The options for therapy have greatly increased in the past 10 years. There are so many more theoretical options, modalities and types of therapy out there. This can make it a bit confusing and overwhelming if you are looking for help with an issue you face. In my over 25 years of providing Counseling and Therapy, I have seen many clients move through difficult problems and emotions and find healing through traditional therapy.
What I have also discovered is that for some people, traditional therapy is not enough. With traditional therapy it is usually just “talk therapy” and the Therapist helps clients process emotions, discover and challenge negative thoughts and the therapeutic relationship can be a helpful part of this. I often see people in my practice who have tried “traditional therapy” and they feel stuck and haven’t gotten the level of healing they are wanting or needing.
The therapy I offer combines holistic strategies which address the “whole person”: mind, body & spirit. This will look different for each client based on their individual needs. Some may need more help and goals in getting movement into their day and others may need support in learning meditation. Through therapy with me I also offer trauma informed yoga, mindfulness and spiritual focus when clients are requesting that.
Brainspotting can be combined with holistic practices to bring more effective relief. Brainspotting involves using your visual field to connect with traumas or other issues that are buried deep in your brain. Its based on the premise that where you look changes how you feel. So if I’m angry with my partner for yelling at me, I may feel tightness in my chest and my hands might be sweaty.
If I look to the left I may have more of that activation with increased tightness and sweating and if I look to the right I may have more resource or a calming or grounding sensation in the body. We call these “brain spots” and once they are found I guide clients to stay in mindful awareness and to allow whatever the brain wants to bring forward to process. This can come in the form of sensations, visual images, emotions, insights or sounds.
The magic of Brainspotting lies in the processing of emotions, traumas or other issues that lie deep in the brain where cognitive therapy cannot reach. I’ve seen clients gain tremendous insight on a problem, feel signidicatnly less activated after a session and become much less activated with a current trigger. The impact after a year of Brainspotting is just amazing in what clients can overcome. With traditional therapy I feel like it could take twice that amount of time or longer for the kind of healing I have seen with Brainspotting.
I talk about my holistic approach with Brainspotting on the podcast “Brain Unblocked” with Carolyn Robistow, check it out here! https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/holistic-counseling-with-chris-mcdonald/id1580438063?i=1000577078530
Still have questions about Brainspotting or want to give it a try? Shoot me an email at pathtohopec@hushmail.com or complete the Contact form below.
