Philosophy of Treatment
The foundation of psychotherapy lies within the relationship between the client and the therapist where each person brings their knowledge and experience to the therapeutic process. While the therapist has a certain set of skills and experience the client, too has his or her own strengths and information to draw upon and it is within this collaborative interaction where healing and transformation can take place.
At times clients have heard me say that the therapeutic relationship is similar to a hike into the mountains where the therapist can act like a trail guide. A guide can recommend that you travel down a given path or give a warning about an unknown element such as loose ground along the trail or how to navigate through a rough section but the hiker traveling the path will also know something about his or her comfort level and ability to complete a given task. Together then the trail guide and the hiker travel together towards growth and change. It is an active process that takes commitment from everyone who is involved so that the goals can be reached.
As part of this relationship between trail guide and hiker(s) there must also be connection with one's self which the therapist can help the client foster. This connection with one's self does not happen by just talking but by having new experiences. Psychotherapy becomes more powerful as a change agent when talk is combined with body-based or somatic experiences that incorporates mindfulness into the work. Mindfulness can be described as awareness of one's internal experiences that include sensations, movements, emotions and thoughts in the context of what is happening in the environment around the person.
“Our brains will continue to take in new information and construct new realities as long as our bodies feel safe. But if we become fixated on the trauma, then our ability to take in new information is lost, and we continue to construct and re-construct the old realities.” Van der Kolk, 2003
“Our brains will continue to take in new information and construct new realities as long as our bodies feel safe. But if we become fixated on the trauma, then our ability to take in new information is lost, and we continue to construct and re-construct the old realities.” Van der Kolk, 2003
