Our true nature is like a precious jewel ~
although it may be temporarily buried in the mud,
it remains completely brilliant and unaffected.
We simply have to uncover it.
~~ Pema Chodron
Change is in the air. You can feel it and see it! The shifting seasons in the North East have recognizable cycles and patterns and during the transition to Autumn, the wind becomes more brisk, temperatures cool, the sun rises later and sets earlier as the contrast between light (Yang) and dark (Yin) is more evident. The Earth moves along her path towards the quiet and stillness of Winter, as the trees drop their colorful leaves in the practice of letting go and surrendering to the cycle and pattern of The Way of Nature. In a little over a week, the Equinox will occur on September 23, signifying once again a moment of perfect balance between Yin and Yang.
We humans are also part of the environment and the Way of Nature. The Taoist perspective encourages us to live in harmony and rhythm with the seasons to maintain balance and support our health. Chinese Medicine theory says Autumn is the time of the Lung and the Large Intestine, and this season encourages us to let go and release all that which no longer supports us. This might refer to a relationship, a habit or pattern of reaction that stands in our way of growth and healing. Autumn is a time of preparing for the inward incubation of Winter, the ultimate season of Yin and offers us the perfect opportunity to evaluate our thoughts, consider our dreams and desires and establish some space for manifestation.
Change is in the air for my practice as well. Chinese medicine will continue to be the foundation, with acupuncture and herbal formulas as the mainstay for supporting health and wellness. I am expanding my offerings to incorporate my years of training and experience in hypnosis and mind/body medicine to better serve my patients. People typically seek treatment because they need support and something needs to change in order for them to feel better. But making changes on the outside, like choosing different foods to eat, incorporating new exercise routines, or practicing mindfulness, all begin with best intentions and yet patients report challenges with continuing the long term commitment. Why is that? While some might think it is simply a matter of willpower, or lack thereof, neuroscience research begs to differ!! Change for any of us is a challenge, because while change might be needed, or even wanted, no amount of intervention can manage long term results without addressing the unconscious mind and the programming that is running behind the scenes.
That is why I am introducing another level of support in the practice by incorporating integrative coaching and change work. As many of you know, I am fascinated by the brain, the unconscious mind and its capabilities, and have been a curious and avid student of the mind/body connection for the better part of 35 years. Introducing supportive techniques to share with patients so they too can have tools to reinforce their inner work of change and growth is one of my passions.
Integrative coaching and change work is simply this: integrating and blending all factors required for change that will be meaningful and sustainable. Specifically, that includes factors that impact our conscious mind, our unconscious (subconscious) mind, our emotional wiring and our somatic “in the body” responses. This inclusive approach makes for fast and lasting change while also equipping the person with tools and techniques to utilize for change practices between sessions and beyond.
Integrative coaching and change work incorporates brain neuroplasticity techniques – including gentle and effective hypnosis – to not only help you change what you think about yourself and your circumstances but support you as you change how you feel and act as well. This transformation is created by you – as a reminder that you DO have choices, you DO have the power and ability to shift and change – which ultimately impacts your health and well-being on every level, and within every relationship.
WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?
It is actually a naturally occurring state of highly focused attention, and many of us can easily access this state during our day to day life. When was the last time you drove a familiar route to work and suddenly you arrive, but you don’t remember all the moments in between point A and point B? Or how about when you last saw a movie and got caught up in the suspense, the mystery, the joy of suspending disbelief for a period of time while you watch the screen in front of you. That is hypnosis – a naturally occurring state of highly focused attention, no stage performances or manipulation involved!!!
Coaching the unconscious mind combines rapid change techniques from all different disciplines and brings them together for a comprehensive and transformative system of change work. Traditional life coaching programs focus on working with the limited conscious mind – which can be very helpful for a beginning approach to self understanding. Integrative change work teaches you how to access the adaptive unconscious, where all those habituated patterns of limited beliefs and behaviors reside.
This change work incorporates a synthesis of Ericksonian Hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Cognitive Behavioral and Energy Psychology as well as techniques developed by utilizing the most updated research in Neuroscience and Mind/Body medicine. Working within these foundations allows for internal strategies that are aligned and congruent with the person’s values and desire for life changes.
Neuroscience research indicates that between 5-10% of everything we do is conscious. Yes, that means how we engage in the world and with each other and how we utilize our filters for taking in information is only 5-10% conscious. Does that surprise you? This data also means that between 90-95% of everything we experience every day is UNCONSCIOUS. We go through our daily life on auto-pilot, using patterns of thought and action built into our brain from early childhood experiences up until today and we are pretty much unaware of that background chatter. Imagine this: you are operating with a system built to run in the background, and you’ve not really considered an update, an upgrade or a total overhaul. It’s like using a computer from 1997 in the current year of 2023. Imagine that!!!
By working with all parts of you – your conscious mind, your unconscious mind, along with your physical body and nervous system – we can go deeper and create lasting changes to support your life journey. It is possible to learn how to interrupt the patterns in our brains and rewire the old habitual thoughts (neural networks) to create supportive thought patterns. By combining neural reprogramming, self-directed neuroplasticity and therapeutic memory reconsolidation, you can access the gifts of your true nature and experience more participation in your life journey.
Welcome to the new world of possibilities!! We will continuously update the website with more information regarding how to implement these offerings into your life. In the meantime, if you want to know more about how this approach can help you on your journey, please schedule a discovery session today!!
