|
Authentic Process Healing
The energy we work with in the healing of trauma
will significantly increase our ability to achieve both our individual and
collective dreams.
— Peter A. Levine
Introduction
Authentic Process Therapy (APT) is a paradigm of psychotherapy that was
first initiated by Dr. Michael Picucci in the mid-nineties out of his
research & fieldwork at that time. Influenced by the writings of Carl
Rogers, the father of Humanistic Psychology, APT integrates body, mind,
and spirit (or nature) in the journey toward an experience of wholeness.
This therapy is also rooted in the emerging field of Energy Psychology
and new understandings of how trauma (of all kinds) affects functioning
and the ability to manifest the completeness and piece of mind that we
desire. This is well expressed by Peter A. Levine in his book Waking
the Tiger: “While life traumas are a fact of life, they do
not need to be a life sentence. In fact, trauma can be healed with appropriate
guidance and support and even become a significant force for psychological,
social, and spiritual awakening and evolution.”
Awakening our innate intelligent and healing powers
APT is deeply connected with the felt senses of the body and embraces
our innate intelligence (or inner wisdom) to heal and guide our self-realization
process. This process is addressed through a variety of healing modalities.
They are drawn from psychotherapy, bodywork therapies, new understandings
of physiology and the central nervous system, and cultural/spiritual traditions
that support us in reclaiming our emotional, spiritual, and sexual wholeness.
APT often utilizes communal healing--two or more people with shared intentions,
and without hierarchy--to provide a means for expressing and encouraging
our inherent but untapped healing powers. These healing powers awaken
and enliven us with a sense of wholeness.
Recognizing the blind spots
Once we have a sense of wholeness, we can begin to notice areas in which
that experience is blocked for us. Perhaps we are blocked because some
areas are too painful to examine and include in with the rest of our life.
Some of these roadblocks might include a lack of connection with ourselves
and the world around us, an absence of community or an inability to communicate
with others in order to get our needs met. Addiction (in its many forms)--which
is the way many people today cover up emotional pain--is perhaps the most
common wedge between us and the truth of things. However, there are countless
more subtle forms of personal and cultural addiction most people never
notice. They end up as roadblocks to holism because their purpose is to
distract us from what’s inside of us emotionally and spiritually.
Overcoming the barriers
One very significant block is the split we believe exists between spirit
(love) and sexuality. It not only separates us from our significant others,
our spouses and loved ones, but separates us from our bodies and from
the natural world as well. It is a major detour on the road to holism.
It adds to the repression of our shadow self (the dumping ground for the
parts of our personality we disown or hide), and to the separation of
the body, mind, and spirit. This can lead to shame, and poor grounding
of personal energy, which are roadblocks in themselves.
Other barriers include illness, unawareness of psycho-spiritual principles,
lack of respect for self and/or others, cultural pain, repressed trauma,
depression and anxiety, confusing adult and childhood needs, and censoring
our own inner voices, in ways that do not serve us.
Authentic Process Therapy starts from an awareness of innate health and
completeness, and then dissolves barriers we may have to fully experiencing
this.
|
