The work that I offer is a creative synthesis of my own personal processes, my experiences working with people and an unshakable trust in the body’s ability to heal. Below are my primary influences.
Authentic Movement and Ideokinesis
Authentic Movement is a form of closed-eyed exploration of the mind/body interior landscape opening to whatever emerges in the moment an important aspect is the non-judgemental witness. Developed by Mary Starks Whitehouse as a form of movement therapy, Authentic Movement is a simple practice of witnessing with a nonjudgmental external witness. Through this practice and that of movement improvisation, I learned that my body can be trusted to lead me towards deep healing resources that could not be accessed through my thinking mind.
The work of Mabel Todd in her book, The Thinking Body (1937), is a classic study of physiology and the psychology of movement which championed the early field of somatic studies. My intensive study of her work with both Andre Bernard in Ideokinesis and Irene Dowd in neuromuscular re-education linked active imagination and experiential anatomy to repair injury and restore corrective patterns within my body mind. This improved my functioning as a modern-dancer as well as created a lifelong ability to connect to reliable supportive sensory movement patterns.
Zen Buddhism
I dove into my first 10 day silent retreat not knowing what I was getting into. Having the training of a dancer, I appreciated the methodical structures of Zen and the still, silent approach it offered of deep inquiry into the nature of Self and the mind. It was important to me that Zen emphasized that no one else could tell me what to ‘believe’, that it was only up to my own penetrating awareness to uncover the nature of my being. It emphasized that the answers I was looking were not something to learn but to discover within me.
My initial studies with John Daido Loori, led me to do intensive Koan study with Enkyo O’Hara becoming an authorized Zen Teacher in 2009. Now many years later, Zen training and the practice of ‘not knowing’ is a good reminder when I interact with clients. It is a reminder that the answer each person is looking for is for them to personally discover.
Network Spinal Analysis
When I attended my first Network seminar with its founder Dr. Donald Epstein I was impressed by what I heard and saw. By enlisting the free energy in and around the body, Network was able to provide a maximum impact with very little or no force application. By gentle contacts in specific areas of the spinal column stimulated the body to respond releasing bound energy and systematically reorganizing to a higher level of functioning. In that first seminar, I witnessed people on tables receiving Network entrainments, engaging in spontaneous movements and emotional responses. This was dramatically different than the chiropractic I had been accustomed to. Later on experiencing ‘the Network Wave’ myself, I was amazed at the effects, and wanted to learn more. So I did….intensively studying and practicing this work for over 25 years, serving thousands of people in my office and as a staff member for Transformational Gates and other Healing programs.
Polyvagal Theory and Somatic Experiencing
The Polyvagal Theory recognizes the two main branches of our parasympathetic Vagus Nerve that function differently. The Ventral Vagal branch is primarily functioning when we are safely connected. The Dorsal Vagal branch, when functioning without threat, is responsible for slowing down our nervous system, to allow us to ‘rest and digest’. There is also the sympathetic nervous system which reacts to excite the nervous system and when under threat enables the ‘fight or flight’ response. This hierarchy of responses in the nervous system is an elegant design to protect us from harm and to respond to the events of our daily life. However when overwhelmed or unable to successfully complete motor responses of self protection, ie. escape or overpower the threat, the nervous system gets stuck and we are traumatized.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) looks at these organismic responses and has methods to heal the trauma by completing self-protective motor responses in a safe manner. This restoration allows for our present day responses to be appropriate to the circumstances and not driven by past trauma.
Internal Family Systems
IFS entered my life without my even looking for it. When it did though, it made complete sense and was the missing link. Who would know in January 2020 as I began my IFS training, that in a month later the world would change. The in-person training programs all went to online platforms. The Pandemic closed down my ioffice and changed my practice replacing a busy group entrainment office into with individual care. Almost everything went online with some individual brave masked clients scheduling appointments. Since pandemic restrictions shifted my client contact from a group room with dynamic Network entrainments to one-on-one sessions, I had the space and time to get creative incorporating IFS and touch, to allow my hands to hold or speak to parts that had stories to share. I experimented with what I was learning in IFS incorporating trauma informed approaches including, movement, embodiment of parts, boundary work, shaping and coloring, weaving polyvagal theory with table work and hands on direct access, among other things.
I find IFS a co-regulating, collaborative, conscious, authentic space of co-accountability within the therapeutic relationship. As a practitioner it is an exciting, profound, encouraging space to be in. I feel energized and motivated by the depth of connection and healing I witness and support.