Clinical psychologist, EMDR consultant and yoga teacher in Boulder, Colorado. Author of The Complex PTSD Workbook and EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology; writes on trauma, attachment and the nervous system.
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Their wordsPolyvagal theory provided me with a coherent framework for understanding why cognitive insight alone often fails when a nervous system is in defensive dominance. In such states, higher-order cortical processes are functionally constrained.
Their wordsWhen the brain is able to communicate between the left and right hemispheres, you are better able to recognize your emotions and communicate them to others.
Their wordsTherapists must emphasize the importance of resource development and careful pacing of EMDR Therapy so that clients feel safe in the present moment.
Feeling with someone is not the same as telling them their feelings are valid. Empathy can be chosen, and a therapist who only validates stops being a companion.