Hakomi
As a Certified Hakomi Practitioner (CHP) I draw on a mindfulness-based, body-integrated method of psychotherapy grounded in five core principles: body-mind holism, mindfulness, non-violence, unity and organicity. Through present-moment, experiential inner exploration I encourage you to expand your awareness, follow the body and felt sensation, and encounter (more of) your whole self with curiosity. In this process you may access unconsciously held beliefs that inform your somatic shape and behavior. Illuminating long-held beliefs (about yourself and the world), and studying where and how these live in your body allows you to be more at choice: do I continue to do what I’ve always done, or is another response possible? Premised on body-mind integration and client empowerment, the Hakomi method is uniquely suited to help process trauma. Although gentle and collaborative, this practice tends to catalyze deep and sustained transformation due to its focus on shifting the entrenched somatic responses and neural patterns associated with psychosocial wounding.
Mind-Body Coaching
Mind-Body coaching centers the felt experience and intuitive intelligence of the body as a primary path to healing. Mind-Body coaching considers each human in their wholeness (mind, body, spirit) and situates the client as expert of their experience and healing. As a Mind-Body Coach, I support you to connect with your direct, lived experience so that you may perceive with more clarity what is helpful and healing.
Because my practice is grounded in somatic and contemplative exploration, it is helpful if you can focus and sustain attention on your inner experience. If you have no experience with mindfulness, we may spend some time practicing this skill together. Mindful awareness invites you to slowdown your everyday consciousness to the pace of your body’s unfolding so that you can feel and notice more. Working mindfully allows you to access your “witnessing” consciousness and may soften self-critical or reactive tendencies. I believe there is a range of energies and explorations that can be accessed from a state of mindfulness. I support a spectrum of dynamics from deep quietude to playful curiosity.
From a neurobiological perspective, mindfulness is a state of increased neuroplasticity, in which neural networks are open to reorganization. Contemplative techniques such as mindfulness help to activate the prefrontal cortex so that you can reconnect to parts of the brain that help you be at choice even when you are activated or overwhelmed, ie. expanding your emotional, cognitive, and energetic capacity. There is also an enhanced window of plasticity immediately following movement.