Hi Butterfly Warrior, I will tell you all about it. I'm actually planning to attend this conference. My first introduction to body psychotherapy was with somatic experiencing. Are you familiar with somatic type therapies?
Shrinklady

Take good notes

It looks terrific.

I'm only familiar a bit through reading Waking the Tiger.... Which.... Im so happy my therapist is reading.... brownie points for her.

Anyways, I want to learn more about it especially once I am much more healed and in my own training to become a therapist as I plan to do.

A friend of mine who does this sort of work with clients suggested I try and find a SE therapist to work with. Problem is lack of insurance.. blah blah blah.

I would love to see more articles, journals, etc on this or writings if you plan to include more on this site as you're able.

Yes, I sure am planning to include more information. Somatic therapy made such a difference to me. I had gone to several therapists before I came across SRT (Self-Regulation Therapy). I had never experienced such regular progress as with SRT. It's hard to describe how it made such a difference.

This is a small thing but I like to tell people. I used to walk quickly everywhere no matter if I was in a hurry or not. I'm fairly short and I never liked how that looked. So I tried changing it and at any given moment it was easy to slow down. But of course, I'd be doing it again the next day. Rush, rush everywhere.

Well, I just love this. I can walk slowly now. I do it automatically. And that's how it is with me. It comes easy now. I can "stop and smell the roses". It's a small thing to other people who might not give it a second thought but to me it's huge.

It's also so much more pleasant to reduce your activation before you get into deeper issues. I'm being a little flipant here...but with all my stuff, it would have taken forever!

The site is actually loosely based on the ideas...I didn't want to alienate anyone who hadn't had somatic therapy...but the reptile/cavemen idea and the section on neuroscience and somatic therapy explains a little bit on the science of it.

I'll definitely keep you posted.
Shrinklady

Boy oh boy....can I ever relate to the rush rush everywhere concept.....in my recent trip to New York, I became fully cognizant of how activated my nervous system becomes when the energy around me is "high"....I think my friend wanted to purchase a dog leash to put on me....all I could hear was slow down.....when we were in one of the museums, I was trying to slow down and take in all of the incredible pieces of art....but often found myself far ahead of my friend finally put her foot down and said that I needed to stay in the same room as her.....otherwise, in her words " I am spending so much time looking for you, I can't enjoy the museum"....so, looks like I need to go back and re-read "Waking the Tiger"....I read it so many years ago.....Thanks Butterfly Warrior for bringing the conference to our attention.....And Shrinklady, my goal is to one day slow down enough to "smell the roses"....it would be huge for me as well.....I am starting a new job in September that is less activating for my nervous system.....perhaps this is the first step???

Deb

HI Debra, welcome back. New York, eh? Yes, I"ve heard the "buzz" there is quite high. My bodyworker lived there for twenty years and she says she loves New York, but she'd never live there again, for the same reason. 9/11 must have moved everyone up another notch. It's too bad because I hear there's nothing like New York.

Waking the Tiger was my first introduction to somatic work too. Another good book, and since we have some budding therapists on the site...which is so cool...is Babette Rothschild's The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment.

New job too eh? Sounds good. What will you be doing?

Shrinklady

Shrinklady:

"What will I be doing?".....aside from working part-time on my masters and volunteering at a local hospice, I am moving to a Clinician role.....I worked my last night shift August 12th!!!.....(after 27 years of working 2 days 2 nights 5 off)....so that in itself will help me regulate my body some (or at least I hope)....I am looking forward to the teaching/learning aspect of my new position....of course teaching, often resistant adult learners, can itself be challenging.....

Thank you for suggesting the other book....can it be purchased at Chapters?

I am so at an odd place right now, in terms of therapy that is....this is due in part to a recent betrayal (or at least that is how it felt to me) from my present therapist....I am not so sure that things will ever feel the same for me.......which saddens me deeply.....Not so sure how to work this one through......Healing trauma created by the therapist? Is this possible?????????

Resting after a week of high activation...
Deb

Hi Debra, that's good to hear. I never understand why--despite tons of research--they continue to have those horrendous hours. It's so hard on the body. Regular hours will feel so much better. I've seen that so many times.

Teaching eh? What subject? Why will your students be "resistant"?

Sorry to hear the latest in your therapy...this is always the toughest time...when things go awry.

I'm reminded about clients that I've had who left all of a sudden for no apparent reason and I think I must have said something that hurt them. The unfortuate thing is they never brought it up so I couldn't clarify or work it out with them. It's sad, because I can only assume the relationship wasn't strong enough for them.

Have you raised the subject with your T? The courageous thing for any client to do is to bring up something about the relationship. Scary stuff. Communications with our T's isn't like other interactions. The relationship can take on such intense emotions..which is why communications can sometimes get side-tracked and also why these "repair" moments are so healing.

It's been my personal experience that working things out can also take some time. I've raised stuff with my T and then the same thing came up again for me down the road because I guess I didn't resolve it completely the first time...which, I think is natural given our emotions are in layers.

BTW, the things that I regret the most in my therapy with previous therapists is not having raised something that was bothering me. This is where trusting your T comes in. Was the distrust coming from me or truly from my therapist? Question of the day!

I think the "work" is about working these times through hopefully in a way that's "corrective".. I wish you all the best. I know this can't be an easy time.

Let us know how it goes,
Shrinklady

Shrinklady:

Unfortunately shift work is an integral part of being a nurse.....Clients admitted to the hospital need to be cared for 24 hours a day......There is no way out of doing the shift work....

I will be teaching/supporting/mentoring the technical as well as the artistic threads of intensive care nursing.....Although I have worked in a highly technical ICU setting for more years than I care to remember, I am an advocate for nursing care that cannot be quantified, that of tapping into the emotional aspect of the healing process. This cannot be done without the development of a human caring relationship. I utilize the theory of a woman (nursing theorist) named Jean Watson. Watson's theory is based on values that are associated with a deep respect for the wonders and mysteries of human life, as well as an acknowledgement of a spiritual dimension to life. Watson postulates that caring values in nursing have been submerged and threatened by an increasing medical technology and a proliferation of curing and radical treatments...in otherwords....prolonging death!
She believes (and me too) the goal of nursing is to help persons gain a higher degree of harmony within the mind, body, and soul. A nurse can pursue this goal by responding to the person's subjective world in a way that they can find meaning through exploring their disharmony, suffering and turmoil....Achieving this goal can potentiate health and healing....Transpersonal caring (in Watson's world) is required in order for individuals to feel cared for. This takes place during an "event or actual caring occasion" ..ie a transpersonal caring moment...This occurs when two people (nurse and client--or the family which is an extension of the client) come together with their unique life histories or phenomenal fields, which are the totality of one's experiences in the world and all of the feelings and thoughts that go along with it. There is an authenticity of being, and ability to be present and to attend to caring, healing and wholeness rather than disease, problems, and illness.....Watson's 10 carative factors help define nursing knowledge and practices that are distinct from but complementary to, the curing knowledge and practices associated with traditional medicine....

I am sorry to go on and on....but can you see the similarities/congruencies etc with your website's mission and philosophy....perhaps it is why I am taken with your website.....

So, back to your question on what it is I am teaching...I am wanting to teach not only the technical aspect of becoming and then maintaining an intensive care nursing practice, but also and most importantly teaching the artistic piece...whew!

As for "why will my students be resistant....what I meant is adult learners are very resistant to change.....(a change in procedure or a change in equipment)....I am sure that you have had to bear witness to the difficulties one endures in making life changes....Make sense????

As for my thoughts on therapy.....I have been trying to work things out with my therapist.....but, I am finding it hard when I am moved to such a place of deep hurt to be open and not shut myself down completely to the possibility of us (her and I) working things out. Her and I have been through alot together....she has been a tremendous support for almost a decade....we have both grown individually as well as together.....

As I am writing this, and I can't fully explain why, suddenly I can feel myself moving to a better place....At this particular moment in time, I am experiencing a "healing feeling"....and I cannot for the life of me understand it...It is feeling kinda weird......hmmmm.....Big sigh! Perhaps I am at a place of forgiveness for her blooper????....In her words, "I am more human than otherwise".....hmmmmmm....yes indeed, she is human.... as am I......hmmmmm.......we all make mistakes from time to time don't we???? HMMMMMMMM....

Well, I better stop writing now.....sorry to carry on so long....

From enlightenment headquarters
Deb

PS

I forgot to mention....Thank you Shrinklady for listening and hearing what I have written...also thank you for your words of wisdom....I am most appreciative of this forum/site.....

Also, thankyou to all the valuable contributors on this site....

Deb

Thank-you Deb for a wonderful post and for sharing your process with us.

I'm going out of town for a study group so I hope to respond more later.

Take care
Shrinklady

I suppose this is the one that my T (CG) is going to... but the timing of it sucks big!!

- dude

Hi Dude, how's it going? Why is bad timing?

I'm actually going too. Should be a good conference.

Shrinklady

October is a very hard month for us all because of the amount of memories. Hallowe'en! need i say more...

- dude

Oh, I see...and yes the whole month can be like that.

Shrinklady

Well, we here will just have to cope best we can!
- dude

Im excited to hear about your experiences at the conference shrinklady

Waiting to hear about the conference...

Antoni

Hi Antoni, it was awesome, just awesome. I was so totally inspired. As you probably knew, this conference was attended by body psychotherapists. As a group we've been very discouraged by the lack of validation from the medical establishment especially since we see such good results with our clients. I can understand this in part as there are so many new treatments out there and every therapist swears by their chosen one.

What was good to hear from Bessel Van der Kolk--one of main leaders in the field of trauma--was that neuroscience is behind us. What we do makes sense from what is now known about how the brain works. Yeah!

Him and Stephen Porges (I write about his perspective on death and voodoo) were both candid about the difficulty of getting research grants when a lot of research is being driven by--directly and indirectly--the pharmaceutical companies.

On a personal level, this was one of two flights since 9/11. It was a bit of a shock for me. I feel for the American people.

Thanks for asking,
Shrinklady

"body psychotherapists"
What makes one a 'body psychotherapist'?
What training is required?
Is this a 'for true' term (as we say)?
Antoni

Hi Antoni, love your question. The training for body psychotherapy is very intense. Somatic Experiencing takes three years with 4 4-day workshops each year. In these workshops you are grouped together in-between the lectures and you practice the work.

SRT is similar and requires two years but you are required to do you own work...I think 12 hours of double headers and supervision if you want to go to the next level. Double headers are when you observe a session and then that person observes your personal session...in a two hour spot. Many people get more than this because it helps them to be a good therapist. In other words, the more grounded (i.e. regulated) you get the more present you are in your sessions and the better work you can do.

There are a couple other ones...Sensorimotor Psychotherapy by Pat Ogden and Body Psychotherapy in England. Body psychotherapy appears to be more well-known in Europe.

I am also of the mind that the more regulated my nervous system is the better for my clients. In a sense, my nervous system becomes a template for my clients' nervous system.

Yea, that's about it. BTW, my good friend Dr. Carole has taken both SE and SRT trainings!

Shrinklady

Is that why she goes on about 'neurons' and such? or is that unrelated?

Oh, that's so funny...yes, that would be why she might go on about neurons. Good stuff.

Actually, I was learning more about neurons, mirror neurons to be exact today. I attended a workshop by Dr. Daniel Siegel. Very warm guy. He's into mindfulness meditation.

Shrinklady

I hear that the males brain is different, even physically, from the females brain. But what about a male insider in a female body? What differences would be seen? Us male insiders (Antoni and myself, Scott) tend to think in a very 'male' way (so we're told). Any ideas or info. on this?

- the dudes

Hi Antoni and Scott, good question. I thought about it for a while but it's an area I don't know much about. I know that we can split off aspects of ourselves from our own awareness. This happens for a lot of people too.

This might not relate to you but I was chatting with a colleague Erika Moore, an RMT who does amazing work. She's a bodyworker who studies and understands how we split off in the body. She sees it all the time in her work.

Not sure how the topic came up but she was explaining how self care is so hard for some folks. For instance, it might sound like a good idea to get some fitness, but when you move the body in certain ways that activate old patterns, hyperarousal is the outcome. So, of course, that person doesn't want to go there next time. Yet, on the surface it looks like they're being lazy. And of course, they don't know why they don't do their exercises.

Interesting, eh?

Good chatting with you,
Shrinklady