Traditional therapy places an emphasis on talking about your problems and your past, but recent advances in therapy have shown that deeply seated issues can be more effectively addressed by including your body in the therapy process.
Modern imaging technology has demonstrated that extreme stress actually affects the brain and can change the way our nervous and immune systems work. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed by the pace of life and the emotional residue of life experiences. Carrying that heavy burden of stress on a day-to-day basis can affect your body and may lead to other symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and even physical pain. Since your body bears the burden of your emotions, just talking about what is happening may not provide the change you're seeking. A more holistic approach that integrates mind, emotions and body in a supportive yet active process of change may be just the approach you need.
Working With the Mind
Of course the mind plays a role in our perception of the world and thoughts have a lot to do with our moods. But the mind doesn’t have to be a nemesis, it can actually be an ally. Mindfulness practice and meditation are ways of making peace with your mind, rather than struggling against or rejecting the thoughts and emotions that arise.
Making
peace with your mind is like relaxing into a comfy hammock on a
pleasantly warm day under the vast open sky. There may be traffic on
the highway right next to you, and sometimes you might be startled or
even annoyed by the noise and tumult. But you begin to have a knowing that even the
worse traffic jam eventually passes and that the sky is always there,
even on a cloudy day.
Working with the Body
Body-inclusive therapy works with the body through yoga and gradually-progressing body-awareness techniques. Yoga has been linked to improved physical strength and flexibility, but it isn’t as well-known that yoga is a complete system designed to improve your mood, body-awareness and well-being. From the yogic perspective, you are not broken. Even though life experiences may have caused you to lose sight of your inherent wholeness, this wholeness is always present and waiting to be rediscovered.
Body-awareness therapies are based on an understanding of the way that the brain and body change in response to chronic stress and trauma. By working mindfully and carefully, you can tap into where stress is being held in the body and learn to let it go – to lighten your load. This process proceeds gradually based on your own level of comfort, and the goal is for you to be able to incorporate these techniques into your life so that the healing continues on a daily basis - not just in the office.
Unwrapping your gift
Of course any process of healing or growth requires commitment. As kids we were excited to open gifts, eagerly anticipating what we would find inside. This process is equally exciting because you are unwrapping the gift of yourself. I am committed to helping you unwrap the gift that you are, if you’re committed to continuing the healing process which you have already started just with the thought of wanting to be well.
If you’re wondering if body-inclusive psychotherapy might help you, please feel free to call me at 872-216-7797 for a free 20-minute phone conversation. I’ll let you know if I can help or try to direct you to someone who can.
Body-awareness therapies are based on an understanding of the way that the brain and body change in response to chronic stress and trauma. By working mindfully and carefully, you can tap into where stress is being held in the body and learn to let it go – to lighten your load. This process proceeds gradually based on your own level of comfort, and the goal is for you to be able to incorporate these techniques into your life so that the healing continues on a daily basis - not just in the office.
Unwrapping your gift
Of course any process of healing or growth requires commitment. As kids we were excited to open gifts, eagerly anticipating what we would find inside. This process is equally exciting because you are unwrapping the gift of yourself. I am committed to helping you unwrap the gift that you are, if you’re committed to continuing the healing process which you have already started just with the thought of wanting to be well.
If you’re wondering if body-inclusive psychotherapy might help you, please feel free to call me at 872-216-7797 for a free 20-minute phone conversation. I’ll let you know if I can help or try to direct you to someone who can.
Convenient office location
I am a psychotherapist at the Center for Contextual Change, which is a group practice specializing in a 3-stage collaborative therapy process. Our offices are conveniently located in Skokie and the West Loop. I primarily work out of the West Loop office at 815 W Van Buren (Halsted & Van Buren), just steps from the Halsted stop on the Blue Line.
Be well - I look forward to talking with you soon!
Francine
May you be free from suffering. May you be healthy. May you be happy. May you live with ease.
