What is asking for your attention?
Neurodiversity
Consistent cycles of burn out or "crash out". Sensitivity to rejection but desperately wanting closeness. Feeling irritable or frustrated, and then someone turns that music off and suddenly things feel...better. Struggling with consistent productivity and engagement at work. Making plans with friends when you had capacity but now, well, you don't. Whether you have a formal ADHD, autism, or AuDHD diagnosis, or simply suspect you have some traits, I will sit with you and sort through what you notice and what that means for you as a unique individual, not as a label.
Stress and anxiety
Something new and unexpected can bring happiness or relief (or really any pleasant feeling), but it can also bring unknowns. And unknowns can be, evolutionarily speaking, anything from stressful to terrifying. Our brains and bodies are both human and animal, and the animal parts of us can perceive something unknown as something to fear, and fear can take many forms in our bodies. Fight, flight, freeze, fawn, flock - all of these are phases we may default to, but we can also identify and move through them together.
Relationship concerns
Maybe you're part of a couple looking for support in a hard time. Maybe you're having a fight with a friend or family member. Or maybe you're an adult wondering what to do about your parents. I will support you through empathic, active listening to help you sort through your values and priorities, and learn to better communicate what needs to be said to those you love most - without compromising yourself - in a way they can hear and understand.
Sense of self
Sometimes we question our understanding of self because one day we look at ourselves and think, "Is this really who I am?", like we're wading slowly into a pool and exploring with curiosity or concern. Sometimes that question is thrust upon us when we've stopped prioritizing what we care about, even when we care deeply, because we have nothing left to give to ourselves or anyone else - it becomes urgent because we're drowning.
Regardless of how you got here, I will first work to understand your existing relationship to yourself. Then together we can identify where you feel drawn to explore.
The curious approach
"Okay but how will dance/movement therapy help me?"
Dance/movement therapy is an expressive therapy that fosters self-exploration and personal growth. It's a process where we can slow down a present concern together and gain awareness of what's happening in your body in that very moment by engaging in curiosity about the parts surrounding it.
Some questions I might ask you in a session are: What old stories or patterns do you notice coming up around this? What rhythms do you find yourself stuck in? What in general gives you capacity, and what takes it away? What rhythms and rituals bring you feelings of support? What parts of you light up around someone or when doing a favorite activity?
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Your answers to those questions may come verbally, but they may come as sensations, or movements and gestures, or a welling behind your eyes, too. Any and all answers are welcome and help reveal the bigger picture of all of the parts of you and your life - the parts of you that you want to protect and breathe life into.
And once you have that embodied understanding, then you can incorporate meaningful, impactful change. Maybe it'll look like finally letting go of that person who only takes and never gives. Maybe you can better protect your capacity from sensory or executive overwhelm. Maybe you find yourself reading for fun again, or trying to bake because "why not".
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Whatever actions you decide to do, they will be meaningful because they're not just skills from a toolbox - they're steps you're taking to truly be your authentic self.
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