Q: What is Somatic Trauma Therapy?
A: Somatic refers to "body" and trauma therapy studies and treats our mental and physical make-up. Somatic Trauma Therapy is 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 everywhere in the body.
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, Waking 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.
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 work involves helping people find that basic, fundamental instinct we all possess and reconnect it in our present lives so that we can enjoy life more and enrich our relationships.
Q: How does Somatic Trauma Therapy differ from “talk” psychotherapy?
A: Somatic Trauma Therapy acknowledges the body's powerful role in healing the mind. Since many emotional issues are in the subconscious mind, and/or the BodyMind where our instinct for well-being resides, we use the body's experience, such as sensation, tension, numbness, etc., to help de-activate old trauma patterns. By freeing the BodyMind, we can restore healthy skills for meeting the rewards and challenges of life. I use Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing®, a non-threatening way to release pain and trauma.
Q: When would someone need a Life Coach?
A: Coaching helps anyone interested in improving any aspect of their life. Coaching empowers any person or group that 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 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.
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, to reverse the signals 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 functioning at your best. CST often works very well with Somatic Experiencing®.