Somatic and Experiential Therapies in Virginia
“Imagination is the golden pathway to everywhere.”
-T. McKenna
You are not alone and you are not broken.
You are not a label or a diagnosis, and you’re certainly not defined by the things that have happened to you.
What if therapy weren’t about only focusing on the problems and fixing what is broken?
What if you could be with a practitioner who has walked this path before, not only with others seeking support but also by intimately knowing what it’s like to be on the client side of the couch?
What if you could imagine orienting towards joy, connection and well-being?
What if you can heal without having to relive or re-experience your traumas and overwhelm?
There is a difference between being with and being in your trauma…
We at HeartMind Resiliency Wellness are here to hold a bigger container, one that is strong enough to hold your struggles as well as the glimmers of hope and possibilities, so that you can live into a new way of being.
We offer a space where you can expand on what is working and feeling good, even if that is one small spark in a world that feels very dark.
Our therapists are the keepers of that flame, that one that burns within each of us, even when we feel it has been diminished to just a smoldering ember. We are here to help nurture it, protect it and help find the tinder and breath to begin to ignite it and watch it grow.
How is this done?
This begins with creating a safe space for healing. We are here to form a real relationship with each client. We work in the Here and Now recognizing that the past shows up in the present. We don’t just Talk About your life, we support you to form a new relationship to your life and experience it– the profound beauty and the sorrows– in a way where you can really feel and truly live, perhaps for the first time.
Our Somatic Therapy Richmond Practice is…
Personalized:
You deserve to be heard, and we’re here for you. We believe in a personalized approach, where the therapist works closely with each client so they can find their own path forward without feeling like just another number on an inventory list.
You’ll get one-on-one care from one of our trained therapists who will collaborate as needed depending upon your unique situation. No matter how complicated things may seem now (or ever), your therapist will walk with you on your journey toward healing.
You get the benefit of your therapist’s training and expertise as well as that of our other amazing staff. It’s like having a whole team of healers who want to see you grow and thrive.
Integrative:
Integration is not only about weaving together various theories and modalities in our work with you, it is also an outcome we support in everyone to become more truly yourself and the person you long to be. This means recognizing the wholeness of the person by honoring the mind, body, and spirit as well as one’s connection to community. These parts of ourselves are not separate but beautifully interconnected.
Your therapist will guide you to opening the dialogue between all these. When the mind, body, and spirit work in unison, true healing can take place and lead to a greater sense of connection, fulfillment, and overall improvement in the quality of your life.
Furthermore, we believe in the power of integration- not just within our clients but within the fields of wellness and psychotherapy. By bringing together various therapeutic approaches, we can create a customized treatment plan that meets the needs of each individual client. This ensures that our clients receive the best possible care.
Individualized:
At HeartMind Resiliency Wellness We believe in a personalized approach. Each of our lives is unique and embedded within a context of family, culture and community. The therapist works closely with each client so they can find their own path forward. In fact, we do not see ourselves as an “expert” that dictates treatment. The direction of the work unfolds organically– not from a manual or protocol– as we follow the innate wisdom of each person’s system and process. number on an inventory list
Relational:
Humans are social creatures and need others to help find meaning and worth in our lives. Psychotherapy is a very personal experience of a specialized relationship where trust, caring and respect are at its core. Our therapists see the sacredness of this relationship and feel honored to walk beside you in this process of discovery and growth. We are collaborative and process-oriented and you are an active participant in what direction we will go in your therapy.
Experiential & Somatic:
Trauma, stress and overwhelm are not just phenomena of the mind, but are experienced and held in our entire bodies. Healing takes place in the Here & Now and in relationship to Self and Others, so our work together centers around creating experiences of change in present time. While there is value in talking about or analyzing our thoughts, memories and feelings, we believe deep and lasting healing happens through experiencing change in present time while feeling it in the body.
We go beyond trauma informed care in that we not only recognize the need to make space for traumas of all kinds, we are committed to extensive training and understanding in the notion that trauma is not only an event in your past that happened to you, but it is something that you still carry inside that impacts your relationship to yourself and the world. Traumas come in many different shapes and sizes, and it is often so insidious that many don’t even recognize they are holding it. We are well trained in complex, attachment, developmental, shock/single incident, systemic and intergenerational trauma.
Nonpathologizing
You are not a label or diagnosis and what happened to you does not define you. How you have learned to cope with your life experiences are a testament to your capacities to get through and survive. What worked before might be keeping you alive, and now you are ready to thrive. We will honor how you got here, not pathologize it or make it wrong, but support you to find new ways of being where there is more choice and flexibility. We also offer online therapy in South Carolina.
Who We Help & How We Do It
We frequently work with clients who have a previous diagnosis or wonder if they struggle with:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD or Complex PTSD (shock/event or developmental trauma)
- Sensory Integration/Sensory Processing Disorder
- Nervous System/Emotional Dysregulation
- ADHD
- Eating Disorders
- Highly Sensitive Person or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
- Reproductive Rights & Pre and Perinatal/Birth Trauma (for parents and/or baby)
- Autoimmune and Syndromal Conditions ( e.g. fibromyalgia, migraines, post-COVID, IBS, etc.)
- Medical/Surgical Preparation or Trauma
We can also assist you with relationship concerns, struggles with self-doubt or self-esteem, difficulty setting and maintaining healthy boundaries, burnout, parenting concerns, self-destructive behaviors, grief, and more.
What therapeutic approaches do we use?
Our work is highly relational and attachment-oriented. Each member of our practice comes from a strong foundation of warmth, compassion and genuineness so that we never lose sight of your humanity. We then integrate a variety of somatic and experiential techniques and approaches in our work with each client. These methods and techniques come out of the sciences of attachment theory, traumatology and neuropsychology and include an understanding that the mind and body are inextricably interconnected and that healthy connection to others is essential to well-being.
Some of the many experiential methods and approaches we use include:
- Somatic Experiencing
- Art Therapy
- Parts Work & Ego State Work (e.g. Inner Relationship Focusing)
- EMDR and Brainspotting
- Havening Technique
- Walk & Talk & Nature-based Therapies
- Safe & Sound Protocol
- Movement-based modalities (e.g. Zapchen)
- Neuroaffective Relational Model
- Several methods of touchwork for trauma resolution (e.g. Neuroaffective Touch, SSR, Craniosacral Therapy, Transforming Touch/TEB)
- Other evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT and mindfulness-based psychotherapy
Click here to read more about our approach.
Statement of Inclusivity
We are welcoming and affirming of all humans and recognize that we live in a world where just being you can be dangerous and unsupported especially if you are a member of a marginalized group such as BIPOC, LGBTQI, or Neurodivergent. We strive to create a safe space where our provided services are culturally relevant, without stigma, and all voices are heard.
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