Is it for me?
Sessions work at a deep level with material that has been suppressed into the unconscious and stored in the body. The pacing of work is very different for different people. Some are ready for significant transformation right from the start and others need a safe space to talk and years to make more subtle changes.
Your history and experience with therapy, your underlying trauma burden, your current level of self-awareness and embodiment and the safety and circumstances of your external life will all impact your pace of change
Integration of your traumatic material can be life-changing and significant for the body-mind to process. Suitability should be considered on an individual basis. It best suits people who are committed to a deep change or consistent work and who are resourced for that process. Find out if it's for you here.
This therapy is for you if you're resourced and ready to take responsibility for yourself and your life.
Sessions are particularly suitable for people who are looking to understand themselves at a deeper level, increase in consciousness and resolve intimacy issues or long held patterns that no longer serve you. This can, but doesn't have to include around sexual intimacy.
It's great if you're in a reasonable state of health, functioning sufficiently to hold down employment or study and to maintain at least a couple of close relationships.
It's great if life is generally working and you're open to improvement in certain areas, especially relational; perhaps finding aspects of your intimate life a little overwhelming or absent and experiencing a desire for a more fulfilling and enjoyable sex life or relationship with yourself.
If you're experiencing active addictions, medicating for depression, pregnant or with a psychiatric diagnosis, bodywork will not be right for you at this time. IFS may be suitable.
Psychosexual Somatics® Therapy is not suitable for people who are experiencing high levels of numbing from their body or feelings, with a poor sense of self, with current addictive behaviours, psychiatric diagnoses (including anorexia), highly medicated or with long-term depression, pregnant, with high blood pressure, heart disease, infectious disease, in an unsafe living environment or homeless, who have just had recent surgery or who are not resourced and supported outside the therapeutic space to deal with the changes they will undergo. If you fall into this category please be aware that other modalities will be more gentle and supportive for your system at this time.
If you are pregnant, congratulations! We can happily proceed with therapy at a time when your body is not carrying the additional requirements of growing a child.
The recommended minimum age for PST therapy is 25 years old. There is no maximum.
IFS sessions are open to everyone and can work for those people who are less resourced, newer to therapy, or pregnant. However I may refer you on if your life is debilitated by addiction or if there are certain psychiatric conditions diagnosed that I feel would be better held by a specialist or more senior practitioner.
I still work with over 25s currently, largely because I do not feel experienced with teens and young adults and there are other practitioners who are more experienced in this area.
