Counseling with holistic therapy!

Therapists have a duty to avoid abandoning their clients. When I read Harold's story, I was aghast by the heartless treatment he received. Disappearing therapists are a no go!

Countertransference is part of the therapy business. It is up to the therapist to make sure that their own issues do not interfere with the client's work.

The tragedy is that this can be a bit of a slippery slope. Some therapists are overinvested in their "expertise" :-(

The good news is that others are skilled at checking in around the impact of their words and how things are going for you in the session. In this case, everything is up for conversation.

Sadly, clients tend to make it all about themselves rather than the therapist's own stuff (We're actually wired for this survival pattern.). Personalizing puts them at further risk of relapse or recycling old patterns aka triggers.

Ironically, that's what often brings us to therapy...we have a hard time advocating for ourselves.

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Can we learn from childhood emotional meltdowns? Oct 09, 2011

You may have heard that everything we need to know in life is learned in kindergarten. And it's true. We can learn a lot about ourselves and what we need from the mouths of babes. Be kind. Listen. Play fair. However, there's much more and it has to do with how the brain learns in childhood.

These lessons play forward in so many ways as we enter into adulthood. I invite you to listen deeply into my conversation with Kathy. Our youngest teachers illustrate fundamental truths about the nature of our social brain.

...because it's all about connection!

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Hugs in Therapy? Apr 27, 2011

It's been my experience that no subject strikes more fear in therapists' minds than the idea of physical contact in psychotherapy.

Sadly, few therapists are even familiar with the concept of therapeutic touch. There's virtually no standard training and the guidelines that exist are so intimidating that they easily discourage most therapists who would otherwise consider using touch therapeutically.

And what does therapeutic touch entail? Everyone imagines the worse. Is it shaking hands? Giving a routine hug at the end of a session? Is it a gentle holding during an intense emotional episode?

Yet, neuroscience reveals that the development of our lifelong emotional patterning is deeply impacted by physical contact in our earliest years.

Can we change fundamental aspects of our emotions without the use of touch? Should therapists be trained in the use of touch?

Will the day come when it'd be unethical not to be so trained?

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a welcome message from Dr Suzanne Lacombe

Dr. LaCombe, Counseling and Holistic Therapy Editor
Last updated by
Dr. Suzanne LaCombe

on May 11, 2012.

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Thanks for dropping by!

What if there were a way…

To feel more alive,

To feel as a child, full of wonder and joy,

To realize that the future is limited only by the strength of your desire,

To discover your life’s purpose, at last?

Yes there is a way...

Hi! I'm Dr. Suzanne LaCombe,

We feel pretty inspired at MyShrink. We see counseling, as holistic therapy, a non-drug approach for both mind and body.

Sound far-fetched?

Well, decades of neuroscience research make it clear--the brain and nervous system can be changed through counseling, the kind of counseling that addresses both the mind and body as a single entity. This approach--classed as a form of holistic therapy--gives as much attention to the physical aspect of the client as the mental and the emotional.

Holistic therapy goes beyond what regular talk therapies alone could possibly deliver. Holistic therapy takes advantage of new neuroscience insights and rejects the notion that the mind and body are separate.

Indeed, by integrating biology with psychology, these insights are driving a paradigm shift in the clinical practice of counseling.

This shift in emphasis highlights the importance of attunement between the client and therapist. And, how can attunement best be achieved? We believe holistic therapy with its focus on the integration of mind body spirit, requires these aspects be embodied by the therapist.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the "body" in holistic therapy is essential for attunement to be fully attained. Holistic therapy has the theoretical and practical applications that cannot be surpassed in this respect.

We also feel that the "body" is a necessary partner in one's spiritual development. Through one's "body" enlightenment can be approached.

Bottom line - to achieve your personal goals, whether they're physical, emotional or spiritual, you must include the "body" in your counseling.

That's the basic lesson of holistic therapy, and the basic message of this counseling website.

So if you're looking for a long lasting solution to your therapeutic goals, holistic therapy may be the answer for you.

MyShrink - A Counseling Boot Camp for Clients

Think of MyShrink as a counseling boot camp, a 'how to' resource full of practical tips and advice for authentic and enduring change.

Please wander through the site, read the articles, sign up for the newsletter, share your experience, learn from our community, have fun, go crazy! (Oops, didn't mean that literally!)

Dr. Suzanne LaCombe, Counseling Psychologist
Counseling Psychologist, Dr. Suzanne LaCombe,.
Suzanne LaCombe, Ed. D., R. Psych.
Head Shrink & Editor.

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