Healing comes from different sources in trauma treatment and spirituality. 

In spirituality, the practice focuses on connecting with something outside of us. Whether it is a divine presence or grace, the spirit of a prophet or the wisdom of ancestors. Trauma healing, in turn, focuses on the healing and integration that is happening within the client. 

Many modern approaches, such as for example Richard Schwartz’ Internal Family Systems or Identity Oriented Psychotrauma Therapy of Franz Ruppert, describe traumatic split through the emergence of certain parts of personality. IFS names them as Managers and Firefighters. IOPT calls them Survival Strategies. These personality parts can be extremely functional in the context of survival. However, they may not be as useful in maintaining a normal life in a safe environment. Traumatized individual often feels trapped between these survival parts. Whether it is the inner voice that constantly criticizes or demeans, or their sub-products such as self-hatred or low self-esteem. 

It is for this reason that discipline-based approaches, even with a strong spiritual foundation, may not be helpful when applied in the context of trauma. Imposition of certain rules or strict requirements reinforces survival-related personality structures. Precisely the structures from which these rules are supposed to help release. Providing choices can help healing more than the constant imposition of a particular practice structure.

More about the principles and structure of continuous work.

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Among my local news – recently I received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer in my case).

Returning to Regular

‘Return to normal’ is important, it’s the time of stress relief: we rely on habitual in how we regulate ourselves and being in a situation internally marked as unusual is inevitably triggering our stress response systems. Leaving a period of time behind is also a good moment to summarize the losses and gains of the pandemic. For some this period had taken a heavy toll of losses and grief, others were less affected. It’s unlikely that anyone among us has had a completely regular year.

Some of the plans are abandoned, others are now emerging. Some past activities are forgotten, and new options are available. The virus and its consequences, when something is lost forever or became obsolete are, in fact, also clearing the space for the new, and maybe it’s a good moment to think about it. 

Finding new opportunities, discovering new resources turns to be easier when the burden of habitual ways and solutions is left behind. What we need in the moments of change is having some peace within ourselves. 

The studio is open. If you schedule a session of Craniosacral Therapy, Integrative Bodywork, or a Systemic/Family Constellation, please come 5 mins before the session (not earlier): the intervals between sessions are slightly larger though it takes some time to disinfect the surfaces in the studio before your session. 

Schedule an Appointment

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Who really benefits from the limitations related to actual pandemic are the plants in my studio in Mile End. I wonder if it’s my almost constant presence that supports their growth.

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First of all, I wish you be close to your loved ones and have a good support circle of people with whom you feel safe. 

I will still provide services, provincial regulations allow to keep the studio open.

Availability

Sessions of work with Stress and Trauma are available both in-person and online. 

Systemic and Family Constellation work could be received online and in-person, in one-on-one setting.

Craniosacral Therapy and Integrative Bodywork I continue to offer in my studio in Mile End. 

Please don’t hesitate to call 514-239-65-32 and ask about any of the options available. 

Important Note: Curfew

Due to the curfew restriction evening in-person sessions schedule will be limited so that to end any particular session until 7pm. Please organize your time with care – you will need to return home before 8pm.

Janvier: restrictions et horaire

Demain, la province de Québec entrera dans le nouveau cycle des restrictions.

Tout d’abord, je vous souhaite d’être avec vos proches et d’avoir un bon cercle de soutien de personnes avec qui vous vous sentez en sécurité.

Je continuerai de fournir des services. Les règlements provinciaux permettent de garder le studio ouvert.

Disponibilité

Des séances de travail avec Stress and Trauma sont disponibles en personne et en ligne.

Les constellations systémiques et familiales sont également disponibles en ligne et en personne, dans un cadre individuel.

Thérapie corporelle en personne et thérapie cranoïo-sacrée que je continue d’offrir dans mon studio du Mile End.

N’hésitez pas à appeler le 514-239-65-32 et à vous renseigner sur l’une des options disponibles. Veuillez noter que je travaille en anglais

Remarque importante: couvre-feu

En raison de la restriction du couvre-feu, l’horaire des séances en personne du soir sera limité à la fin d’une séance en particulier jusqu’à 19 h. Veuillez organiser votre temps avec soin – vous devrez rentrer chez vous avant 20 heures.

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At the very beginning of the year, I intend to take some rest.
I will be available for appointments from 4th or 5th January. Online sessions (Systemic Constellations, or sessions dedicated to dealing with stress and trauma) can be scheduled in the same way as face-to-face works (CranioSacral Therapy, Integrative Bodywork, Systemic and Family Constellations). Please note that this time the lockdown in Quebec does not apply to helping practitioners.

To contact me (starting January 3rd) please call 514-239-65-32 or use the contact form

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I still perform Integrative Bodywork and Craniosacral Therapy sessions in person in the studio, though if you feel like working with your state, calm some manifestations of stress, I am available for online sessions, too. Systemic Constellations in one-on-one setting are offered via Zoom or Skype, as well.

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Though there is something in the present that is changing. A wonderful group in Systemic Ritual I have attended yesterday, with the work related to present and past, soul and matter: first ever online group that was facilitated by Daan Van Kampenhout, a researcher and master of Shamanic practice of immense authority for me. Streaming from Daan’s home in Amsterdam. Recently I also finished watching a recording of the (again, first ever) online seminar of Jan Jacob Stam, the founder of Systemic Coaching. During the event he said that for the last eight years he avoided touching the computer. Anna Evstratova-Strougalskaya, an amazing facilitator through whom I got introduced to Family and Systemic Constellations work, started her online workshops a month earlier. When I have time, I join singing classes with Polina Shepherd, one of my favourite vocalists, streaming from her house in UK. None of these masters would do anything like this on the Internet earlier.

This is new for us. I feel as if my home is expanding in various directions simultaneously. There is no “annual” schedule due to COVID, the “today-tomorrow-the-day-after-tomorrow” timing scale prevails. This weekend I rejected an option to apply for a month and a half Trauma work supervision with Bessel Van Der Kolk, the key figure in modern trauma therapy. I would not even imagine such a choice half a year ago: now I study with Bessel online and it’s an available option. Somehow the world has changed. I need to find ways to manage my resources accordingly—to keep some energy for myself. Sometimes, it seems, a quality of a kind of internal mobility and slight amoebicity is required. When the right moment comes— I would extend a pseudopodia to catch what’s worth it. Then I keep calm until the next good moment. Gems of various kinds emerge here and there. Will it keep going like this after the Corona time is over? Probably to some extent, this will remain. Feeling curious.

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