Mind / brain / body therapies
With research from Neurobiology and Neuroscience, we now know without doubt, the central role our bodies play in emotional well-being, as well as physical health. For instance, adverse or traumatic experiences can wire the brain in certain ways, and the associated fear ‘held’ in our bodies, so that we get ‘stuck’ in the trauma.
Mind/Brain/Body therapies can provide important support in healing, releasing tension and even re-wiring the brain, in order that we can find freedom and release from old patterns.
We offer a variety of therapies that may be able to support you, including:
NEUROFEEDBACK
Neurofeedback aims to reduce the severity of symptoms by re-training the brain to produce healthier brain wave patterns for better emotional regulation. Neurofeedback aims to undo the changes caused by trauma by re-wiring the brain. Neurofeedback is a safe, non invasive method to train your brain through operant conditioning to stabilise the nervous system and balance arousal.
SENSORIMOTOR PSYCHOTHERAPY
In sensorimotor psychotherapy, together with the therapist, a client is able to examine how past traumatic experiences are affecting them somatically or bodily. When words are not enough or perhaps aren’t even accessible to help a client heal, a somatic approach to trauma treatment can be very effective. Traditional psychotherapy focuses on the cognitive or emotional aspects of the individual, but such an approach can be limited. Sensorimotor psychotherapy uses both cognitive and somatic techniques, which can be important consideration in treatment as trauma can have such an overwhelming effect on the body and can manifest as debilitating somatic symptoms.
MASSAGE
Our massage therapists are highly trained, compassionate and trauma-informed, so that your experience can be nurturing, and healing. Often in our histories, touch has been unsafe. Experiencing massage with a compassionate knowledgeable, in-tune therapist, can help to re-build a sense of connection and trust with our bodies and with others, while releasing tension and stuck emotion or pain in the body.
SOMATIC MOVEMENT THERAPY
Somatic therapy works with the body mind connection, scientific developments in neurobiology now confirming that trauma is felt and ‘stored’ or becomes ‘stuck’ in the body, affecting the functioning of our nervous system, and leading to the symptoms of PTSD and other symptoms. The goal of therapy is to reduce tension held in the body, through becoming aware of and tracking bodily sensations, and slowly learning to ‘be with’ what is present in the body. Together with your therapist, you might use visualisation, breath work, movement and healing touch, depending on what feels ok for you in each moment. It can be incredibly useful to allow the body to move in order to do what you may have been unable to do when the trauma happened, releasing the ‘stuckness’ or sense of being ‘frozen’ and allowing you to find freedom.
YOGA THERAPY
Since the latest psychological research now recognises the fact that we ‘carry’ trauma (and emotion more generally) in our bodies as well as our brains and minds, we offer courses, classes and individual sessions using researched ‘Trauma Sensitive Yoga’ techniques. Please click below for more information on Yoga for Trauma.