Emotional Resilience - Therapies
Your Body
with Shireen Masani
Emotional Resilience: Part 7
Therapies
In previous posts, I have covered ways to help yourself increase emotional resilience and given insight into the mind and body connection and exactly why the two go hand in hand. This week, I will cover various therapies that can help cope with trauma, emotional stress, grief, anger issues, and so much more, especially in those who need extra support navigating their emotions. There is no shame in needing to reach out for help. In fact we all need it unless we were taught appropriately how to cope, communicate and face our emotions.
As we are all unique, some of us do better in certain types of therapy than others. The common therapies people engage in when dealing with emotional issues are, counselling, psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy. For some people talking through their issues in counselling for example, week after week can be a cathartic process, like removing layers, learning and understanding their behaviour, what triggers them and why, working towards figuring out better coping techniques to move forward with. Some sessions you’ll feel lighter, others might be more emotionally demanding. Some can effect you over the coming days or weeks. Overall if a person feels they are moving forward and doing better than before, it can be a very healing process.
Some people tend to ruminate over emotions, finding things hard to let go of. Feeling like they struggle to connect to their deeper feelings or may even have massive chunks of memory missing or not remember their childhood. This is where other therapies come in useful. The wonderful thing is there are so many ways to begin the journey, sometimes it might start with going for a regular massage, aromatherapy or some energy work like reiki. These can allow us to feel calm and safe, paving the way to begin the deeper work.
One of the most fundamental things to consider when entering a space for emotional healing is to feel comfortable and safe with the therapist (whatever therapy they provide). Our subconscious is designed to protect us and keep us safe. If we feel secure and ideally in time trust the therapist/practitioner, the likelihood of seeing positive results is far greater. The four main fundamental aspects of this relationship are: knowledge, trust, loyalty and regard. In counselling, psychotherapy and other forms of talk therapy, the connection to traumatic events whilst feeling safe and comfortable rewires these traumas in the brain. The caveat to these talking therapies is this process can take time, which is not possible for some.
Fortunately there are many alternative therapies offering the ability to clearing trauma but speeding up the time and accessing things like the nervous system and subconscious system to fast track the process. Below are some therapies I have either used myself, trained in or see huge potential for:
Tapping - this is one of my favourites, it can reprogram the subconscious tapes we replay, can work on physical issues like pain, traumas that a person remembers or does not and at the end of each session there are noticeable benefits. Occasionally for certain people if they have disconnected from the connection with their body due to trauma they may not feel the immediate benefit, however they will still experience change, they might just need longer to recognise it. The two main forms of tapping are emotional freedom technique (EFT) and thought field therapy (TFT). Various meridian (energy) points based on Traditional Chinese Medicine are tapped on while the practitioner will create statements starting with what the issue is, then gradually transforming the statements into positive statements that release and reprogram the emotions.
Psych-K - also known as Psychology Kinesiology or PK. This is another technique using muscle testing to help people reprogram limiting beliefs and thoughts they may have about themselves. It is also designed to be able to find emotional connections in the body which have manifested into physical issues due to having not released these.
EMDR - mostly using lateral eye movements and accessing and adapting the trauma response in the brain, it enhances information processing and creates new associations between the trauma and the adaptive memory.
Energy healing - We are energetic beings, our cells omit light, we resonate a vibration to other living beings via electromagnetic fields. All of this is not visible to our eye. Energy healers are attuned to feel these vibrations and help recalibrate the energetic field which might present with blocks, lower vibrations/energy or create more flow. Over time the blockages can lead to physical health and emotional complications. It works on chakras which in Sanskrit means “wheel”. We commonly have 7 chakras which are like spinning wheels of energy on the midline of the body. There are in fact many more chakras than this,114 to be exact. Many of these exist in our energetic field and not on our body itself. When chakras become blocked or the light they omit becomes chaotic or imbalanced, it effects our physical, emotional and spiritual body. Energetic healing is far more powerful than many physical therapies and modalities despite how gentle it is and that it can be administered at a distance. This is because we can connect to anyone via quantum energetic networks. This is how if someone close to you travels to the other side of the world and you sense they are in trouble and need help, you feel compelled to call them only to find out you were right. Or when you go to ring a loved one and pick up the phone and they call you, this all happens due to quantum entanglement. There are many forms of energy healing: Reiki, Seichem, Quantum, Theta healing, though the origins and technique may differ the theory is the same.
Hypnotherapy - the practitioner is trained to talk the client into a hypnotic state which allows increased focus and suggestibility within the subconscious state. During the session the hypnotherapist might work to uncover psychological trauma which in a conscious state, a person might not be able to recover the information. Or they might use language designed to reprogram the way you think and perceive things e.g. quitting smoking or managing pain.
Neuro Linguistic Programming - NLP is based on self awareness and communication. This is done using strategies to reach goals that were being sabotaged by unsupportive thoughts, language and behaviours. It helps us to change our perspective and take on new thoughts leading to more positive outcomes.
The first 4 therapies mentioned here come under an umbrella called energy psychology. These are just a few of what are available these days, though each of these are powerful tools in resolving trauma and reclaiming your power.
Shireen Masani D.M. Dip. M.sc mBANT CNHC N.T is a BANT and CNHC registered nutritional therapist. She has an extensive background in natural and holistic medicine. Her journey as a practitioner began in 1999 when she trained and gained her diploma in Remedial massage with the Association of Therapeutic Massage. Aware she could help her clients more by acquiring further knowledge and skills, she went on to gain diploma’s in Cranial Sacral Therapy, Manipulative Science, Applied Kinesiology, Emotional Freedom Technique, Wrist and Ankle Acupuncture, Energy Medicine (Reiki & Seichem) to a Master level.
After running a successful practice for several years, Shireen experienced her own debilitating health issues and spent many years on a journey to regain her health, after having been bed ridden for 7 years. This led to further training at the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied Nutritional Therapy and later went on to study Live and Dry Blood Microscopy. Shireen has also completed training to an advanced level in Dr Klinghardt’s Autonomic Response Testing, Thought Field Therapy and Psych-Kinseology.
Alongside working with clients, Shireen is also a Clinical Supervisor for the College of Naturopathic Medicine and a mentor for Holistic Practitioners and Students.
Shireen believes everyone was born to reach their full potential supported by optimal health, emotional stability and a phenomenal mindset; determined in her practise to guide her clients to create the space to manifest a supportive lifestyle and environment. Through her clinic ‘Intrinsic Wellness,’ a business she created to help empower, educate, and reconnect her clients back to their deserved right to feel well - emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically. By using a multi faceted approach Shireen has a unique insight and ability to be able to help clients with complex cases using her dynamic 360° outlook and helping to create harmony between the mind, body, spirit and environment.