Psychotherapy
At Embodying Compassion, our clinicians specialize in treating complex and chronic trauma. We take a somatic, body-based approach that blends a variety of healing traditions.
Psychotherapy calls for active effort on the part of all parties involved. Most of the change happens with repetition of new experiences. It also involves cultivating new patterns. Click here to access additional psychotherapy resources.
Psychotherapy Modalities
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy. It helps heal trauma by working with memory networks in the brain. It desensitizes and reprocesses distressing memories. Eye movements or other bilateral stimulation activate a state similar to REM sleep to further access and integrate unprocessed memories.
SMART
Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Therapy helps individuals regulate their nervous system through proprioceptive and vestibular inputs. It addresses difficulties in emotional regulation, impulse control, and self and co-regulation. Body-based trauma processing is often included in this treatment. This helps to effectively integrate past experiences. It helps us learn how to be in regulated nervous system state.
Healing Dissociation
Drawing on Janina Fischer’s work, this technique explores inner selves. It helps us understand how our habits, symptoms, and patterns can make sense in context. Therapeutic strategies are used to integrate these different parts, resolving inner conflicts and helping us connect with our true essence.
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback helps people learn to control brainwaves by giving them real time feedback on their brainwave activity. It can be useful for improving anxiety, depression, and trauma. It is non-invasive and does not involve medications.
We also use Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC), Heart Rate Variability Training (HRV), Stress Training with body temperature control or/and heart rate (biofeedback), exposure work, and Components Based Psychotherapy. When appropriate we can integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Integrating yoga with psychotherapy
When appropriate and desired, we sometimes include yoga services in our work. This includes working with mindful movement, meditation or breath. It also involves healing principles of the broad traditions of yoga. Practicing rest in savasana is another possibility. We work together with you to choose and integrate our different modalities into sessions .
We take a nervous system and trauma informed approach to meditation and all our yoga modalities. Many don’t discuss the challenges with meditation, contraindications and signs of negative side effects. We are aware of these. We educate our clients on them. We can use many other modalities to help folks establish the practices they want. We do this without forcing it or overriding the different experiences that can arise. WE have found many recommend yoga or meditation for stress or trauma without really providing education or tools. We build a container and plan with you and honor al the different aspects that can arise in this process. It is not one size fits all. Sometimes it takes different approaches and creativity to find the right type of meditation, mindfulness, and yoga practices. This is especially true if the nervous system is dysregulated. While these modalities can help, sometimes it is complicated. Our background in psychotherapy and trauma informed training is a supportive tool in this process.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra is an age-old practice in which you move into a deep state of conscious sleep. This practice can be performed on the ground or using an aerial yoga hammock, offering a combination of relaxation and rejuvenation.
We will start with some gentle movement and then guide you into a deep stare of relaxation where your parasympathetic nervous system will be dominant and your mind is guided to a hypnogogic state. You will be awake; this is not hypnosis. It is more like a lucid dream-like state where you are deeply relaxed but not asleep. Using a resolution/intention and intelligently activating different parts of the brain and regulating brainwave activity, Yoga nidra is a unique tool in the path of transformation and healing.
Sound Healing
Sound healing is a therapeutic practice that uses vibrational frequencies of sound to promote balance in the nervous system. Sound healing aims to induce a state of deep relaxation, reduce stress, and harmonize the body, mind and spirit.
We offer sound healing with weighted tuning forks that are applied on or near the body. You can lay, stand or sit for this or be in the aerial yoga hammock. We end with a sound bath using Tibetan Singing Bowls.
This is not a one size fits all model; we adapt session specifics based on your needs and preferences.
Meditation
Meditation and breathing techniques can help you cultivate happiness and calm in your daily life. You will learn foundations of meditation practice and tips and tricks for incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine.
We first get a sense of what your experience with meditation has been, and all experiences are welcome. Whether you have never meditated, have tried a little, or have a lot of experience, we are happy to support you in your practice.
Together we can make a plan and address any potential barriers you are facing. We have experience helping people who get flooded with thoughts or hard sensations/memories when practicing meditation.
HEALing and Fluid Yoga
HEALing Yoga is a slow flow vinyasa — a mindful class with an emphasis on alignment. It focuses on listening to body signals, interpreting them mindfully, and approaching oneself with loving kindness. Fluid Yoga is a heat-building creative flow that increases strength and flexibility while training the mind to be more settled during difficult challenges on and off the mat.
We offer private and semi-private asana sessions/classes. Typically, we like to collaborate with you to include preferences and requests to make the class just right for you and your group. Or, if you prefer, we can create an experience for you without your input.
Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga combines traditional yoga poses with the use of a hammock for support and stability. Some examples of one-on-one sessions include practicing restorative flows, focusing on fun and challenging tricks, laying in the hammock and cultivating integration in mind, body and spirit through body scans, sound healing, yoga nidra or a combination of methods.
We find Aerial Yoga helps people settle and go inward with more ease and support. We hypothesize that the proprioceptive inputs help regulate the brainstem bringing us into a state of relaxation and perhaps even play if that is what you are looking for.
Aerial yoga will always hold a special place in our practice and we are eager to share its benefits with you, whether you are looking to get energized through movement, go upside down, lay back and rest in the hammock or a combination of all that Aerial Yoga has to offer!
Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness based spirituality practices are often rooted in profound and ancient system of understanding the mind and offers deep insights into the nature of the human experience. It provides a clear path and tools to liberate the mind and overcome habitual patterns that cause pain in our day to day lives. Freeing the mind helps us live more compassionate and happy lives, benefiting ourselves and ultimately those around us. We find more balance harmony, integration and union.
Where attention goes, energy flows and that’s what grows.
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