Why Touch?

The importance of use of the body and touch in therapy cannot be understated. We are holistic beings that operate on several separate but interactive levels at one time, the physical body, the emotional process, thinking patterns and our behaviors. When we make change in any one of these levels we must also address the physiology of whatever issue we are dealing and it's impact on the other levels at the same time. For example, if we understand a situation that impacted us and led to certain behaviors and also worked through the emotions related to the experience, we would still have to change the thinking patterns and belief systems associated with the issue.

For example, a young girl harmed by her father as a young child left her wary of men and caused her problems with her boss at work as an adult. Once she sees she is expecting something bad to happen based on her early experience, grieves the loss, feels the fears and realizes they aren't associated with what is happening in the present, her body, unconsciously, may still tense up around men. Working with the physical system to release the protective holding patterns she has around men can help her stay free of problems in the future. Muscle memory is very strong and compelling and motivates the system in ways that are not conscious. We must bring change to this aspect of our being as well as the others.

If someone has been chronically depressed for years and has the classic depressed body-structure with their chest collapsed and their head sloping downward, this posture must be changed along with the other levels or it will continually bring the person back into the depressed view of the world. In my experience utilizing touch and movement facilitates change and ensures more thorough healing for the client and this is being understood more and more by our field. Therapists with special training are uniquely suited to provide this for clients because of our deep understanding of the developmental, emotional and behavioral issues that need to be met for the change to occur. People may have emotions related to their issues during a massage or a yoga class, but we are the ones with comprehensive psychological training that can bring congruence to all 4 levels at the same time. A massage therapist simply doesn't have the training to complete our work and it needs to be done in tandem with the emotional, psychological and behavioral pieces.

Any one of the levels that is omitted in the therapy has the potential to bring back the whole reaction patterns in the entire system. Body-Psychotherapy promotes congruence in a persons complete bio-psycho-social behavioral system. Touch is a vital tool in achieving this outcome and there is a great amount of good training in the field toward this end today.

COMING SOON: Find Your Joy Workshop~ An Introduction to Body-Psychotherapy

Sponsored by Seattle School of Body-Psychotherapy & Aylee Welch LICSW. June 27-28, 2015. Seattle WA.

This workshop will introduce participants to the basic premises of work that originated with Wilhelm Reich
and now incorporates Core Energetics and contemporary approaches including neurobiology and trauma therapy.
The workshop combines lectures with movement and experiential opportunities.
CE: 13 1/2 CEU's through NASW

Space is limited
Contact ayleewelch@bodypsychotherapy.us (206) 910-9766.
www.bodypsychotherapyschool.com

Dream Theater and Yoga Joe's!

One evening during the January meeting of class we were experiencing a little creative relief from the more difficult curriculum we were learning during the day by exploring the healing potential of the Imaginal Realm through Dream Theater.  One of the students volunteered her puzzling dream of teaching yoga in the military where her students were dressed in army uniforms and military behavior codes.  Through a dramatic enactment of the dream, a whole lot of laughter, and some feedback from the players, we were all able to experience the magic of tapping into larger forces of healing potential all around us.  
 
The last day of the week another student brought our yoga teacher an extraordinary gift.  More than 6 months previously he had seen a crowd funding campaign quite out of the range of his normal interests that he ended up contributing to.   Although he had no idea what he would do with it when he received it, for many months he wondered when he would finally get the merchandise that he paid for in supporting the new company.  When our yoga teacher chose to work on this particular dream in class he had a hunch it would be coming soon and sure enough, when he got home that night there was a package waiting for him.  
 
The student had invested in these wonderful, joyful and kind of ridiculous "Yoga Joe's".  Yep, you read it right!  On the last day of class he gave our yoga teacher a quirky gift that reinforced the concept I was teaching  of the Golden Thread, the "attentive noticing of the Soul" where we seek to follow the inspirational patterns that run through our lives and beckon us to live our truest self.

I think we all found this to be a perfect synchronicity, an inspiring and playful nod from the universe for our time together!

Happy February!

Our second week-long intensive ended last Friday and as always I am excited to be moving into the light seasons of the year.  February is an encouraging time and I feel deeply moved by the work we did last week as we explored our first Character Structure a la Core Energetics. We also had some fabulous and touching moments in the Imaginal Realm.  I am so glad to be on this path with these students, and to be teaching the  Counseling Skills tract as well.  They have dug deeply into learning how to break down the skills of gathering and organizing information in order to write a thorough Psychosocial Assessment.  I am so pleased by the progress thus far.  Please spread the word about SSBP. I will be starting another class next fall along with moving the current students into Year 2!

We Did It!

It has been a full week since Seattle School of Body-Psychotherapy's first class completed our first week-long intensive together and I can't go another moment without boasting about it!  We have a great group of mature, dedicated and eager people come to deepen their presence both personally and professionally.  It was such an exhilarating experience for me to see this entity manifest and to finally be in it instead of planning or promoting it.  I especially loved having the long stretch of time to really explore the material and our experience with it, and to develop our ongoing group.  It also reconnected me to my teachers and the lineage-s of the work I do.

Seriously it was more fun than I even imagined it would be, well worth the amazing amount of work it has taken to get the school going.  And one of the greatest rewards of all that effort was, this past week, to have some of the deepest sleeps I have ever experienced! It feels so good to be waking up rested again! 

Meanwhile life goes on here at Body-Psychotherapy of Seattle and SSBP, tomorrow is November's Process Group meeting and next Friday is our first Counseling Skills class and as of last Monday I am back on my regular client schedule until our next week-long class in January.  If you you know anyone who might be interested in the school next year let them know now so they can start planning ahead, I am taking calls about it all of the time.

Have a wonderful November and I hope you too have much to be thankful for!

NASW CEU Approval

Hurray!  Just one week before class our CEU's are approved for year one of the program.  It feels good to know students of SSBP will be able to get credit for our work together.  One more week....