FAQ

Systems thinking see’s our personal experience of life in a wider context; as a part of multiple different systems. We are affected or influenced by these different systems the whole affects the parts.  By understanding and accepting how the systems around us impact us we are able to free ourselves from those impacts and benefit from them in new ways. A few of the systems we consider are The Family System, our Internal Family System (the different aspects of us), our Culture and our Society. See Bowen Family Systems and IFS for more information below.

Somatic therapy brings our “felt experience”, sensations, or energetic experience into our therapy.  Our physical experience of life is the first way we navigate life as young children. Even before we can verbally communicate, we navigate the world through the sensations of our bodies and our relationships through our physical bodies. At deep subconscious level, if our bodies feel safe then we know we are safe. Past experiences (often traumatic ones) are stored in our bodies. Somatic therapy gives us an opportunity to gain safety up through the body rather than the mind with real-time experiences that reteach the innate safety of our being that has been lost throughout the challenging things that we’ve faced.

Bowen Family systems helps us to understand and change the impact of growing up in our families has had on who we have become. Our clients are often surprised of how seemingly small attitudes or experience growing up have created many of their repeated challenges. Of course, the more obvious or traumatic experiences within our families have big impact on us as well. So much of what we learned growing up becomes part of our way of seeing and navigating the world without us even being aware of it. When we can understand why family members have behave the way they do we can become free to change our own beliefs and behavior which empowers us to make changes that we want for ourselves.

IFS takes the concept of how our family system or family dynamics have impacted us and our challenges and takes and brings the focus inside of us. We have different parts or aspects of ourselves that don’t see things in the same ways. When these parts of us are don’t agree on how to move forward we work against ourselves. These conflicted parts of us are usually trying to protect us; often they are protecting us from something that is no longer a threat or problems for us. Internal Family Systems helps all parts of us come into sync so we can move forward into a more fulfilling life.

At the core Transpersonal Therapy’s focus is that something greater than our ego or our day-to-day struggles hold us in a supportive way. A container of something bigger than our problems is within us and outside of us.  Some call these containers Spirit others see them as their eternal authentic Self. This is the part of us that always been there. The silent witness or true Self. As we connect to this Self, we come to know that something greater than our challenges, is always there for us, we learn there is support for our uncertain or fearful parts, through support they evolve out of their struggles.  As we learn to trust this inner strength, we move forward in the creation of a life that has more of the things we truly want and desire.

Gestalt is a German word which generally means “whole” or “form”. It holds that we are whole beings and brings the focus of therapy to our current experience rather than the past. Gestalt Therapy explores our relationships to different aspects of our lives. This could be another part/aspect of ourselves, our relationship with another person or situations in our lives. Gestalt is a present moment exploration of what is creating our challenges. Things creates new awareness and new perspective, that opens the door to more self empowerment.

Person center therapy is just that, it’s focuses on creating a comfortable, non-judgmental and empathic space for the client to find their own direction.  When the counselor brings genuine, trustworthy and open care it becomes a model for the client to do the same for themselves. Person-Centered Therapy centers on what Rogers called “Unconditional Positive Regard” which is deep acceptance, support and positive sharing with the client. It’s sometimes called Rogerian therapy (after it’s originator Carl Rogers) or client-centered therapy.

AEDP is developed by Diana Fosha, focusing on helping people to function and flourish through a healing and transformation based model of therapy. The four pillars of AEDP are “Faith in the client’s capacity to heal”, “The power of being seen and understood”, “Working through Defenses, “Discovering a newfound ability to trust”. AEDP Like many therapeutic modalities integrates a variety of other therapeutic approaches one being Attachment-Theory.  AEDP undoes aloneness by staying present and accepting with their clients as they navigate hard sensations and feelings. By undoing aloneness, we release what is keeping us stuck in our challenges.