Services
Holistic Healing & Homeopathic Remedies
Our therapeutic treatment plans are crafted with integrative body‑mind techniques.
An individualized treatment plan may include a variety of approaches to healing.
My Approach as a Behavioral Psychotherapist
Many issues are best resolved with a comprehensive approach that includes all aspects of the body/mind. Distress or imbalance in one level affects all the others. In the assessment process, we identify issues and design strategies to restore balance and optimal functioning. Medication can provide some comfort, but true healing requires a change in the patterns (complexes woven through all layers of our being) that cause distress.
Two major components of assessment include history taking and pulse taking. History taking provides valuable background and perspective on an intellectual level. Pulse taking is a way of directly listening to the body, to hear the story beneath the story in a more intuitive way.
Paying attention to an issue is the first step to transforming it. Through treatment we can develop focus and attention to specific issues. This is the path to finding the critical points where deep and lasting change can begin.
Sometimes it is helpful to briefly discuss trauma or loss from the past. We often get stuck in painful patterns that were formed in the past, and recognizing this can be a step towards reforming the pattern.
But sometimes dwelling in the past can be a way of staying stuck. Treatment is often most effective when the focus is on the present. No matter how we were victimized in the past, we cannot recover until we find a way to get out of the role of the victim. We need to find a way, in present time, to reclaim our lost power and strength.
I understand that everyone has different preferences when it comes to meeting, so I want you to know that sessions can be held in whatever format feels most comfortable for you. I offer appointments via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or by phone, as well as in-person sessions.
I’m happy to work with you in the way that best suits your needs. If you choose to meet in person, all appropriate safety protocols will be observed. Please take care of yourself, and if you choose to allow me to support you, it would truly be a privilege.
Somatic Healing & Experiencing
Overwhelming experiences from the past often leave a sticky residue in the body-mind. We may or may not have a conscious memory of the event, and even if we try to “process” the memory intellectually, it may not change the pattern our nervous system has developed. Fight/Flight/Freeze patterns are biologically wired and can result in distorted perceptions and behaviors. Anxiety and depression and a whole host of mental and physical conditions can be the result. Somatic Experiencing uses strategies to help restore the natural regulation of the nervous system by paying attention to messages (sensations) being sent by our bodies. Modern humans often ignore the messages and don’t allow full recovery from whatever has shocked us. We are not able to “shake it off” as effectively as animals in the wild.
For more information, see this article:
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/somatic-experiencing
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Many psychotherapists find this to be their most effective therapy. It starts with an intellectual assessment and analysis of thoughts and behaviors that are associated with the issue. Sensible thoughts and actions are used to replace those that are troublesome. It works best when the bulk of the problem is on the mental or emotional level, but it can have an effect on all levels.
Energy Techniques
Systematic ways of helping the body/mind “reset” itself, using stimulation such as tapping on certain acupressure points to overcome or release negative emotions. This is a way to change the disturbed bioenergy that is associated with distorted thought and behavior. Works on all levels, but is especially effective for stuck emotions. These techniques can also be used to evaluate the body’s response to foods and supplements such as vitamins and herbs.
Homeopathic Remedies
Homeopathic and Flower Remedies are derived from plants, flowers, and other substances. These remedies stimulate the body/mind to heal itself. The original substance is “potentized” by the homeopathic method so that the active ingredient is not a chemical, but subtle energy. Works on all levels.
Bodywork
This includes work with muscles, fascia, and other tissues to release stagnation and to energize the body/mind. A number of different modalities are utilized, including shiatsu (Japanese acupressure massage) and Chi Nei Tsang (abdominal organ massage from China and Thailand).
For more information on Chi Nei Tsang, see Dennis Lewis’s article “Taoist Healing & Chi Nei Tsang.”
Tensions and traumas tend to get stuck in our physical bodies, and it is often very effective to release them directly with specific types of massage or stretching. Emotions can get tied up in our “guts”. Physically unwinding these deposits often works wonders, while thinking and talking may be unable to touch them.
Heart Rate Variability Analysis
A fingertip sensor is used to collect pulse data, which is analyzed by a computer program to assess stress and relaxation. Information comes from the heart rhythm, which is on the physical level. But experience has shown that data collected in this way reflects the balance of all levels, often more reliably than data collected by self-report. This tool can be used to confirm the effectiveness of other treatments.
These approaches can be helpful for many issues
Stress and Anger Management
Depression
Anxiety and Fears
Grief and Loss
Substance Abuse and Addiction
Peak Performance Enhancement
Vitamin and Herbal Recommendations
