Harnessing the Body's Wisdom: Transformative Trauma Treatment

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a modality that harnesses the body's wisdom in the healing and recovery processes. As in other branches of Somatic Psychology, the assumption is that the body and mind are intertwined. In SP, we look into ways that the body, through posture, movement, and the nervous system, perpetuate and reinforce cognitive and emotional patterns that no longer serve us well. We acknowledge that there are aspects of our experience, past and present, that cannot be captured and communicated with words.

SP allows us to listen to our bodies' stories about ourselves, our pasts, and the future. We explore not only what happened but also what didn't happen. What wanted to happen and didn't get to? Sometimes, these events and experiences live on in our bodies, affecting our here and now, even though the details might not be available to our narrated memories.

Working with the body allows us to heal and adapt, develop new capacities, and allow truncated processes to come to completion so that we can live whole and meaningful lives. The effects and consequences of adverse childhood experiences live on in our bodies. They live on in our nervous system, posture, and habits of movement, along with our beliefs and emotions about ourselves, others, and the world.

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SP offers tools to uncover patterns holding us back and modify them in ways traditional talk therapies can't. Working with the body's intelligence and accessing the unconsciousness through the body allows for more lasting change. Through improved connection to the body, we can develop new ways of being in the world and engaging with others.

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Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment

Trauma Informed Stabilization

Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) was designed by Dr. Janina Fisher for clients who have experienced complex trauma and are struggling with symptoms of dysregulation and instability. TIST is grounded in trauma theory and research, emphasizing an understanding of how trauma affects the brain, nervous system, and overall functioning of individuals. It acknowledges that trauma can lead to dysregulation in emotions, behavior, and relationships.

The initial focus is on stabilization for individuals who may be in a state of hyper-arousal (fight-flight) or hypo-arousal (freeze). This involves developing skills to manage overwhelming emotions, regulate one’s nervous system, and create a sense of safety in one's body. Integrating knowledge from neurobiology, particularly understanding the impact of trauma on the brain and nervous system, allows us to tailor interventions that address both the psychological and physiological aspects of trauma.

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Like other trauma-focused therapies, TIST follows a phase-oriented approach. It begins with stabilization techniques to establish safety and control, followed by processing traumatic memories and emotions once the client is better regulated and prepared. This work incorporates a range of therapeutic techniques and interventions into TIST. These may include elements of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, mindfulness practices, somatic experiencing, and parts work (Internal Family Systems). The goal is to help you develop greater self-awareness, regulate emotions, and address trauma-related symptoms.

Working with the TIST model, we have a holistic view of trauma recovery, recognizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. When developing treatment plans, we consider all aspects of your experience and functioning. The TIST model is widely respected within the field of trauma therapy for its comprehensive approach to addressing the complex needs of trauma survivors as they move through the journey toward healing and recovery.

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Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)

Safe & Sound Protocol

The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) is a practical application of Polyvagal Theory, designed to and improve behavioral state regulation and social engagement behaviors through specially-filtered music. The application helps retune the nervous system to be more regulated and resilient to life’s challenges

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Developed by world-renowned researcher, Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory focuses on what is happening in the body and the nervous system, and explains how our sense of safety, danger or life threat can impact our behavior. The Polyvagal Theory offers a scientific framework that supports the integration of physiological (“bottom-up”) therapies with cognitive (“top-down”) approaches to help change and improve how we feel, think and connect with others.

The ability of the brain to change in response to stimulation is known as “neuroplasticity.” The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is based on this principle, providing gentle and specific stimulation in order to activate the neural pathways used in the processing of sensory information.

Neural connections in these pathways are strengthened and new connections are established through repeated sessions of multisensory input, allowing the nervous system to adapt and find safety more quickly and easily.

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The vagus nerve helps to regulate critical aspects of human physiology, including the heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, digestion and even speaking. As the body takes in information automatically through neuroception, the vagus nerve communicates this information to the brain, which processes the signals and cues from the world around us and in turn determines how we react through three physiological states:

Parasympathetic/ventral vagal state: Our centered, “true self” state, where all social interaction, connection and creativity occurs.
Sympathetic state: Feeling of threat or danger, and feeling the need to either “fight” or “flee” from a situation to seek safety.
Dorsal vagal state: Our “freeze” state, when we feel our lives are so immediately threatened that we become immobilized.

The mind and body are connected through the vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system, stretching from the brainstem to the colon. It is our internal control center, allowing the brain to monitor and receive information about many of our bodily functions.

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamina Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help clients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you on medical aspects.

Journey Clinical is a platform that allows psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively. Journey Clinical’s medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring. Their collaborative care model delivers personalized treatment plans to meet your needs and improve long-term outcomes.

Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors as well as by stimulating AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement. Many patients experience significant improvement in their symptoms within hours to days of treatment.

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The altered state of consciousness induced by ketamine can enhance the effectiveness of psychotherapy by allowing patients to access and address deep-seated emotional issues. Ketamine promotes neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new neural connections.

The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience.

Once these effects subsided, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are none-the-less clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.

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Unlike its other uses, the doses of ketamine used in KAP are much lower and are specifically tailored to elicit therapeutic effects. Ketamine is a short acting psychedelic, and works by modulating the brain's glutamate system, leading to rapid changes in brain connectivity and function that can facilitate emotional and psychological healing.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy represents a cutting-edge approach to mental health treatment that combines the transformative potential of ketamine with the supportive framework of psychotherapy. By working together with a skilled therapist, patients can unlock new pathways to healing and well-being.