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The crisis of the anthropocene*

How do we stay awake to pain without getting crushed? It’s a question humans have asked and answered in one way or another for centuries. When clients come to me, it’s usually because the answers aren’t cutting it anymore.

Our pain tolerance is challenged not just by our personal struggles but by the state of the world. We are constantly virtually connected to an unfathomable number of people, and yet more isolated than ever. The consequences of extreme individualism are coming home to roost on the national stage. From ongoing oppressive structures to newer, bolder cruelties, the future is frightening.

I take strange comfort from Angela Davis’ message. “No amount of psychological therapy or group training can effectively address racism in this country, unless we also begin to dismantle the structures of racism.” Therapy is the beginning, not the end. Therapy is where we go to build our confidence, realize our values, and channel them into action. Holistic therapy recognizes that transformation happens on every level. It happens in the space between people. Over years and in an instant.

* the present era, defined by humans having a significant and permanent impact on the earth’s systems.

Methods

EMDR*

A type of evidence-based trauma reprocessing that uses tapping or eye movements. I think of it as having “one foot in the past and one foot in the present.” Some of the exercises feel like games or imaginary play. It helps people shift patterns and reintegrate memories so that they are less triggering.

Somatic Therapy

A term for a lot of different body-based techniques. My most common tools are meditation, visualization, and movement. We practice noticing the state of the body, listening to it, and working with it. These practices often lead to a greater sense of calm, presence, and empowerment. This approach is great for intellectualizers.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS is based in the idea of a person as a collection of parts. Working with parts can sometimes feel like a spiritual experience. We’ll talk to them, hear their wisdom, and help them relate and react differently. Note I am not a certified IFS therapist and use parts work as a tool rather than a standalone therapy.

Journeying*

This is a broad term for the process of working with various figures, deities, or energetic presences. I provide the environment and conditions for you to meet and engage with them. I also help with boundaries and support around particularly intense or overwhelming energies.

Psychodynamic (Talk) Therapy

When someone in a tv show is in therapy, it’s often psychodynamic. We use words to explore the impact early life experiences have on you today. We talk about patterns, meaning, and connections between events in your life. It comes from psychoanalytic theories.

Existential Therapy

This describes an interest more than it does a set of methods. Existential therapy means listening for issues of life and death, for philosophical problems like the existence of suffering. Importantly, it emphasizes client’s coming to their own conclusions about the world.

*These interventions need a lot of resourcing and grounding to do safely. We’ll take as much time as we need to practice calming and strengthening techniques.