NARM®, Somatic Experiencing® and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
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Support for Individuals Navigating:
- Complex Trauma
- Spiritual and Religious Trauma
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Relationship Concerns
- Grief and Loss
- Caregiver Support
- Women's Emotional Health
I work with adults (18+) in individual psychotherapy. I do not offer couples or child therapy.
Trauma
A simple working definition of trauma is: anything that is too much, too soon or too fast for your nervous system to integrate or process, especially if you are unable to reach a successful resolution. Trauma is not an event but rather a response to something that happened to you. It is the response or energy that gets locked into your body around real or perceived threats. NARM defines trauma primarily not as responses to single events but more in terms of developmental or complex trauma stemming from adverse childhood experiences, neglect or inconsistent care, or ongoing stressors, leading to disruptions in identity, self-regulation and attachment. Complex or developmental trauma can create lasting patterns that impact present functioning and relationships. Trauma can also be a result of wider experiences of oppression, cultural attitudes, societal structures and systems that we live within. Over time, coping strategies that initially helped you survive as a child can become rigid beliefs about who you are and what the world is like which often results in feelings of stuckness.
NARM® (NeuroAffective Relational Model)
NARM is a model of psychotherapy designed to address attachment, relational and developmental trauma or wounding. This type of wounding can be incredibly subtle and often people may be unaware that the experiences they have had might have resulted in some of the patterns that seem to get in their way. NARM is a gentle process of inquiry that helps you to understand how early experiences, especially with caregivers, may have created certain patterns or survival styles that you may still use today. Instead of talking about problems, NARM focuses on exploring these patterns in your body and emotions, building inner resources so that you can feel more present, alive and genuinely connected to yourself and others.
What will a NARM® (NeuroAffective Relational Model) session be like?
A NARM session is a collaborative process of gentle inquiry and somatic mindfulness that serve to bring survival strategies into conscious awareness. Your therapist will inquire about what you most want to focus on and support you in choosing what you might want for yourself from the time in session. As you move through the session, the therapist will inquire about your insight, feeling, thoughts and physical responses to ensure we are bringing those into your awareness before moving forward.
If you would like to know more about NARM, you can read Healing Developmental Trauma by Dr. Larry Heller and Aline LaPierre or listen to the podcast Transforming Trauma.
Here are some additional resources about NARM:
Somatic Experiencing® (SE)
Somatic Experiencing focuses on the physiological responses that occur when you experience or remember an overwhelming or traumatic event (or encounter a familiar trigger). It is not the event itself but the overwhelmed response to the event or threat that causes an imbalance in the nervous system. SE is a naturalistic form of healing that will help you learn how to settle and release physiological activation or energy from your body. SE will support you in learning how to attend to uncomfortable sensations in your body and gently unwind them through your careful attention. The therapist will support you in slowing down to pay attention to your nervous system.
If you would like to learn more about Somatic Experiencing you can visit the website: www.traumahealing.org or read In An Unspoken Voice, by Dr. Peter Levine.
Here are some additional resources about SE:
Meeting Options
Sessions are offered both in person and via secure telehealth, depending on your needs and location.
Meeting Options
Sessions are offered both in person and via secure telehealth, depending on your needs and location.
- In Person
- Telehealth
Other Offerings
Please note that all of these offerings are non-clinical experiences and are separate from psychotherapy services and are not considered clinical treatment.