|
The body is a history of your life, a reservoir of emotions, and holds the wisdom to access trauma in the safety of the present moment. Bottom-up approaches involve exploring emotionally visceral reactions to the external environment (such as circumstances that involve elements outside of your control). Often automatic, bodily reactions and sensations highlight the way you see the world around you, your schemas, possibly a reflection of conditioning from early developmental life stages, and likely a normal response to a real or perceived threat from a specific time in your life. In the context of complex trauma, feeling safe in the body may not be a reality just yet with a gap between how you show up and how you want to show up in the world. Making the leap into territory not yet familiar requires additional and continual effort for healthy, positive changes on the body and brain outside of trauma-related imprints. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Dek Kolk describes the physiological and neurological effects of trauma on the individual and society as a whole. It's not a quick and easy digest. It may take some time to process the material and visceral or emotional reactions may surface, please note any reflections if you decide to read the book. Bodily sensations that surface almost automatically in response to an external stimuli is a message worth paying attention to. Whenever a strong or intense reaction surface, pause and ask yourself -- is my reaction an accurate interpretation of the present situation or is it a reminiscence of an emotional wound that needs tending to? If it's the latter, know that you have options on how to respond. You have options reflecting the way you want to show up in the world instead of how you've been conditioned to. There are ways to feel safe, secure, and protected while open and vulnerable to meaningful connection with yourself and others. It requires neuroplasticity as well as flexibility in how you think and respond. Just as you can build flexibility in the body, your brain can become more neuroplastic to healthy ways of being with bottom-up approaches such as yoga, heart-centered hypnotherapy, EMDR, and inner child work.   If you're interested in receiving integrative mental health care, schedule a free consultation.
Stay connected with Shannon — Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • LinkedIn
0 Comments
The golden ratio is seen in nature. Flower buds, succulents, sea shells, ocean waves, and spider webs. The navel on the human body is positioned where the upper and lower halves equal the golden ratio. It's seen in mandala art and even present in our DNA. It's also known as the Fibonacci code, (1 + √5) / 2. In a spiritual sense, the golden ratio highlights a universal language to understand meaningful patterns and themes, that everything truly is connected. Clinically, I reference this unifying ratio to emphasize the meaning of support and resilience in the context of depth or shadow work and your healing process. Similar to the golden rule in interpersonal communication of pairing 5 positives to 1 negative, strengthening loving-kindness presence by at least five fold with mindfulness-based practices is a resource state I integrate in session. The universal language of nature inspires my treatment approach to help you deepen your capacity to hold space for emotions; it’s particularly useful for those who experience depressive symptoms and grief. Understanding your emotional history provides information on generational, familial, and individual patterns. As you get in touch with your tendencies that may keep you in a spiral (maybe it's rumination or overthinking, perhaps it’s the same narrative that identifies with low self-worth), as you identify emotional triggers, and understand the pain that makes you human, it's important to deepen and strengthen loving-kindness presence: your ability to anchor in the safety of the present moment (by five fold). The ego would rather avoid feeling any discomfort or pain, real and perceived, however what we avoid inadvertently may chase us. By anchoring in a resource state of self-love and self-kindness, it feels safe to tune in to the inner landscape. When conditioning or Samskara (in Sanskrit: the language of yoga) is explored intentionally with non-judgment, acceptance, and curiosity, processing emotions can be held in the space of unconditional positive regard.  If you're interested in receiving integrative mental health care, schedule a free consultation.
Stay connected with Shannon — Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • LinkedIn Integrative mental health care is a collaborative process incorporating evidence-based interventions and holistic approaches to treat the whole person. In addition to addressing your emotional well-being, environmental conditioning, physiological functioning, cultural implications, and spiritual worldviews are explored to understand presenting concerns and mental health symptoms. Western or conventional therapies and Eastern or alternative healing practices are integrated into a treatment approach. Anodea Judith's book, Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self, is a resource worth checking out. I read it in 2014 during my undergraduate program shortly after my first yoga training and in 2021 at the start of my post-graduate internship. Its depth in understanding human development from an Eastern yoga-based philosophy with modern psychology is fascinating and inspired my approach in providing integrative mental health care. Mental health symptoms and behavioral adaptations are conceptualized as important messages of unmet needs and a wake-up call from the psyche to initiate the process of healing. The healing process involves holding space for emotional experiences, exploring psychosomatic sensations, and developing the inner resources to build capacity within your Window of Tolerance. As an integrative mental health counselor, I administer a biopsychosocial assessment, evaluate your holistic wellness (via the 8 dimensions: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social), facilitate process-oriented goal-setting, incorporate yoga and mindfulness-based practices, address lifestyle choices through a compassionate lens, collaborate with other holistic providers, and refer to community resources. Most importantly, my approach in integrative mental health aims to empower you to direct the therapeutic process and healing journey by deepening your awareness with self- compassion and cultivating the presence of loving-kindness.  If you're interested in receiving integrative mental health care, schedule a free consultation.
Stay connected with Shannon — Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • LinkedIn |
Author 
ArchivesCategories |
RSS Feed
