Freedom After Trauma

The Program is based on over three decades of brain research in the fields of neurobiology, developmental psychology, evolutionary biology, neurochemistry and trauma research, to name just a few.

Including:

1. Attachment theory (Bowlby & Ainsworth),

2. Polyvagal theory and the social engagement system (Porges),

3. 'Present moment' in therapy (Stern),

4. Personality development and brain plasticity (Grigsby),

5. Biology of emotion (Ledoux),

6. Affect and self-regulation theory (Schore).

Peter Levine (Waking the Tiger best selling author and thought field leader),

Pat Ogden, (the Window of Tolerance)

Lynne Zettl and Edward Josephs (Self-Regulation Therapy)

Bessel van der Kolk, well-known speaker and author of The Body Keeps the Score

Up to now, we've been taught to “think through” our feelings and try to be a better person by reflecting on our behaviour. As “sensible” as it sounds, this method may work for some, but for many it’s a tedious, frustrating and ultimately unsuccessful way to change core emotions.

It’s actually far more effective to change emotions at their source by working with the body, as extensive brain research and clinical practice results have shown.

When you “feel” something, you’re connecting with something happening in your body. You cannot “feel” an emotion without it manifesting physically in your body.

Why is this important?

Well, the connecting pathways that carry the “emotional” information to the brain from the body far outnumber the pathways going the other way. What this means is that you have only a 15-20% chance of “thinking” your way out of a strong emotion.

In other words, trying to “talk yourself” out of feeling a certain way is tough when you have only 15-20% control. So that tightness in your chest, the knot in your tummy, or the tension in your neck….well it’s probably going to stay until it’s ready to go.

But when you work the other way around you can rapidly change any emotion by working directly with the body. Your chances at making a fundamental change (or a 'corrective emotional experience') are much better when you’re working with more than 80% of the pathways associated with whatever emotion you’re working with.

Working with body sensations directly impacts the lower brain… which not only regulates blood pressure and heart rate, but also grounds your sense of well being through anxiety relief, lighter moods and even joy!

Using body-based self-regulating techniques, you can “re-set" the brain to make your nervous system automatically self-regulating - that is, it’ll take care of that knot in your tummy without you having to do anything!

So you’re less stressed, less anxious and emotionally balanced in general.