Mastering Emotions & Healing the Nervous System
The state of our nervous system determines how we perceive ourselves, the world and act based on those perceptions. Even though we rarely speak about trauma, everyone has traumatic encodings. When triggered, it leads to emotional reactivity, negative thoughts, anxiety, coping-strategies, rumination, addictions, avoidance etc.
We can't think or talk our way out of a feeling problem.
Trauma is stored in the body, the mind, the emotions and the stories we unconsciously tell ourselves. When something happens in the present moment that reminds the body-mind of a past hurt or trauma, it triggers danger in the body. Faster then we're aware of, the nervous system goes into fight, flight or freeze. The amygdala hijacks our thinking brain. To heal the nervous system and integrate difficult emotions, we need to help the body-mind feel and experience safety.
Our Approach has the Overall Focus of:
1. Cultivating felt safety in the body
2. Expanding awareness of stress triggers, emotions, our beliefs and the stories we tell ourself
3. Learning how to self-soothe, shift the nervous system out of fight/flight/freeze and integrate emotions
4. Lifestyle habits for nervous system regulation
5. Havening Techniques to work on healing specific traumas
6. Reframe unsupportive meanings and beliefs
7. Rewire empowering ways of perceiving and being
Trauma is not what happens to us, but how our body-mind and nervous system reacted to what happened and continues to react when triggered. Anything that becomes too much, too soon or too much for too long or not enough for too long can result in traumatic encodings. Events that overwhelmed our capacity to integrate the emotions, the pain and the experience.
Our body goes to great lengths to protect us from possible threats. Neuroscientists say that 90 % of our present moment experience is defined by our past. We look at the present through the glasses of the past. For those of us with a history rich in long-term stress and traumatic events, we may look through glasses of fear and worry all the time. This means that our nervous system may be stuck in a fight/flight or freeze state as our natural way of functioning.
While trauma occurs in separation, healing happens in relation.
- Thomas Hubl
Body-Based Techniques for Stress Relief
I work with a neuro-scientific modality called Havening Techniques. It is a method designed to change the brain to de-traumatize the memory and remove the negative effects from the body and psyche of specific traumas. It uses touch on the arms, face and hands as a therapeutic tool combined with specific protocols.
These applications helps shift the electro-chemical state of stress in the brain and body into a state of calm and felt safety. The touch can be applied by the practitioner or the client.
Besides Havening, I use different techniques to support nervous system regulation, increase awareness, empowerment, resilience and connection.
Re-Connect Re-Frame Re-Wire
Individual coaching provides the sense of feeling seen, heard, understood and the possibility to share the pain we so often have been alone with. My style of coaching is deeply compassionate, calm and supportive. This work can't be done in a faster pace than the slowest parts of us are willing to go.
Other Parts Integrated to This Work:
- Practice Self-Compassion & Forgiveness
- Practice grounding and orienting back to the present
- Understanding the neurobiology of the brain and nervous-system
- Journaling to increase emotional awareness
- Emotional Freedom Technique
- Create neural pathways for resilience & empowering emotional experiences
- Re-pattern unsupportive coping-mechanisms
- Yin Yoga to reconnect with the physical body and slowly deepen our capacity to tolerate uncomfortable sensations.
Benefits of Healing Stress & Trauma
- Emotional Regulation
- Feeling safety and belonging
- More present and self-aware
- Deepened Relational Connection
- Strengthened physical health & vitality
- Awareness of and oriented to the environment
- Experience more positive emotions such as joy, compassion, curiosity and openness
The energy that earlier disappeared into fear, stress and survival can be redirected to creative projects, relationships and engaging with the community around us.
Time to deal with stress and boost well-being?
Symptoms of a balanced or dysregulated nervous system.
In Balance & Harmony
Imbalanced
Hyper or Hypo Active
Fatigue, low energy
Hard to focus
Sleep difficulties
Emotionally reactive
Digestive issues, IBS
Anxiety & worry
Depression, low mood
Bad memory
High or low blood pressure
Often sick, chronic pain & headaches
Felt sense of disconnection or isolation
Good sleep
A creative mind
Emotional control
Strong immunity
Closeness to joy
Felt sense of safety and ease
Strong decision-making ability
Good focus
Resilient
Energy throughout the day
Physical and mental well-being
Felt sense of belonging