has been used with trauma and panic related disorders, but more and more it is becoming a method of choice for treating all types of psychological distress, especially for creating long-term, effective change. Much to the disservice of the field of Psychology, up until just recently most counseling and therapy techniques have ignored the fact that the body has any role, solely focusing on the mind. Today there is an increasing recognition that the body & heart have intelligence. In California there are many avant-garde schools and programs that focus on study and treatment based on the intelligence of the whole.

In fact, a lot of the time, if therapy isn’t working, it is because the body’s intelligence has been left out of it. Traditional talk therapy tends to focus solely on the mind, ignoring what is going on in the heart and body. Cognitively, in your mind, you likely know that you are “good enough”, “worthy of love”, “smart enough” etc. but if the heart and or body believes a different thing you will find yourself reacting in a self-destructive way.

The unconscious can be tied to the body and heart intelligence as well as intuition. The more you align with yourself, mind, body and soul, the more you will notice your deepest truths as well as intuition.

We use Somatic Techniques in Love Therapy by getting in touch with and focusing on the messages your body is giving you. What are messages? Simply put, the particular way your body reacts. The tensions, irritations, tightness, tingling, and sensation you experience are all messages from your body. If you go back to the last argument you had with your partner, focus on how your body was feeling. Notice where you felt tightness or irritation. Was it your jaw, fists, chest, stomach?? This is your clue now… pay attention to the next time you are feeling this. It is your forewarning that you are not feeling right about something….

There is a lot that goes into what to do after you’ve discovered you’re not feeling ok, but that then leads into other aspects of Love Therapy.