Deborah Sweet, Psy.D
Create Your Healing
Start Here
Trauma, Anxiety, and Stress Recovery
Moving Forward
Wellness and Resiliency Coaching
We all have stories about who we are. Some of these stories contain information we told ourselves or that others told us. Some of this information is erroneous and limiting. We have gotten this far and now we want to have a new experience of who we are and what we are doing.
Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Nothing changes if nothing changes. There is a lot of cutting-edge information out there, but you probably don’t have time to read all of the books or watch all of the videos. This is where I come in.
The Art of Creating Your Healing
Wellness and Resiliency Coaching
We all have stories about who we are. Some of these stories contain information we told ourselves or that others told us. Some of this information is erroneous and limiting. We have gotten this far and now we want to have a new experience of who we are and what we are doing.
Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Nothing changes if nothing changes. There is a lot of cutting-edge information out there, but you probably don’t have time to read all of the books or watch all of the videos. This is where I come in.
Coaching for Post Trauma Growth
I care about one thing. Helping you reach your goals and have a different experience of your life. Occasionally when we stop, we ask ourselves things like:
Is what I am doing meaningful? Do I feel fulfilled?
What energizes me? What depletes me?
What do I have to do? What do I get to do?
Am I congruent with myself? In other words, do I feel “right” with myself in what I’m doing?
Sometimes our lives become cluttered with things we don’t want to do and items that are not enriching our lives. We need to take a deep dive, get clear and take action on what we want.
How would you characterize your problem?I’m stuck. I'm blocked. I'm not clear on what I want, but I know what I don’t want
I have too much to do
I have too little time to do what I want to do
I’m clear but need the courage to move forward
I need support as I make changes
Modalities designed to help people recover from trauma
Modalities designed to help people recover from trauma
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic awareness empowers us to seek answers, accept or change what is. Somatic experiencing is a modality that relieves the effects of anxiety, stress, or trauma in the body. When something threatens us we have four choices, flight, fight, freeze or fawn. When we are unable to run or fight, we may go into a frozen state where we dissociate in an effort to protect ourselves. We literally “turn off” a part of our brain that decides, “this is too much.”
While this coping mechanism might have worked well as a child, it doesn’t work in adulthood. As the first step, learning how to calm the body will help calm the mind. Then we can think clearly.
What Happens in Somatic Experiencing
Somatic modalities work primarily with the “felt sense” of the trauma by accessing physical sensations, imagery, and motor patterns, with less emphasis on thinking or emotional processes. When a traumatic event takes place, if it was not discharged or released, it becomes locked in the nervous system, especially if the person was unable to escape or fight. An incomplete physiological response may develop if the person was unable to fight or get away. To release the activation trapped in the body, we focus on sensations in various parts of the body. Sensing into the body is one of the most effective ways to release the trapped survival energy.
What this looks like in session: In its simplest form, the therapist might say, “Where do you sense that feeling (or thought) in your body? What do you sense? Is it hot or cold, rough or smooth, dense or diffuse? Stay with the sensations and notice what happens.” When sensations change, perceptions shift. The body's wisdom has a chance to express itself and the system is able to self-regulate. Trauma dysregulates the nervous system. By using somatic modalities, we enable the nervous system to move reregulate so can deal with what is happening in your life, past, present, and future.
Havening Technique
The Havening Technique is based in neuroscience, however, it works differently than the previously mentioned modalities. Unlike many techniques, once a person learns it they can provide it to themselves. Havening is a way of soothing that works to feel better after a stressful event or when dealing with a depressed or anxious mood. For an upsetting event that doesn’t seem to be getting better with time or by talking, writing, prayer, or other tools, Havening can help.
Regarding trauma, if certain circumstances are in place traumatic encoding of negative events will occur in the brain—a type of linking or neuro associations. This can make us more sensitive to future traumatic events. Havening can help remove this sensitivity by delinking the event and how we feel about it.
Havening is a psychosensory therapy which means the sensation of brushing down our arms, hands, or face heals our psyche by causing a calming effect on our body and mind. This sensory input helps change our moods, thoughts, and behavior. Havening works with the combination of emotional activation, havening touch, distraction techniques, breathing, and eye movements.
Experience in Brief
The client brings up an issue that is disturbing, upsetting, angering, or sad, or even cravings. After the person identifies the event or feeling, they rate it on a scale of 0-10 and then begin brushing down on their arms or the therapist provides facilitated havening which many people enjoy.
They then play distraction games such as picturing themselves walking and counting out loud at the beach or mountains, or counting items, naming things, playing sports, or humming songs. There are many variations to the games. What people report is that they no longer feel traumatized by the event or it is farther away or less important.
Brainspotting
There are various ways to uncover and process core issues. Talk is helpful, however, to go deeper, brainspotting can help heal what is going on below the surface. Like the analogy of the iceberg, we see what is above the water in talk therapy, but not what is underneath. Brainspotting helps us get to what is underneath.
A brainspot is a visual spot connected to memory or thoughts. For example, if you are sitting across from someone and ask them where is their favorite place to get coffee, their eyes will most likely look at a spot above your head. If you try to think of the last vacation you took, your eyes will most likely look off towards a spot so you can access the images associated with that vacation.
What To Expect in Brainspotting
Once the client has an awareness of an issue, the practitioner asks where the activation (the feeling) is in the body such as in the chest, stomach, or throat, then asks the client to assign a number between 0-10 for the level of activation for this issue.
Then the practitioner moves a pointer across the client’s visual field and asks where the client feels the most activation.
They stop on the spot the client chooses and then begin to process the material from there. The practitioner checks in with the client as the client processes images, memories, thoughts, and sensations as they arise. Brainspotting therapy can also help performance enhancement with musicians, actors, and athletes. BSP is an effective method of discharging activation associated with performance and helps them find the focus they need to engage in their professions with a greater sense of freedom and control.
Brainspotting
There are various ways to uncover and process core issues. Talk is helpful, however, to go deeper, brainspotting can help heal what is going on below the surface. Like the analogy of the iceberg, we see what is above the water in talk therapy, but not what is underneath. Brainspotting helps us get to what is underneath.
A brainspot is a visual spot connected to memory or thoughts. For example, if you are sitting across from someone and ask them where is their favorite place to get coffee, their eyes will most likely look at a spot above your head. If you try to think of the last vacation you took, your eyes will most likely look off towards a spot so you can access the images associated with that vacation.
What To Expect in Brainspotting Therapy
Once the client has an awareness of an issue, the therapist asks where the activation (the feeling) is in the body such as in the chest, stomach, or throat, then asks the client to assign a number between 0-10 for the level of activation for this issue.
Then the therapist moves a pointer across the client’s visual field and asks where the client feels the most activation.
They stop on the spot the client chooses and then begin to process the material from there. The therapist checks in with the client as the client processes images, memories, thoughts, and sensations as they arise. Brainspotting therapy can also help performance enhancement with musicians, actors, and athletes. BSP is an effective method of discharging activation associated with performance and helps them find the focus they need to engage in their professions with a greater sense of freedom and control.