Participating in therapy is something people often do in response to a life challenge that feels too big to handle alone. Embodied Psychotherapy offers a unique way of processing the past and present, while instilling confidence to meet the future with grace.
Our bodies hold so much wisdom, and learning to listen deeply to our inner signals is a skill that can be strengthened through practice.
Receiving the messages that our bodies are continuously expressing provides an amazing opportunity to hear our clearest truths about who we are, what makes us feels safe and at ease, and what we want out of our lives.
Embodied Psychotherapy, also known as Somatic Psychotherapy or Body-Oriented Psychotherapy, is a process that honors and incorporates the intelligence of both our bodies and minds.
By examining the ways in which our thoughts and feelings are related to our physical sensations, we develop a more nuanced understanding of ourselves in relation to the world around us. We begin to see that unconscious physical reactions and responses to our experiences are valid sources of information, and we learn to respect and address the habitual resurfacing of old habits and hurts.
Depending on your interests and needs, sessions may look different for each client, and from week to week.
If you are most comfortable talking, then we will sit together and talk, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to help you understand how your thoughts are impacting your experience of daily life, and how training your mind to behave differently can contribute to a more fulfilling expression of self.
If you want to explore mindfulness, somatics, or movement, then sessions will be structured to incorporate time for guided exercises followed by talking.
The most important thing to know is that I respect you as the authority of your own experience; while I am available to make suggestions about how to use our time together, you will ultimately make the choices about how our work takes shape.
My specialized training in Dance/Movement Therapy, Authentic Movement, Yoga, and Manual Therapies provides me with a skillset that is truly supportive of an embodied approach to Mental Health therapy. Learn more about my background here.
This way of working provides a multi-layered approach, and in sessions we may:
Explore your relationships, career, interests, and aspirations by talking, asking questions, and reflecting together on what comes up for you.
Discuss your challenges, and examine the way experiences in the past may be related to what you are experiencing now.
Pause during conversation to notice and interpret the sensations you feel in your body.
Practice breathing and mindfulness techniques, giving you the skills you need to self-regulate in response to stress.
Use movement and/or creative art making as vehicles for expression and understanding.
Copyright © 2021 Rachel Fernbach LMHC LCAT LMT - All Rights Reserved. Cover photo credit.