Individual Psychotherapy
What to expect?
The work of therapy is one of collaboration. Time is taken to establish a therapeutic alliance that focuses on empowering individuals to bring about an improved sense of well being and internal equilibrium. Psychotherapy helps overcome obstacles to change by examining and changing the root causes of problems. The therapeutic process is intensely personal and can at times bring unpleasant memories or emotions to the surface. Hardest of all is replacing old behaviors with new ones. It takes time. Therapy is most effective when consistent effort is placed on self-reflection, helping to discover patterns that undermine well-being.
What's the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
Although there is some overlap, counselling and psychotherapy are distinct in certain ways. Counselling is often time-specific and focuses on a current issue or problem. During the counselling process, support and guidance as well as advice or psycho-education is offered. The main objective is behavioural change rather than examination of the underlying causes of the behaviour.
Psychotherapy is often a more in depth therapeutic process that focuses on increasing self-awareness of problematic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour. It also examines the ways in which you relate to yourself and others through a collaborative process of self-exploration.
EMDR Therapy
Advances in neuroscience research illustrate that trauma's imprint is both psychological and somatic. Despite the fact that traumatic events occurred in the past, the body continues to respond as if danger is imminent. In addition to symptoms resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR is used in the treatment of conditions including Panic Attacks, Complicated Grief, Dissociative Disorders, Disturbing Memories, Phobias, Pain Disorders, Performance Anxiety, Stress Reduction, Addiction, and Sexual and/or Physical Abuse. Beth and Carrie are both trained EMDR therapists and use this approach in their work with clients struggling with trauma-related symptoms as well as those needing assistance to move past difficult life experiences.
What is EMDR Therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches.
How does EMDR work?
No one knows how any form of psychotherapy works neurobiologically or in the brain. However, we do know that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it does ordinarily. One moment becomes "frozen in time," and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells, and feelings haven’t changed. Such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people.
EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes information. Normal information processing is resumed, so following a successful EMDR session, a person no longer relives the images, sounds, and feelings when the event is brought to mind. You still remember what happened, but it is less upsetting. Many types of therapy have similar goals. However, EMDR appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way. (www.emdria.org)
For more information on EMDR Therapy go to www.emdria.org
Yoga for Use in Clinical Settings
Beth is a certified yoga instructor. She is also certified as a Trauma Informed Yoga Therapist (TIYT) and a LifeForce Yoga (LFY) for Mood Management Practitioner. She is keenly interested in mind-body connections in the promotion of holistic well being and emotional regulation. Although the practice of yoga has been around for millenia, Western scientific research has only recently begun to demonstrate that yoga is effective in reducing emotional-dysregulation and cultivating self-awareness.
Beth has studied with Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists, and founder of the LFY Healing Institute. Beth was recently invited to the Sivananda Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas as an assistant teacher alongside Amy Weintraub and LFY Director, Rose Kress. She has also studied with Genevieve Yellin, a certified Yoga Therapist and founder of Sundara Yoga Therapy and the Founder/Director of The Overcome Anxiety Project, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that offers training to those who serve under-served communities. Genevieve is also credited with the development of the very successful OverComing Anxiety Clinic: A Natural & Holistic Approach. Beth has also been profoundly influenced by the work of David Emerson, author of the books Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga and Trauma Informed Yoga in Therapy. He teaches and conducts research in his role as Director of the Trauma Centre Yoga Program at Justice Resource Institute. Beth has taken the Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Training with David Emerson which is designed for individuals affected by complex trauma and dissociation.
Beth incorporates trauma-informed, evidence-based yoga strategies suitable for use in clinical settings as a complimentary practice to psychotherapy - no yoga mat or challenging physical postures necessary!
