People often come to me when traditional talk therapy hasn’t worked for them.
While your mind is important, it’s just one part of the solution.
Choice, collaboration, empowerment. My sessions follow a 3-stage trauma-informed approach using a combination of talking, movement and music in a safe and supportive environment. First we teach you how to self-soothe and self-regulate. When you feel ready we can unlock your inner knowing, to feel and perhaps mourn past hurts. We may not even talk about hurtful events – we can simply work with your bodily sensations. Finally, we look at how life might look for you going forward.
What kind of issues do I help with?
- Anxiety and panic attacks;
- Depression, low motivation and feelings of worthlessness;
- Relationship issues;
- Wanting to be in a relationship;
- Issues within a relationship;
- Wanting to leave or end a relationship;
- Intimacy issues;
- Loneliness and isolation;
- Sexuality;
- Trauma;
- Abuse (sexual, emotional or physical);
- Emotional crisis;
- Life transitions;
- Grief and loss (humans and pets);
- Pain;
- Psychosomatic illnesses;
- Stress management;
- Burnout;
- Chronic fatigue;
- Workplace issues e.g. bullying.
My approach
I have several different types of therapy tools in my toolkit and use them interchangeably depending on your preferences and what’s happening in your session. You don’t need to choose which one we’ll use, but below you’ll find some information about each. If you prefer you can book a complimentary call with me where I can suggest which techniques I would recommend specifically for you.
Body Psychotherapy
When you’re overwhelmed by big emotions, when you’re anxious or depressed, you feel it physically as well as mentally. Your racing heart, your short breath, that crushing feeling in your chest. These are all physical sensations in the body, which tells us that there is an intrinsic link between the mind and body. It makes sense then to work with both of getting in you better.
Body psychotherapy integrates talk therapy with movement, breathing, and mindfulness to help restore your mental and emotional wellbeing. It is a whole-body approach to feeling better. This blend of talk therapy and body-orientated therapy promotes deep healing for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship issues, and more.
What are the benefits of Body Psychotherapy?
- Grounding and centering exercises teach you to self-soothe and self-regulate. They also help you become aware of sensations in your body. Giving you a sense of congruency, of wholeness of self.
- The breathing exercises bring life back into your body which helps you regain your energy and motivation for life.
- It helps you let go of physical and emotional tension you have unconsciously been holding in your body and your mind, helping you feel less anxious.
- An improved ability to express your feelings and to tolerate big emotions when they arise.
- Through movement and breathwork, we regain contact with memories stored in your implicit memory, and work with unmetabolized feelings held in your body.
Dance-Movement Therapy
Humans are creatures of habit. We get stuck in patterns of movement and thinking. In somatic movement therapy, we change the patterns of movement in your body and change the possibilities for your life.
- Improving your connection with your body and body awareness.
- Increasing your range of motion in your body and in parallel an increase in range in your personal life.
- Establishing a place of safety in your body, feeling you can trust your body and yourself.
- Deepen your respiration.
- Release physical and emotional tension.
- Promote deep relaxation
- Enlarge your self-expression and promote self-confidence
Compassion Focused Therapy
- More self-compassion and self-acceptance. Even of the parts of yourself you find difficult to accept.
- Reduced stress, anxiety and depression.
- Silencing our inner critic so we are able to feel more confident and empowered
- More emotional resilience, strength and inner resourcefulness.
- A better quality of life and more positive relationships with others.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- The ability to tolerate unpleasant emotions with more ease.
- A reduction in stress and feelings of overwhelm.
- An increase our mental pain tolerance – such as with chronic pain.
- Getting clarity about how you want your life to be (and seeing where you have been holding yourself back in the past).
- Making peace with your past and being able to move on with your life instead of constantly ruminating and feeling depressed.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Challenging your thinking and helping you see where you’ve been (unconsciously) using faulty logic (we all do this!) This gives you the ability to reshape negative thinking and see the bright side of life.
- Learn coping skills that you can use throughout your life after your therapy period ends.
- Feel more in control of your thoughts and feelings.
- The ability to calm yourself down when you spiral into anxiety.
Don’t want to work 1:1?
Group movement therapy
Group work is an opportunity for you to take your personal process deeper by sharing and processing within a safe, therapeutic group environment. It’s also a chance to connect with like-minded people in your community and feel a sense of belonging.
Sarah’s therapeutic groups involve movement therapy (based on dance-movement therapy and body psychotherapy theory), followed by self-reflection and sharing in the group.
Group therapy is hugely beneficial
- Your personal growth within a group setting is often more powerful than individual work as you will feel the support of your peers.
- It gives you an opportunity to see how others affect you, and how you affect others. You may find a group member’s process moving, triggering your own emotions and allowing you to express whatever needs to come up.
- Through interaction with group members you get to discover and accept previously unknown or unacceptable parts of yourself.
- Group members learn that they are not alone in dealing with certain emotions/situations.
- In addition, the members learn self-understanding from the feedback of their peers. The group becomes a mini-version of the outside world where the person gets to try out new behaviours and get feedback. New neural pathways are created!
Eviva! is my new group program. The next intake starts 20 July 2022. You can book your place online, book a free discovery phone call. Or discuss it with me at your next session.
Resources
I offer free videos, complimentary audio recordings as well as online training courses helping you connect to your body and reduce the symptoms of anxiety. They are a cost-effective way to get support and are perfect for you if you are self-motivated and enjoy learning!
You can learn about all my free and paid resources by clicking here!
Book a free 15 minute discovery call.
A commitment-free way to learn how North Brisbane counselling or body psychotherapy can help you