Embodied Psychotherapy is an integral part of my regular psychotherapy practice; however, some people would prefer to focus mainly on the embodied responses as their primary communication and processing tool.
An embodied psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that primarily focuses on, recognises, and values embodied expressions and responses that are available to us by attuning to our body sensations.
Alongside conversation and the use of creative imagination, I will invite you to attend to body responses while increasing awareness of somatic experiencing, internal sensations, and changes in breathing, posture, and movement. Together, we will practise the awareness of how different emotional expressions and situations impact on our nervous system, including body responses which let us feel calm, agitated, or overwhelmed. However, healing involves more than gaining insight. It involves changes in our nervous system and how experience is felt, regulated, expressed, and integrated throughout the whole person.
My training and experience.
Even though my main Counselling and Psychotherapy training was primarily in talking therapy, both of my core trainings integrated elements of body therapy, such as focussing not only on what is being said, but also on emotions and body responses.
To develop this area more in 2016, I attended a year-long training with Barbette Rothschild in Somatic Trauma Therapy, which I introduced into my therapeutic work and as a trauma processing tool. Since then, I have extended different forms of CPD and learned more from Peter Levin, Janina Fisher, and Pat Ogden.
Last year, I decided to update my knowledge and attend a year-long Certificate in Embodied Psychotherapy, which offered me additional insight into experiencing the power of embodied work.
I have also provided trainings to other therapists on embodied and somatic work.
My embodied psychotherapy practice is informed by work developed by the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy, Babette Rothschild, and influenced by Peter Levin and Tara Brach.
My work with parts is informed by the research of C.G. Jung into Archetypes and Complexes, Psychosynthesis, and IFS.
What can Embodied Psychotherapy Help with:
In a nutshell the embodied therapy while focussing on different embodied and creative exercises, can support you in regulating your nervous system, offering a possibility of processing emotions and developing more compassionate and honest connection with yourself.
How I work.
If you would like to have Embodied Psychotherapy, this means that from the first session I will invite you to focus on your body, which would be the main “tool” for accessing information and processing any issues you would like to bring to therapy. This means that I may invite you to focus on your body sensations while you are describing different events to me. I may also invite you to move either while you are seated or standing. If we are working online, it might be helpful if you have some space around you and are willing to be able to move sometimes.
During the first session, I will also ask about your reasons for therapy, what you would like to change, and your past, including childhood experiences.
After this initial consultation, you can decide if you would like to continue and sign the agreement.
Embodied therapy is a powerful and creative therapeutic tool, and while we are attuned to your body, different parts of the Self can become very active, including memories, imaginations, and emotions. To enable processing and healing of different aspects of Self, I would invite you not only to pay attention to different somatic responses but also to communicate with different parts of self and/or to write or draw. For that reason, it might be helpful if you have an easily accessible way to note some of your experiences either on paper or electronically.
What I offer:
You can have sessions online on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays, or in person in Leeds city centre on Wednesdays.
You can have a short-term therapy, 6 to 15 sessions focussing on an issue or area of your life that you would like to improve.
You can also have open-ended, long-term psychotherapy, focussing on your whole Self, which creates space for more in-depth work.
If you would like more information or to see my therapeutic agreement, please visit here or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.