The greatest discovery of the 19th century was not in the realm of the physical sciences,but the power of the subconscious mind touched by faith. Any individual can tap into an eternal reservoir of power that will enable them to overcome any problem that may arise. All weaknesses can be overcome, bodily healing, financial independence, spiritual awakening, prosperity beyond your wildest dreams.This is the superstructure of happiness.
~ William James (Professor of Psychology, Harvard University)
Throughout life we are subjected to events that, seemingly, we have little or no control over. Being badly treated as a child, loss of a loved one, career setbacks, relationship breakdown, severe illness, accidents, the list goes on. As a consequence we sometimes do not process experiences completely so our mental and emotional programming becomes distorted. When the essence of an experience is not absorbed into our "core program" it can go on influencing the way we think and act as if that experience is still happening. As we progress through life these incompletely processed experiences become less and less relevant to who we currently are but still exert a disproportionate influence on each and every new experience we have. We get caught up with the tide of life and don't get a chance to stop and evaluate who we really are.
Do you think it is possible to go through life and totally live every experience, absorb the essence of that experience and let go of what is irrelevant? If you could, you would know who you are and where you fit into the scheme of things at all times. You would therefore have no internal conflict. You would attract and interact with people in a harmonious way and attract life situations that are just right for you. This does not mean there would be no challenges in life, challenges are what allow us to learn and grow and when we are balanced we face those challenges with a calm certainty that all's right with the world and our place in it.
The very latest neurobiological research is showing that one of the stages of sleep, the REM (rapid eye movement) state is actually running in the background all the time, not just during sleep. This REM state mechanism is what connects us with reality. It is constantly scanning our environment and at phenomenal speed metaphorically matches what's going on around us to the most similar existing data we have stored from past experiences. Because this scanning is primarily programmed for our survival, it has a propensity to be alert to potential threats. The "stress" that so many people suffer in our busy complex society is partly due to our "fight, flight, freeze" mechanism being erroneously activated. We do have elaborate feed back loops that allow us to consciously edit and update this stored data to keep it relevant but sometimes this editing/updating doesn't work very efficiently. Research is also showing that when we focus more attention to something the brain responds by making the relevant neurons more active. For instance violin players have more active neurons in the area of the brain responsible for moving the fingers of the left hand. The brain will even engage neurons from surrounding parts when necessary to help out with the extra demand for processing capacity. As the violinist practices he/she becomes more proficient, the response speed activating the fingers gets faster and more automatic. This is a positive example. The brain is just as efficient increasing speed and activity for negative pursuits when enough attention, conscious or unconscious is given. People suffer from anxiety disorders, depression, compulsive disorders etc mostly because they are inaccurately matching situations to data that is not relevant."We don't see life as it is, we see life as we are" and if we are mis-matching then our representation of reality becomes distorted. Life can get pretty difficult to navigate and can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, anxiety, fear, anger, timidity etc begin to fill our lives instead of our natural birthright of calmness, self confidence and joy.
Something even more exciting to come from research is that we have far more control of our selves than had been previously thought. It used to be thought that once the brain had finished developing it was set and could not be changed. It is now known this concept is false. Neuroplasticity is a term used to explain how the neural networks within the brain can be rearranged to accommodate changes we want to make in our lives. And yes, there is something within us that can exert influence over the biological function of the brain. This "will", (some might call it our soul) cannot be physically detected but is undeniably an active, if not dominant part of who and what we are. Understanding that mindful application of will can actually alter the physical structure of our brains makes it possible for us to reassert control over our lives. Learning a variety of new skills, improving existing ones or even relearning how to use a limb after injury or stroke is possible. Not easy, but biologically possible.
Directing our will for the purpose of positive change works most efficiently when we are in a deeply relaxed state. The combinations of energetic psychology techniques i use are tailored to suit each client and always lead to profound change. These techniques may include aspects of psychotherapy, open counselling, hypnotherapy, Re-Emergence Therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming.
My role as therapist is to assist you to be rid of any limiting thought processes and habit patterns, integrate all levels of consciousness and re-balance your bioenergetic fields. I will also teach you techniques to make sure you keep moving forward and don't slip back into old habit patterns. This is all about regaining power, growing in knowledge, broadening horizons and expansion of consciousness.
Whatever is holding you back from fully engaging in life, be it unwanted habits, self confidence, phobias, general anxiety and depression, chronic pain, debilitating degenerative ailments, trauma (past or present), there is a way forward. By integrating cognition we can come to a better understanding of who we really are, begin to use our instincts, emotions, intellect and intuition more appropriately and effectively. We find we have more energy, our lives become more peaceful, productive, joyful and in tune. The more balanced we become the more we resonate harmoniously within our environment, this not only benefits us but everyone we interact with. Some would claim we also become capable of constructively affecting the physical environment around us as well. You will have to discover for yourself whether this is true.