What is Holistic Psychotherapy?
I can only answer what it is at our practice. It’s a way of helping others on their journey, their unique, individualized, path to healing. It’s approaching each person’s unique characteristics, each person’s stories of the past and dreams of the future, and each person’s pain and grief, as part of the treatment plan. We are looking at you, each person, as a Whole person. Until our past traumas are healed, we won’t feel whole. We are actually always “whole person’s”, with our souls intact, no matter what we have experienced. But those trauma experiences make us feel fragmented, only slices of what we used to be in our natural state before the traumas.
Anxiety and depression are typically the by-products of experienced trauma that has not been metabolized by the brain/body. Trauma can be big things like natural disasters, crimes, car wrecks, medical procedures, and loss, and it can also be smaller events that packed a big wallop to our system because it was a surprise, unexpected, or very emotional for us. Anxiety and depression can even be caused by second-hand trauma. So can many other symptoms of unresolved trauma like:
Panic, sleep disturbances
Not trusting or feeling safe with others
Limited contact with others
Spacing out or feeling disconnected from reality
Being easily triggered and overreacting
Feeling un-grounded & Anxious
Losing interests in former hobbies
Unexplained somatic pains
Autoimmune disorders
Feeling trapped, stuck or helpless
With holistic psychotherapy, we are looking at helping you FEEL whole again. This is something that you and your clinician will identify the roadmap towards together. Our bodies and mind are not separate. What disturbs our mind, disturbs our body. That is why so many of the above symptoms are physical in nature. When our body is healthy, it allows optimal conditions for growth and healing.
Practicing the devotion & discipline it takes to follow through on our personal goals, helps us develop strengths and resiliencies that we desire, and some we couldn’t have even imagined. But most importantly, when we take care of ourselves, make healthy choices even though we really want the fries (and good fries are lovely-from time to time) and invest in our healing, we are practicing Self-reverence and Self-love.
Your clinician can help you identify your intentions for your body, mental, spiritual, emotional, and relational aspects of your life. We are there to walk alongside you on your path to healing & growth. We are not going to judge you or any of that nonsense. With our expertise & support, you can overcome challenges blocking your ability to live in a state of wonder, gratitude & joy. After working with us, you can experience More:
Hope
Compassion
Health
Connection
Safety
Abundance
Peace
Confidence
Joy
If this sounds good to you, then you get what we are about and how we approach our work: with mighty compassion, ethical integrity, and abundant hours of education and trainings.
Below are some helpful practices we often recommend to assist in the recovery and healing process from chronic stress, trauma, anxiety & depression by repatterning the nervous system to a focused, calm state of equanimity. Some of these are offered at our practice and others you can find on youtube, in local classes, or in other places. The main thing is to explore, experiment, and find the ones that are life-giving to you, and fill your cup!
Meditation & Mindfulness
Therapeutic Massage
Breathwork (ex: yogic, Wim Hoff, ibreathe app)
Yoga
Rolfing
Cranial Sacral Therapy
Walking meditation
Daily body movement
Sound meditations
Energy work
Daily reflection and journaling
Acupuncture/Acupressure
Tai Chi
Qi gong
Balanced diet
Shamanic journeys
Retreats
Hobbies
Nature bathing
Finding your tribe-social connections
Isolation floats
