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Embodied Psychotherapy- Chicago

If you’ve been feeling constricted and stuck- unable to find your footing,  with your thoughts and senses on edge and agitated, or spacey and dulled-  there is a different way.

I help people feeling depressed, anxious,  in transition, or otherwise stuck- stumped by either external events or internal constrictions -  to find new ways to be present, thereby finding the way back to your full, expansive Self.

I use the word constriction consciously.  Our minds and bodies are in far greater relationship than we imagine, and the ways we brace ourselves in our bodies mirrors our minds (thoughts and emotions) and vice versa. 

This means that we can discover new and more fulfilling ways to breath, be, and take steps in our lives by paying attention to our whole selves, and by practicing new ways of responding to what we discover.

The key to finding new responses and greater ease is awareness in the present moment, or mindfulness. Ever been so engrossed in a conversation with a friend that you lose your sense of time and all you feel is the connection between you?  Practicing mindfulness, you learn to consciously cultivate that kind of full and connected attention, including towards your internal experience.  And like with your friend, the conversation usually works better when you are fully open to just seeing, hearing and understanding the other person, rather than trying to fix them or solve their problem.  That’s the magic of loving attention: you often just know what you need and what to do next when you are seen and heard fully.

Working together, you will learn to direct this kind of open, accepting attention towards parts of you that you usually hide, minimize or otherwise not listen to, as well as to parts of you that you know well and find helpful and supportive. 

  You are already whole and have the wisdom that you need to move forward in the ways that are just right for you.  Our work is to slow down and allow quiet, open space so that you can discover this truth for yourself.

For more details about what I can help you with, click on What

or contact me at vardishira@gmail.com, 608-334-2991.