Integrative Counseling for Trauma
Twenty-five years ago, I was brutally assaulted by a man whom I did not know. I was blinded by a head injury and endured severe physical disabilities. I used a white cane and a walker and rode in the van to medical appointments with other disabled folks. I learned a lot about trauma, PTSD, pain, isolation, dysregulated emotions and hopelessness. Thankfully, I also learned how to regain a sense of safety within myself assisted by a team of Neurologists and Physicians, Yoga Therapists, an iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation Master, a Shaman, Psychotherapists, an old-school Pilates Master, and a Women's Olympic Team PT. I reclaimed a connection to my body, mind, emotions and spirit.
So yes, I have experienced the efficacy of multiple healing modalities for PTSD and am dedicated to counseling women through trauma utilizing my background of over 30 years in Clinical Psychology and 15 years experience with Integrative Yoga Therapy, Restorative Yoga Nidra Meditation and Crystal Bowl Sound Healing.
Trauma disconnects us from ourselves, our social and intimate relationships, and from experiencing harmony with the world around us. But as recent neuroscience reveals, we can “rewire” our brains and lay down new neural pathways to heal through trauma.
If you suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you might, or might not know it. Perhaps, like many of my clients, you have minimized or buried your life’s traumatic events and think that you are suffering with depression or anxiety. You might be self-medicating with alcohol and other substances to numb the effects of PTSD or use work as a distraction from feeling. Instead of seeking gentle, contemplative activities such as yoga or meditation to compassionately connect with yourself, you may always opt for fierce gym workouts or running.
You may be suffering a range of debilitating symptoms: Flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, holding your breath, clenching your jaws, dysregulated emotions and constantly being “on alert.” You may feel angry, anxious or detached. You might be avoiding people, places or activities to mitigate triggers. Unaddressed childhood experiences, prolonged invalidation, prolonged ongoing stressors in your workplace or relationship, or isolation due to COVID can all be traumatic. You may be stuck in the relentless Sympathetic Nervous System’s cycle of adrenaline-fueled reactions: Fight/Flight/Freeze/Fawn.
Healing The Cycle: Living with PTSD is extremely difficult. I can support you to experience and learn mindful techniques, breathwork exercises, grounding bodily awareness and cognitive approaches ~ enhanced with Sound Healing ~ to manage your symptoms and move toward resolving trauma.
Evidence-based in decades of clinical trials, Guided Yoga Nidra Restoration Meditation offers non-duality techniques to mindfully “hold your opposites” without being hijacked by the negative or seduced by intellectualized toxic positivity. Mindfulness can enhance present-moment awareness, increase self-compassion, and strengthen our ability to self-regulate—all important skills that support trauma recovery.
But wait, there’s more good news. My Crystal Bowl Sound Healing makes it surprisingly easy to re-establish a sense of awareness, ease, and deep relaxation. Sound Medicine or Frequency Healing is now gaining lots of attention in the medical community. I was offering Sound Healing at UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine 15 years ago! First-timers are amazed at how readily they can flip their internal dial to the Parasympathetic Nervous System for a welcomed relief that affords the ability to lay down new neural pathways to the brain releasing the “feel good” hormones of serotonin, endorphins and dopamine.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has spoken candidly both in interviews and in his book, The Body Keeps the Score, that in order to release trauma from our body and to regulate our nervous system, we need to teach ourselves to feel safe.
Safety, security, trust, consistency, reliability, protection, boundaries, nurturance, guidance, vulnerability and predictability are all parts of healing the cycle of our trauma. This includes both self-safety (our body, our emotions, our minds, and hearts) and externally in our environment. Trauma doesn’t heal by simply ignoring it, distracting ourselves with sex, relationships or travel, compulsively hitting the gym, constantly over-scheduling, being a workaholic, or tuning out with Netflix or video games. If the damaging effects of trauma on our physical and emotional health come from over-activation of parts of brain, the answer to healing is in calming these over-activated parts of our nervous system.
I have effectively been doing the work of Restorative Yoga Nidra Meditation and Sound Healing with groups and individuals for over 15 years, and as you can see from my client reviews, the protocol I am using is highly accessible and effective.
When gently guided with a Customized Yoga Nidra Meditation using your own words, you will access the whisper of your innate ease and joy that is always present which probably has been drowned out for years by the screaming noise of PTSD symptoms grabbing the mic. And yes, it is all made easier and immensely relaxing with the sweet, powerful and exquisite Sound Medicine of my Crystal Singing Bowls.