The Counselling Process
Many men are unhappy or uneasy, stressed or dissatisfied but are unable to put their finger on the cause. Quite often they are struggling to live the right way, because they are living by someone-else’s ideas and standards which are entirely wrong for them. We offer a unique combination of Counselling, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy and NLP to rapidly free people from such feelings.
These methods have proven effective for many men with diagnosed or undiagnosed depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other stress and anxiety problems. Most of them have been surprised to see how rapidly their symptoms can be eliminated, and many have been pleased to find themselves no longer dependant on medications.
Whether you have been diagnosed with an emotional disorder, or are simply feeling a bit lost, we have a solution that will work for you.
Four levels of Transformation
The Heart Mind Spirit Therapies approach works on four levels:
The first level is problem solving. The focus is on your life situation and the resources you have available. This is what many people would call Solution-Focussed Counselling. The tools we use are goal setting, brainstorming, creative thinking, planning and time management. This is often all that is needed when a person has an identifiable problem to deal with.
The second level involves Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Therapy. Here we begin to explore the relationship between the inner world and the outer world, looking at specific emotional blockages that relate to the problem at hand. This will require you to delve into areas that cause discomfort; you will have to change who you are to change what you do. This level is often effective for dealing with specific emotional or relationship issues.
The third level is Psychotherapy, where we go beyond the immediate problem and look at the healing of deep wounds in the psyche and explore how you see yourself and the world around you. This requires a commitment of time as well as a deep level of honesty. It is at this level that true transformation occurs in people’s lives. This is often necessary for dealing with long term issues like depression, dissatisfaction with life or deep unhappiness.
The fourth level is Spiritual or Transpersonal Healing, where we look beyond the individual. This does not require any specific religious beliefs, it simply requires a willingness to acknowledge that there is more to life than meets the eye, that there may be a purpose or meaning in events that can only be understood when viewed from a larger perspective. The basic question of spirituality is not about beliefs or Gods, but about where I fit into the world, and what this means for my life.
There doesn’t tend to be sharp distinctions between these levels. Most people begin at level one, and we work down through the levels to the required depth, then end up back at problem solving. Some people come straight in at level three, as their wounds have been ‘cracked open’ by life events. As each person is unique, so each person’s journey is unique.
Trauma and Emotional Release – the Wisdom of the Body
Sometimes the most effective way to release and resolve emotional and personal issues isn’t through ‘talk-based’ therapy, but by working directly with the body. This is true because emotional reactions and psychological traumas also have a physical (psychosomatic) component. Old, unresolved feelings and behavioural habits can become locked into our muscular patterns, our postures, the pattern of our breath and the way we move our body. These techniques can be highly effective remedies for the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety.
Traditions based on these patterns seem to be as old as man and thus are reflected in the Shamanic healing traditions of many cultures. In recent times, Western research into the body/mind connection has shown the benefits of these methods, and several therapy traditions have been developed, such as Holotropic Breathwork, Bioenergetic Therapy and Somatic Trauma Release.
Marcus has trained and been initiated as a Shaman and has also trained in several Western body-oriented therapeutic methods. Drawing on both ancient and modern traditions, we offer the following body and breath-based healing approaches for men.
Somatic Release Work
Drawing on breathwork, bioenergetics, and Shamanic bodywork, somatic release work uses movement, breath and sound to bring old emotions, traumas and habits to the surface and through awareness and expression allows them to be resolved and released. This can effectively clear patterns we have been carrying since birth, or since childhood, and can also be helpful for people with Post-Traumatic Stress symptoms.
Shamanic Breathwork
Inspired by the work of Stan Grof and shaped by traditions of Shamanic journeying, Shamanic Breathwork uses breath, trance and music to take the mind into an altered state in which powerful healing experiences tend to occur. Insights into our personal history, and symbolic and archetypal visionary experiences lead to shifts in our relationship with ourselves and our world. Profound and sometimes life changing experiences often occur in these sessions.