Dear One,

Sometimes, when I mention “doing the work,” new clients pause and ask some version of the same question: “What do you mean? Aren’t we already doing therapy?”

It’s a fair question.

I generally try to explain the difference between inventorying problems by talking, versus finding the right interventions that feel like they transform something within us.

Many of my clients have been around the therapy block before. But they have reached a plateau. They ran out of “new” things to talk about and started dreading their appointments. Because who wants to be cycling through the same content — same patterns, same heaviness, same anxiety, same stories, same problems?

So even when new clients are skeptical about my therapy pitch, they’re ready to try something different — something that isn’t going to focus on the usual problems, at least not in the way you’d expect.

Of course I want to know about your problems. But then we probably don’t have to talk about them as much as you’d think.

We can get curious and use the “presenting problem” as a trailhead that leads us into a forest of nervous system patterns, unprocessed trauma responses, and backlogged stress. But here’s the thing — plain old words won’t get us out of the forest. And sometimes too much talking can actually hold us back. However, embodied presence, somatic parts work, bilateral stimulation, and engaging the body’s suppressed nervous system reactions — and giving them a safe and reparative outlet — will usually bring us to a clearing. Easy peasy (just kidding).

Sensing ourselves beyond words takes practice. The yoga mat is a great place to befriend your body and nervous system in ways that can support your somatic skills off the mat.

I’ll be back in the studio to teach Intuitive Flow this Thursday at 5:45-7pm (in-person, livestream, or recorded). The next Befriending Stillnes: Radically Restorative Yoga workshop is coming up this Saturday, 4/25, from 6-7:30pm, in-person at JP Centre Yoga*. If you can’t join this weekend, you can sign up for the next workshop, Saturday 5/30 from 6-7:30pm.

And if you’re curious about other ways of working together, keep reading for upcoming training opportunities (like Trauma-Informed Yoga Training*), group therapy (focused on Relational OCD), and more.

Navigating life alongside you,
~ Alex

*Note: All JPCY classes and workshops offer tiered pricing + optional 50% BIPOC discount.