Taking the Connection Deeper

I have become increasingly aware of my wish to deepen emotional connectivity in my home and work life. I am more aware that somatic experiences can guide me to my emotions and similarly physical experiences are guiding me to my emotions. This is something described by the SPACE model offered by psychological coaching however not something I have found easy to embody.

This has really led me to attune, listen and focus more on others messages both verbal and non verbal. It has challenged me to voice some of my emotional hunches and name a few unspoken elephants both personally and within a therapeutic context.

I have noticed that connecting with feelings is complex. For some clients, the fear of being overwhelmed by feelings inhibits connecting with emotions, for others there is no sense of feeling at all and when extreme leads to dissociation. I feel more confident in voicing my experience when I notice clients withdrawing or indeed if I am disconnecting.

Within the therapy room, guided by some of Pat Ogden’s Sensorimotor psychotherapy work, I attune to my voice, eye contact and bodily position and invite clients into this relational space. My intention is to create a safe enough space that unvoiced parts are met safely and with sufficient emotional support and tools to manage this. As the research develops, Allan Schore (2011) is demonstrating that it is our emotional right brain, right brain connections that create true long lasting changes with clients.

It is my responsibility to deepen that process in my life too and model it both personally and professionally.