About Therapy
MIND/BODY THERAPIES
Bioenergetics
"Bioenergetics rests on the simple proposition that each person is his body. No person exists apart from the living body in which he has existence and through which he expresses himself and relates to the world around him. If you are your body and your body is you then it expresses who you are. It is your way of being in the world. The more alive your body is, the more you are in the world."
Bioenergetics is based on the belief that what affects the mind affects the body, and vice-versa. As children, we learn certain ways to protect ourselves from hurtful experiences. These defenses form not only in the mind, but also in the structure of our bodies. This influences the body's movement, breathing patterns, posture - even the way we shake hands tells a story about our life experience.
As children, we needed these defenses to survive. But as adults, they limit our capacity to enjoy life. Bioenergetics works to identify and shift these patterns as they appear in the body. This is done by attempting to read the muscular patterns; and then by applying specific exercises and techniques which help to release repressed emotions. Bioenergetic therapists also use different forms of body work, and therapeutic touch to help shift the patterns.
As clients progress in this therapy, the physical armoring which restricts the life force is lessened through both physical and emotional release. This in turn creates a much more satisfying relationship with oneself, others, and a much greater capacity for finding joy in one's life.
HAKOMI BODY-CENTERED PSYCHOTHERAPY
Hakomi is an experiential, somatic psychotherapy which combines the Eastern traditions of mindfulness and non-violence with a highly effective western methodology. Hakomi is a Hopi Indian word which means "How do I stand in relation to these many realms" or a modern translation is "Who are you".
Hakomi is a method of self-discovery which uses the mind-body interface and habitual patterns as powerful doorways to core unconscious material and the hidden beliefs which shape one's life, self-image, and relationships. Hakomi uses mindfulness to study one's experience, and explore how the body speaks its' mind.
The Hakomi therapist uses loving presence in the healing
relationship with great sensitivity and attunement between therapist and
client. This deep sense of safety and connection helps facilitate the
access of this core material and allows it to emerge safely into consciousness,
to be evaluated and powerfully transformed. New awareness can then be
integrated and the client can build a more satisfying, effective life
and feel more fully alive.
The Clinical Case of Sharon
Sharon was born into this world with a purity and preciousness which was not embraced or honored. Instead, she felt criticized and humiliated for her presence and learned to adapt to the world from the core beliefs that being fully herself was dangerous.
The Hakomi therapist would first guide Sharon into a
state of mindfulness and help her experience a "felt sense" of her shyness
and how it is to meet the world from her beliefs and fears of criticism
and humiliation. This process acts as a doorway to access unconscious
core beliefs about herself and her perception of the world. This may bring
memories and past traumas to the surface to be cleared and provide new
awareness into the under-pinnings which hold these beliefs in place. Then
it is possible for Sharon to begin to look at the world through a different
lens; one less threatening and safer for her to be her true self.
(SE) is a short term approach to the resolution of trauma developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It uses the awareness of body sensations to release the symptoms of trauma from the nervous system in a gradual way. This allows the healing of trauma rather than the reliving or re-enactment of it.
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