Scroll to the bottom to see a list of resources!

Conventional approaches are usually driven by the expertise of the practitioner. There is also always an assumed and accepted power imbalance in client-practitioner relationship. In the context of these well-established practice structures the client does not normally have a say in how the session unfolds.

In contrast, my way of working is slow, intentional, and transparent. This means I take the time to listen deeply in order to grasp what is needed and how best to respond. In situations where trauma memories surface it is always critical to ensure emotional safety and to find the deepest empathic response.  In order to move towards resolution and integration of trauma the work must be done at a pace which suits the person and their nervous system. Healing cannot be rushed.

I combine my trauma knowledge with the somatic approaches to the body, the Wheel of Consent, and breath&sensation-focused meditation to address complex developmental trauma caused by chronic neglect and violation; negative experiences that impact the body and the mind and stand in the way of peace, joy, and bliss. 

Nonverbal techniques and approaches which I am well versed in may be used in our sessions to help in exploration and expression of conscious and unconscious actions, patterns, and goals. These approaches include art therapy, play therapy, sand play therapy, creative movement, voice, Focusing, guided visualization.

Here’s how we work together

20160325_120547If you are curious about my work and/or interested in working with me I will offer you a 30 minute phone or video call or face to face chat, free of charge, to see how I might be helpful to you. You can then decide on your next step. Contact me for your discovery session!

Once you decide to begin working with me, we will have an intake meeting. This initial session helps me understand your history and your needs, as well as your specific challenges and strengths. Exercises on consent, personal boundaries and mindfulness of body sensations create the foundation for healthy communication and further bodywork if needed. The body work can be done fully clothed.

A few notes about my practice:

  • Men commit the majority of sexually violent or physically abusive acts. Most victims prefer not to work with male therapists. But if they are given the choice, some choose a male therapist to heal the wound caused by a man. This can be a very powerful experience. If you feel working with a safe man can help heal your wound, I would be honoured to accompany you on your journey.

 

  • You may choose to attend the sessions alone, with a significant other, a chaperon, or with a support person. 
  • Our work together might include any of the following approaches:
      • Creative Arts Therapy approaches which include Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Sand Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapies, Creative Movement, and Journaling. 
      • Trauma-focused treatment based on the current neuroscientific understanding of the mechanism and the impact of trauma on the body and the brain. 
      • Client-centred and client-guided bodywork based on specialized trauma-informed bodywork. The most important tenet of the work is one-way, client-guided touch. Based  on strict principles of this work, I offer Client-directed and client-centred one-way touch when requested by the client in full consent, and I hold the well-being of the client in the forefront at all times.
      • Information about the Wheel of Consent (Betty Martin). How to be in true alignment with yourself when you say Yes or No. 
      • Psychoeducation and home practice: I give you systematic and structured information regarding your challenges and possible treatments. I help you integrate emotional and motivational aspects to enable you to cope with the challenges you face. I may also give you home-practices and exercises to deepen and maintain what you gain in our sessions. 
      • Inner-Child Work. Using guided visualization and creative arts approaches I help you connect with parts of your Self that were wounded and left behind in your early life. 
      • Shadow Work. Sometimes we feel as if we are controlled and driven by unseen forces inside of us. It is useful in the path to personal growth to recognize, to connect with, and to integrate those rejected parts of our Selves which were left behind due to overwhelming and negative early experiences.  We can gently approach this work through playful and creative pathways to avoid overwhelm and re-traumatization. A proper integration of the Shadow contributes to a stronger and more masterful sense of Self. 
      • Education on non-ordinary states of consciousness, including special breathwork, mindful erotic practice or the use of psychedelics. 
      • Talk therapy;  techniques and approaches drawn from Somatic Experiencing, Depth-Oriented Brief Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Forcused Therapy to help individuals and couples of  all configurations approach wholeness in themselves and their relationships. 
        Assessing and Treating Sex Issues in Psychotherapy — Level 1 Assessing and Treating Sex Issues in Psychotherapy — Level 1

Number of Sessions

  • A single session is usually a powerful experience that helps open your eyes to your personal desires as well as your personal power. The goal is to feel into what you want and to clearly ask for it. This first session offers an opportunity for us to establish rapport, boundaries, and a good level of trust which is necessary for deeper work.
  • A series of sessions creates continuity and connection in the personal process. Insights gained in one session make the path for the explorations in the next.
  • If exploring pleasure and achieving higher erotic states is your goal, then body-mapping of sensations and mindful receiving of pleasure can help.
  • There is a vast menu of offerings in this practice: from realizing personal boundaries to recognizing true consent, from simple sensations to the highest levels of pleasure, from discovering your grounded power to embodying divine presence. A longer series of sessions offers a great chance for a deeper journey.

About Trauma and Bodywork

Touch is a powerful path to releasing trauma, memories, and to gain a positive relationship with one’s body. Trauma-focused bodywork can facilitate emotional release through this work.

My approach of using client-directed touch in therapy can address personal trauma in an effective and efficient way; great distances can be covered in a few sessions with a lot less emotional pain, which is usually associated with conventional counselling practices. In fact, in my sessions, a sense of grounded peace and calm is common after an intense emotional release.

My practice is client-directed and trauma-focused. If bodywork is needed, it is introduced in the exact ways in which you request. In my work with individual clients the bodywork is performed in two fashions: one way, from me to you, and guided by you, OR self-touch, from you to you, decided by you. This latter option is of course naturally used also in video-conferencing sessions. They are both safe and based on your deep and clear consent.

  • The purpose of the bodywork is educational. You learn about your body from your body: its blocks to, and its desires and capacity for, pleasure.

I hold my work sacred and avoid dual (exploitative) relationships with my clients. Entering a dual relationship with a client is confusing and damaging to the client due to the inherent imbalance of power in the therapeutic relationship. My role is to be in service to you.

In sessions with couples, the touch is given and received by each member of the couple to and from the other. The purpose of the hands-on practice is to gain healthier habits of self-acceptance, communication, boundary-setting, and intimacy.

More About My Approach

If you are interested in working with me I highly recommend reading my chapters in the book “Healers on the Edge“. I have described the “Perfect Touch” approach in one chapter and the process of my work with a client in another.

Or read my new chapter in the upcoming book (April 2025) Hands On: Stories of Sexuality Work, Intimacy, and Healing 

When we work together, my role is to help you integrate (and master) the unresolved effects of your traumatic experiences and to regain your power and agency. I do this by: 

    • being in a grounded presence for you
    • helping you stay in connection with your Self
    • witnessing your authentic process without judgement
    • responding to you as perfectly as possible by giving you the response you clearly and intentionally require.

The above can be achieved whether the session is held in-person or remotely on video calls.

Further Reading

There are many books and resources available on the topic of trauma. The following three books are among the best and most accessible:

  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
  • Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine
  • The Body Bears the Burden by Robert Scaer

Other Resources

Sharing is caring