Linda’s Approach
I believe that to achieve deep and lasting change, we must work from the inside out. It is not merely a matter of changing outer circumstances or behavior.
Our belief systems learned in childhood, as well as traumas that occur at any point in life, live in the body, often below the level of conscious awareness. Unconscious beliefs and unprocessed trauma can show up as chronic tensions and stiffness, nervous system disorders, anxiety, depression, nightmares, chronic illness, low self-esteem and various inabilities to function at full capacity. Physical symptoms are often signals that something is wrong on a deeper level. Traditional “talk” therapies and medication are often either partially effective or only treat symptoms. The whole person and root causes are not addressed, and people do not fully heal as a result.
Trauma and PTSD
Trauma can result from “any perceived life-threatening experience.” What one person perceives as life-threatening may be different from another’s perceptions; the perception of threat often has its roots in childhood. The symptoms of trauma are often latent until months or years later, when there is a primary triggering event such as a car accident or the death of a loved one. Sometimes the symptoms start small, even undetected, and are “kindled” as a fire is kindled, until they have just enough fuel to become a raging blaze.
Incoming sensory information takes one of two primary pathways in the brain. One pathway leads to the neocortex, which is more of the “thinking brain” where we make sense of the world. The other pathway, which stimulates the “fight or flight” response, leads to the autonomic, or peripheral, nervous system, which enables us to defend ourselves or flee when we perceive threat. There are times, however, when we may be unable to fight or flee under perceived threat, in which case we freeze. If we are not able to “thaw out” from a frozen state, if our body is not able to complete the necessary response or movement to feel empowered and safe, and if we were not able to fully feel our emotional response at the time of the traumatic event, we risk developing trauma or, in more extreme cases, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).
Classic symptoms of trauma include: anxiety, nervousness or hypervigilance, an inability to think clearly under stress, dissociation, nightmares, insomnia, heightened startle response, emotional paralysis, outbursts of anger or rage, and feelings of powerlessness.
The treatment methods I incorporate involve, first and foremost, developing a strong somatic, or bodily felt sense of “resources,” which were often missing at the time of the original trauma. While we cannot provide the resource that was missing at the time, we may be able to bring up the memory of supportive people or a safe place in our current life, and deepen into the “felt sense” of this in the present moment.
My approach to resolving trauma is tailored to the client. The primary focus is on establishing an internal locus of control and sense of empowerment, along with helping the body and emotions complete or “sequence” through what they were not able to complete at the time. For example, I worked with a veteran who had to constantly stay alert and keep his emotional responses at bay while at war, which helped him survive unimaginable circumstances. However, after returning, he was unable to sleep and had recurring nightmares. There were also times when he was unable to prevent incidents or help those who were injured, often fatally. His emotions were eseentially frozen in time, and he had a profound sense of powerlessness.
The first step was to help him find an internal “felt sense” of control by having him remember a time, prior to going to war, when he did feel strong and able to respond. Establishing an internally resourced state that he could come back to, prior to working with the memory of events, allowed the long-held emotions to move through his system without overwhelming him. By encouraging his body to naturally complete movements he was unable to complete at the time, such as pushing, kicking or running, he was finally able to sleep, nightmare free, after just a few sessions.
Our thoughts, based on past experience, can also trigger a trauma response. If we have had the experience of not feeling safe, whether a chronic state rooted in childhood or from an acute traumatic event later in life, we may have the experience of not feeling safe when presented with a similar situation in present time—what I call a “state-specific” emotional response. Our mind may begin to churn and ruminate, creating a cascade of thoughts, which can intensify our emotions. I encourage clients to develop the ability to watch their minds, thought processes (mindfulness), and breath, which in turn helps the body and emotions return to a more resourced state.
Chronic illness, including fibromyalgia, IBS, and lupus
The following discussion, based on scientific data, supports everything that I have seen, and worked successfully worked with, in my clients over the last 10 years. I believe that all physical illnesses, and biochemical imbalances, have an emotional root. Even if “genetic” the gene needs to be turned on in order to express. When I am working with clients who have chronic illness, I often work directly with the past traumas, as well as with developing skills to self-sooth and calm the nervous system. I have found that when the trauma(s) and associated emotional responses are resolved, symptoms often decrease or resolve.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is part of the peripheral nervous system, consists of sensory and motor neurons that run between the central nervous system and the peripheral organs, such as the heart, lungs, stomach and intestines. The ANS is largely involuntary and functions below the level of normal conscious awareness.
Historically, the ANS has been divided into two branches: the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous systems. The SNS responds in the face of threat by elevating heart rate and blood pressure, stimulating the conversion of glycogen to glucose in the liver, dilating the pupils of the eyes and the bronchi, shunting blood away from the skin and viscera to the skeletal muscles, brain, and heart, and inhibiting peristalsis in the gastrointestinal tract and contraction of the bladder and rectum. The PNS responds in rest or in the freeze response (see the above discussion of trauma) by slowing down the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, constricting the pupils, increasing blood flow to the skin and viscera, and encouraging peristalsis of the GI tract.
The diseases of stress are considered as the result of hormonal changes due to activation of the SNS in the face of perceived threat or danger. When faced with threat or danger, an animal or human must mobilize, activating sources of short-term energy in the form of glucose from muscles and glycogen from the liver. The arousal response triggers the release of epinephrine in the brain and adrenalin from the adrenal glands, which in turn stimulates the heart to beat faster and blood vessels to the brain and skeletal muscles to dilate, which constricting the blood vessels to the organs of digestion.
Cortisol is another important hormone released in response to SNS activation. Its function is to prepare the body to tolerate prolonged states of threat. Cortisol and related corticosteroids promote the retention of salt, and therefore fluids, which have the long-term effect of raising blood pressure. Increased cortisol levels can also stimulate brain activity, leading to insomnia, increase serum lipids which in turn increase cholesterol, promote storage of calories which can lead to obesity, and promote sustained levels of blood glucose, potentially leading to the development of diabetes. Prolonged high levels of cortisol can also lead to suppressed immune system function, increasing susceptibility to infection and viruses.
Needless to say, there is a clear link between the levels of chronic stress in our culture and the incidence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
There is well-documented scientific research linking childhood trauma and the diseases of stress. However, the diseases of trauma, such as Fribromyagia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, have often been considered psychosomatic.
The classic symptoms of trauma and PTSD manifest when the fight or flight response is unsuccessful and we have no choice but to freeze. If the freeze response is not resolved by a discharge or sequencing in the body, we become susceptible to another range of responses that are not driven by epinephrine, adrenalin and cortisol. The freeze response, driven by a perceived sense of helplessness, is associated with PNS activation and abnormally low levels of serum cortisol, and elevation of other neurohormones. The diseases of trauma lie on a continuum, from those more related to SNS activation (and therefore stress with elevated cortisol) on one end, to those related to PNS activation (and therefore the freeze response with decreased levels of cortisol) on the other.
Specific illnesses
Irritable Bowel Syndrome reflects dysregulation of both the SNS and PNS, with symptoms of constipation and diarrhea.
Fibromyalgia The primary cause of symptoms that constitute fibromyalgia may be the result of dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, related to trauma. Symptoms inclue diffuse musculoskelital pain, including several tender points and general stiffness in the joints. Sleep is generally interrupted and nonrestorative. Other classic symptoms of trauma include cognitive impairment, hypervigilence and emotional dysregulation. Fibromyalgia is often accompanied by othertrauma-related illnesses, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). chemical sensitivities and acid reflux. The weakness in fibromyalgia may be related to the freeze reaponse characteristic of PNS dominance.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lupus
Epilepsy
Please refer to The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation and Disease, and The Trauma Spectrum: Hidden Wounds and Human Resiliency by Dr. Robert Scaer for an excellent, in-depth discussion of trauma and trauma-related diseases. .
Emotional struggles such as depression, anxiety, shame and anger
People often ask me, “Why do this, the process of therapy, when it might bring up old, painful memories?” I tell them, “Because what you don’t heal will hold you hostage and keep you from your greatest freedom and joy—the joy of being fully present and authentic in yourself.”
Emotional pain is trying to tell us something. It has a message it wants us to hear, which we may want to ignore. Strong emotional states such as shame, depression, anxiety, anger and fear are often symptoms of a deeper unresolved issue, usually with its roots in childhood. As children, we unconsciously make conclusions about our world based on our experiences. These belief systems can “run” us, creating emotional turmoil.
When I work with deep emotional patterns, I listen for belief systems such as, “I’m not safe in the world,” “I have to do it alone,” “there is no support for me,” and “I have to perform to be loved.” I am also looking for access to unconscious beliefs through posture and energetic holding patterns in the body, such as hunched shoulders, a sunken heart, shallow breathing—holding patterns that can become chronic physical pain, over time.
The first step to healing these deep emotional patterns that cause us turmoil in our present lives is to use mindfulness as a tool to becoming more aware of what is driving our reactions. When we develop a strong ability to observe our emotional “states”, creating some distance from them, we have more power to stop our reactions.
Clients are encouraged to develop a strong “observer self” or “witness consciousness.” Familiar emotional patterns are recognized and linked back to the source. Healing happens as the child is freed, both through having a different experience in therapy and through developing an inner presence that helps to give us the loving, compassionate messages that we didn’t receive as children.
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Relationship issues including domestic violence
Relationship issues, as well as attraction to a particular person, usually begin with the family of origin. We tend to pick partners that somehow resemble one or both of our parents. If we were fortunate enough to be brought up in a family with loving, supportive parents who genuinely loved each other and were able to provide us with a safe, secure and loving environment, we are more likely to attract the same qualities in a partner. However, if we were raised with physical or emotional abuse, or with parents who were unable to provide us with a loving, stable environment, we will likely (in an uncanny way) attract similar attributes in a partner.
When I work with relationship issues, I am looking for belief systems, memories and past events that may be unconsciously organizing present-day [erceptions and experiences. For example, if I have the experience of having a parent who was extremely critical of everything I did, where nothing was good enough, one of several scenarios may play out: I may unconsiously expect and hear my partner being critical of me, I may project my expectations of being criticized onto my partner and “create” a situation where my partner does become critical, or I may become a perfectionist in everything I do and come to believe that whatever I do, it’s not good enough. These patterns are often habitual and unconscious. However, they wreak havoc in our relationships.
In situations of domestic violence, there is often a history of physical or sexual abuse. Again, in an uncanny way, we may attract a partner who is similar to an abusive parent or past partner. There are several theories about why we attract someone who abuses us, including that children who are attached to abusive parents are not able to leave. If they did, their most fundamental needs would not be taken care of. This is one reason why people return to their abusers: the source of the abuse is also often the source of limited nourishment.
I help clients resolve unresolved past issues that are creating turmoil in the present moment experience of relationship. Sometimes this means becoming closer; sometimes it means breaking up.
Couple’s therapy
Money therapy
