is impaired physically
and/or mentally, it's likely that trauma is lurking in the
background.
Some Common Causes of trauma are:
|
- Illness
- Falls
- Near-death
- Attacks
- Abandonment
- War
- Stress
|
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- An unsupportive family
- Natural disasters
- Dental/medical
procedures
- Near-drowning
- Sexual abuse
- Starvation
- Fibromyalgia
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- Accidents
- Crime victim/witness
- Surgery
- Abuse/neglect
- Chronic fatigue
- Grief/loss
- Eating disorders
|
Q:
My trauma happened years ago; is it too late to heal it now?
A:
It's never to late to work through the effects of old trauma, even
if it happened at birth or prenatally. Remember that we're
all "wired" biologically to survive and prevail after
virtually all kinds of trauma. My client work involves
helping people find that basic, fundamental instinct we all posses
and reconnect it to our present lives so that we can complete our
healthy response.
Q:
What is CranioSacral Therapy?
A:
CST, a light, deeply relaxing and revitalizing hands-on technique
is both subtle and profound. Clients often feel relaxed and
energized as a result of CST treatment. CST goes directly on
the nervous system, where the signals originate that tell us we're
in pain, stressed or debilitated in some way. CST works at
our core-our brain, spinal cord and fluid, cranial and vertebral
bones, connective tissue, membranes and nerve roots--to subtly
ignite our ability to function with less discomfort and more
skill. As an Advanced CST Practitioner, I treat a
multitude of problems--virtually any cause that separates you from
function at your best. CST often works very well with
Somatic Experiencing.
Q:
When would someone need a Life Coach?
A:
Coaching helps anyone interested in improving any aspect of their
life. Any person or group who is dissatisfied with what it
has, is or does and wants more. Working with a life coach
can greatly benefit and enlarge your highest abilities and purpose
in your professional, personal, emotional, spiritual and
physical life. Weekly phone sessions for a minimum of
three months, are designed to achieve your chosen goals as you
discover and apply your talents in the real world. Life
coaching is a positive and action-oriented, it helps first to
identify what you want to have, be or do, discover your internal
and external obstacles, actual and imagined barriers, hidden or
underutilized talents and finally to take real action in bring
your goals to completion.
