Trauma Intensive

During intensive work I provide a warm, collaborative and comforting environment for you. We will go deeper into your subconscious networks and utilize the natural wisdom of you nervous system to desensitize distressing life experiences and emotional patterns that have been stored in the body.

As a somatic therapist, yoga teacher and meditation instructor, I utilize a body-centric approach with my intensive clients rooted in applied polyvagal theory (in other words, the science of feeling connected and awake to ourselves and the world), parts work (IFS-informed) and EMDR. I help your nervous system increase it’s capacity to tolerate past, present and even future stressors so that ‘stuck’ information in your body can be released and reprogrammed.

I use a variety of techniques, evidence-based interventions and integrative modalities including sound therapy/sound healing, dynamic body movement, guided visualization/hypnotic relaxation, use of creative arts such as drawing, journaling, poetry and painting and applied polyvagal techniques such as weighted pillows, humming/vocalization, rocking, swaying, brainstem blood flow stimulation, bilateral brain hemisphere stimulation and restorative yoga techniques.

Whether you are doing a half or full day intensive, we will set an agenda together so that expectations are clear for our intensive work. This agenda incorporates time for any education on the nervous system or parts work, a lot of co-regulation and resourcing with your nervous system to ensure it is capable of tolerating the intensive work, identifying the most intrusive or difficult aspect of your theme(s) or life experience(s) and working on it through deep subconscious desensitization, reprocessing and stabilization, post-processing time for “making sense of” things together as well as quiet time for journaling, art or meditation.

We will build in breaks for snacks and bathroom use and make a plan for how you will navigate the rest of the day/week until your next appointment with your primary therapist. Shelley lake is up the road and I also offer the last 30 minutes to 1 hour to take place there as we walk, process any remaining takeaways and down regulate our systems using this eco therapy approach.

After the intensive, I will collaborate and connect with your primary therapist to give them a clinical update from the intensive (if you wish). However, the body will continue to process the work we do together for several days after the intensive is over.

After an intensive, many clients report feeling better immediately and notice new perspectives, a reduction in intensity of symptoms, less mental chatter, a decrease in physical pain/discomfort, access to new coping skills, a better understanding of their emotions and emotional challenges and an increased capacity to self-soothe and regulate from the space of Self.