Notice That

On this week’s episode, Melissa interviews Katie Asmus of the Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute. They discuss somatic work, adventure, EMDR and how to wrap it all up in one. Special Guest Katie Asmus  Specializes in somatic psychotherapy  Including EMDR nature-based therapy Mentor, ceremonialist, and rites of passage guide Katie is passionate about teaching people about trauma through a body-centered perspective  Somatic orientation of EMDR While some prefer EMDR, some find it overwhelming  Katie uses her training in somatic therapy to guide her work Using the body as her anchor, she can estimate how present clients are Because when we can feel and tolerate the feelings and sensations in our bodies That signifies that we are in the present moment Staying present with a positive sensation helps grow tolerance for staying present with negative sensations  Further, this can strengthen interoception  Interweaving EMDR, Somatic, and Nature-based work  Rather than focusing on the story or fear Use somatic awareness as an anchor to stay present and focus on the sensations  Ask, “What are you noticing in your body?” This can help the client stay with the sensation and make things more tolerable Additionally, encourage movement to help with tension Culturally, dancing is an important way to embody and release emotions  Also, nature imagery is something you can bring in no matter where you are  And the relationship with nature is more stable and predictable than relationships with humans Katie’s work “The essence of my work as a therapist is to normalize humanness” Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute  Did you know?  After full completion of Beyond Healing Institute’s Somatic Integration and Processing training, each participant can receive 21 NBCC hours.  Beyond Healing Center Visit our website for all things BHC Contact us about retreats and therapy  Contact us about training and consultation Beyond Healing Media First, listen to our past episodes of NT here Then, check out more Beyond Healing podcasts Evidence-Based Therapist – where we read so you don’t have to! Beyond Trauma – geared towards clients Burnt Out Educator – An interview-style podcast for educators and students Give your support and gain access to exclusive content through Patreon Interested in supporting a child?  https://www.patreon.com/BurntOutEducator 100% of the proceeds donated to the Burntout Educator will provide therapy for a child in the public school system.  Not therapy capped at a certain number, but an open-ended relationship with a highly qualified therapist in the BHC network.  Connect with us on social media: Facebook & Instagram  Credits  Executive Directors: Jennifer and Ryan Savage, Melissa Bentinnedi, Bridger Falkenstein Hosts: Jennifer Savage, Melissa Benintendi, and Bridger Falkenstein Filmographer: Tyler Wassam Podcast Producer: Jamie Eggert Original Music Composers: Bridger Falkenstein and Caleb Boston Show Notes: Jordan Murray-Harper The post Somatic, Adventure, & EMDR Therapy with Katie Asmus (76) first appeared on Notice That.The post Somatic, Adventure, & EMDR Therapy with Katie Asmus (76) appeared first on Notice That.

Melissa lays the groundwork for our new segment, Fly on the Wall. Our hope with fly on the wall is to allow you to sit in the chair alongside Melissa, to see the messiest and most beautiful moments between therapist and client. Welcome to Fly on the Wall. Case conceptualization is typically a moment in time, based on what the clinician knows right now. Fly on the wall demonstrates the ongoing, living nature of case conceptualization. We’ll show that by coming back to it regularly.  Theoretically? Conceptually?  We hope to show you the actuality of what it’s like for us to sit in the room with a client.  We’re human, too. Even with all the training and expertise, not every report will be wrapped into a pretty bow, not every session goes well.  Here we’ll demonstrate the moments when things don’t go well and the protocol is completely dropped.  The Relationship Dynamic “I made massive assumptions. And she presented that as an object self to me, of being a “good Christian mother.” but right under that, was a real human being.” To start, this client waited for 18 months to work with Melissa. The work felt pressured. The client comes from a highly religious background and has a daughter that isn’t heterosexual. Melissa, on the other hand, is well… not religious.  Based on SIP, Melissa decided to bring that to the forefront immediately. The client responded very openly, surprising Melissa.  Melissa evaluated her own judgments and biases, checking her pre-offended attitude.  Melissa began this relationship hoping to change the mind of this client so she would stop traumatizing her daughter with her judgment.  So, that was her approach. She’s more combative and bristly during the first encounter. But halfway through the session, she realized the client was much more soft, open, and vulnerable. Stated Treatment Goals How do I “deal” with my daughter?  Melissa refused to address this with EMDR because that would require her to validate it as a trauma.  Knowing the bias in this, had Melissa thought this was a true need, she would have referred this client out.  But through talking with this client openly, Melissa realized the client wasn’t experiencing her daughter’s homosexuality as traumatic. Right below this object veneer, there was deep and sincere grief that she’d failed as a mother. This is where EMDR came in. What’s the general flow of the session? The first half is about relational building. The last year has involved major traumatic events that have paused EMDR as we attend to a current crisis. The focus has been on maintaining that relational connection, allowing her to learn that she can say, yell, or cuss whatever she needs to in this space. Preparation “The container of our relationship could hold whatever came up.” Preparation isn’t just about going through scripts for calm place, nurturer, and protector.  The relational connection is essential for effective reprocessing. This client had a deep desire to move into trauma reprocessing quickly.  Low Impact Event Melissa collaborates with the client, asking what she wanted to target. Together, they chose an event involving her mother within a theme she’d come to work through. Remember, low-impact events involving family often lead to bigger events. Therefore, Melissa made it clear that it was unlikely they would completely clear it. And they didn’t.  Yet, the outcome was far better than a cleared low-impact event.  It was informative to both Melissa and the client, shedding light on what the core issue is and how to navigate treatment going forward. “I’m not here to rid you of disturbance as an EMDR therapist, I’m here to help you to understand how the past is affecting the present and organize that in a coregulated way so that you can go on being the full version of yourself you long to be.” Threads: food & body, home & possessions Just Two Humans Sitting Together, That’s It. Many therapists struggle when they get “sucked in” to the client’s day-to-day lives. Feeling as though they’ve somehow failed to be a good or productive therapist. However, Melissa offers a different perspective. This particular client struggles with her need to perform well for others. By allowing this client to just be a human with Melissa, this client learned what it feels like to be safe in connection.  Then, when in phase 4 of EMDR, when Melissa makes comments like “I care about you,” or “You have nothing to be ashamed of, I happen to think you’re quite wonderful.” the client feels the authenticity of those words.  Melissa’s Treatment Goals Melissa imagines the experience of the client in their skin when they’re finished. For this client, Melissa imagines she’ll no longer walk pain-free.  And that she’ll hold her relationships with open hands & soft hugs vs closed fists & tight squeezes.  Did you know?  After full completion of Beyond Healing Institute’s Somatic Integration and Processing training, each participant can receive 21 NBCC hours.  Beyond Healing Center Visit our website for all things BHC Contact us about retreats and therapy  Contact us about training and consultation Beyond Healing Media First, listen to our past episodes of NT here Then, check out more Beyond Healing podcasts Evidence-Based Therapist – where we read so you don’t have to! Beyond Trauma – geared towards clients Burnt Out Educator – An interview-style podcast for educators and students Give your support and gain access to exclusive content through Patreon Interested in supporting a child?  https://www.patreon.com/BurntOutEducator 100% of the proceeds donated to the Burntout Educator will provide therapy for a child in the public school system.  Not therapy capped at a certain number, but an open-ended relationship with a highly qualified therapist in the BHC network.  Connect with us on social media: Facebook & Instagram  Credits  Executive Directors: Jennifer and Ryan Savage, Melissa Bentinnedi, Bridger Falkenstein Hosts: Jennifer Savage, Melissa Benintendi, and Bridger Falkenstein Filmographer: Tyler Wassam Podcast Producer: Jamie Eggert Original Music Composers: Bridger Falkenstein and Caleb Boston Show Notes: Jordan Murray-Harper The post Fly on the Wall: Melissa (75) first appeared on Notice That.The post Fly on the Wall: Melissa (75) appeared first on Notice That.

On this week’s episode of Notice That, Bridger interviews special guest, David Archer, an anti-racist EMDR therapist. David Archer, an anti-racist psychotherapist Books “Anti-Racist Psychotherapy: Confronting Systemic Racist and Healing Racial Trauma” “Black Mediation: 10 Practices for Self-Care, Mindfulness, and Self-Determination” Website Anti-Racist Psychotherapy & EMDR Always had an interest in mindfulness meditation  However, as an addictions counselor in a native community, mindfulness alone wasn’t working.  So, after trying other therapies, David eventually found EMDR He appreciated that the approach didn’t require the therapist to be the expert.  Rather, it places therapist and client in an equal partnership Additionally, EMDR doesn’t need to be followed rigidly Allowing for more freedom and creativity. This has resulted in David’s ability to see patterns beyond the individual. Finally, through EMDR, David desires to change the experience of suffering. Anti-Racist Psychotherapy  “Depending on your social identity, you are more likely to have certain types of trauma history items than if you came from a different identity” (23:36) Anti-Racism is beyond the idea of knowledge acquisition. Rather, anti-racism is about the structure that we find ourselves in. Importantly, race is one of the primary ways of organizing our experiences. While white individuals are often unaware of their race, others don’t have that privilege. This is because the way we talk and teach it is always assumed you’re speaking of a white person. Anti-racist psychotherapy is about bringing the unconscious to the conscious Even when it’s uncomfortable. With the hope of bringing long term changes to internalized oppression  “The danger is that if we don’t think about our countries in these ways, if we don’t think about our therapy in these ways, we will continue with the short-sighted perspectives on advancing individual interests over collective interests” (33:50) Currently, most therapists and professors are white  We need to start considering the identity of the client when thinking about therapy And stop preserving the dichotomy and comparisons between black and white  We can expand ideas of EMDR to apply to our communities and countries  Binary Complex Trauma Cycle On one end of the spectrum is white supremacy  The other end is black suffering  White people are the first victims of anti-racism  Because the ideas of racism are so deeply rooted in our institutions  Hypocritical ideas validate the idea of black suffering  Further, they validate whiteness  Did you know?  After full completion of Beyond Healing Institute’s Somatic Integration and Processing training, each participant can receive 21 NBCC hours.  Beyond Healing Center Visit our website for all things BHC Contact us about retreats and therapy  Contact us about training and consultation Beyond Healing Media First, listen to our past episodes of NT here Then, check out more Beyond Healing podcasts Evidence-Based Therapist – where we read so you don’t have to! Beyond Trauma – geared towards clients Burnt Out Educator – An interview-style podcast for educators and students Give your support and gain access to exclusive content through Patreon Interested in supporting a child?  https://www.patreon.com/BurntOutEducator 100% of the proceeds donated to the Burntout Educator will provide therapy for a child in the public school system.  Not therapy capped at a certain number, but an open-ended relationship with a highly qualified therapist in the BHC network.  Connect with us on social media: Facebook & Instagram  Credits  Executive Directors: Jennifer and Ryan Savage, Melissa Bentinnedi, Bridger Falkenstein Hosts: Jennifer Savage, Melissa Benintendi, and Bridger Falkenstein Filmographer: Tyler Wassam Podcast Producer: Jamie Eggert Original Music Composers: Bridger Falkenstein and Caleb Boston Show Notes: Jordan Murray-Harper The post Confronting Systemic Racism & Healing Racial Trauma w/ David Archer (74) first appeared on Notice That.The post Confronting Systemic Racism & Healing Racial Trauma w/ David Archer (74) appeared first on Notice That.

Listen to this week’s episode of Notice That to hear the hosts discuss how to use EMDR within couples therapy. EMDR & Couples Therapy  Remember, safety remains the most important  It can take longer for us to establish this with multiple people  Especially considering that couples may lack trust with each other It’s important to take the specific situation into account. In other words, is the couple there for marriage counseling or has a client brought in their spouse? Clients sometimes don’t think about the physical vulnerability that they will feel  So it can be helpful to discuss this ahead of time  It can be beneficial to have the partner be part of the processing Additionally, the partner may benefit from seeing their partner in a place of vulnerability and sincerity Rather than seeing them through hurt and fear from their conflicts  Sometimes it can be messy and painful, but it is real  It can be very helpful for both partners to share their experiences and receive insight Traditionally, the goal of couple’s therapy is to keep the couple together But that shouldn’t be the goal unless the couple explicitly says that Therefore, it is not necessarily a failure of treatment if the couple does not remain together  “There is a very real possibility of discovering that the marriage is a strategy that has been birthed out of trauma, and healing will actually mean that they are ready to release that relationship” (21:10) The 8 phase protocol & Couples Therapy “Without the resourcing, we’re never going to get to the processing, and if we try it’s going to be messy” (24:29). The process is individualized and always changing Therefore, it doesn’t look one certain way. Remain open to the possibility that it may be necessary to see them individually With the understanding that it’s possible to bring them back together once safety is established. Finding a special memory that partners can share can provide connection.  After history taking, try to create a sense of partnership and motivation Then, you can start to address the trauma  It’s important to ask what happened between the couple However, it’s also important to ask what happened to the couple  Examples of EMDR & Couples Therapy Bridger discusses a client story (14:14) Jen discusses a client story (16:24) Bridger’s client example (30:25) Bridger talks about a client (37:01) Jen’s story from a couple’s retreat ( 43:45) Takeaways It can be a very powerful experience  The goal is to heal, regardless of the specific outcome for the couple  Let go of assumptions and be open to all possibilities  Did you know?  After full completion of Beyond Healing Institute’s Somatic Integration and Processing training, each participant can receive 21 NBCC hours.  Beyond Healing Center Visit our website for all things BHC Contact us about retreats and therapy  Contact us about training and consultation Beyond Healing Media First, listen to our past episodes of NT here Then, check out more Beyond Healing podcasts Evidence-Based Therapist – where we read so you don’t have to! Beyond Trauma – geared towards clients Burnt Out Educator – An interview-style podcast for educators and students Give your support and gain access to exclusive content through Patreon Interested in supporting a child?  https://www.patreon.com/BurntOutEducator 100% of the proceeds donated to the Burntout Educator will provide therapy for a child in the public school system.  Not therapy capped at a certain number, but an open-ended relationship with a highly qualified therapist in the BHC network.  Connect with us on social media: Facebook & Instagram  Credits  Executive Directors: Jennifer and Ryan Savage, Melissa Bentinnedi, Bridger Falkenstein Hosts: Jennifer Savage, Melissa Benintendi, and Bridger Falkenstein Filmographer: Tyler Wassam Podcast Producer: Jamie Eggert Original Music Composers: Bridger Falkenstein and Caleb Boston Show Notes: Jordan Murray-Harper The post Couples Therapy & EMDR (73) first appeared on Notice That.The post Couples Therapy & EMDR (73) appeared first on Notice That.

On this episode, Melissa interviews Mary Horne. Mary is a private practitioner in Arkansas where she utilizes yoga and EMDR with clients. Mary Horne Tribe Psychotherapy, Yoga & Wellness Faculty at the Circle Yoga Shala Interested in a consult with Mary? Reach out to her at [email protected] Trauma-Informed Yoga Creates templates for relaxation and relationship with the body. Also, helps to discover what our nervous system is capable of doing. Often, traumatized individuals come in in a sympathetic state. With a desire to push themselves physically. However, their body needs rest and permission to go into a ventral state. We can help them achieve this by first colluding with the strategy and then encouraging slower movement. Learn about the doshas (17:46) Importantly, always do the movements with your client. EMDR, Yoga, Movement Thankfully, using yoga with clients doesn’t require a large space or even a yoga mat. In fact, you can do this work sitting in the typical chair and couch set up. Evaluate the client’s presentation: are they presenting heavy or light? Slow or fast?  Start with super simple poses, slowly moving towards more complexity. A primary element of trauma-informed yoga is creating rhythms This is because after trauma our rhythms are out of sync. Yoga & Resourcing “What if we just pause for a minute and bring awareness into the body? And then what would it feel like to take both arms, lifting them up over your head? Notice the feeling of the movement.” Introduce the ideas of yoga. Teach containment and provide co-regulation. Encourage specific movements based on their presentation. Envelop Breathing Begin your inhale, then begin lifting your arms to the ceiling. Complete your arm movement before the end of your exhale. After you begin exhaling, lower your arms back down. “This way of moving together, and being grounded in body becomes not only a very practical anchor in terms of grounding them in awareness, but also a relational anchor because they experienced this with you, and the safety, connection, synchrony, and co-regulation of that becomes a relational resource that holds and anchors the whole reprocessing experience.” Yoga & Reprocessing At this point, clients have been taught how to hold awareness in a nonjudgemental way. Additionally, the client and therapist are familiar with the rituals and flow of their time together. Through this learning, the client gains a sense of control. Oftentimes, in the midst of reprocessing, the client’s body is signaling an action they need to release. One of the ways to do this is to allow the movement. Resources Banyan Botanicals (Dosha, Ayurveda)  David Emerson (training, books) Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga by Rolf Gates Did you know?  After full completion of Beyond Healing Institute’s Somatic Integration and Processing training, each participant can receive 21 NBCC hours.  Beyond Healing Center Visit our website for all things BHC Contact us about retreats and therapy  Contact us about training and consultation Beyond Healing Media First, listen to our past episodes of NT here Then, check out more Beyond Healing podcasts Evidence-Based Therapist – where we read so you don’t have to! Beyond Trauma – geared towards clients Burnt Out Educator – An interview-style podcast for educators and students Give your support and gain access to exclusive content through Patreon Interested in supporting a child?  https://www.patreon.com/BurntOutEducator 100% of the proceeds donated to the Burntout Educator will provide therapy for a child in the public school system.  Not therapy capped at a certain number, but an open-ended relationship with a highly qualified therapist in the BHC network.  Connect with us on social media: Facebook & Instagram  Credits  Executive Directors: Jennifer and Ryan Savage, Melissa Bentinnedi, Bridger Falkenstein Hosts: Jennifer Savage, Melissa Benintendi, and Bridger Falkenstein Filmographer: Tyler Wassam Podcast Producer: Jamie Eggert Original Music Composers: Bridger Falkenstein and Caleb Boston The post Incorporating Yoga, Movement, and EMDR (72) first appeared on Notice That.The post Incorporating Yoga, Movement, and EMDR (72) appeared first on Notice That.