ReIntegrative Therapy

History:

ReIntegrative Therapy grew out of the combined desires of psychotherapist, Roby Abeles, Psy.D., and Hypnotherapist and group facilitator, Greg Moran, to combine the best, most effective therapies they had studied and practiced over the past 25 years with their psychological, neuro-phsyiological, somatic and philosophical knowledge to create one powerful, dynamic process.

Integration – creates the subjective experience of self. It is created by the mind according to all the information and energy we come into contact with in different contexts over time.

According to Dan Siegel, “Integration can be proposed to be a key process that influences the trajectory of developmental pathways toward resilience or toward vulnerability.” (The Developing Mind,1999, p. 316)

The problem was not that their clients lacked integration. They noticed that their clients were extremely integrated in their beliefs and patterns and that this integration was no longer serving them and in most cases it was working against the goals and dreams they had for themselves as adults. It had made them vulnerable rather than resilient.

Their work focused on exploring and identifying exactly what had been integrated into their client’s ‘hard wiring’ during the years they spent in their family of origin and then deconstructing, exploring, processing and ReIntegrating updated, self-supportive beliefs, patterns and behaviours which results in an increase in resilience as well as improved functioning on all levels.

ReIntegrative Therapy reflects the following beliefs:

  • We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.
  • All events that are taking place or have taken place are for our advancement, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually – no matter how cruel or difficult they are or have been.
  • For an issue to be fully resolved it needs to be addressed and Re-Integrated on all four levels of consciousness, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.
  • The Bodymind has the ability to heal itself under the right circumstances.
  • Psychopathology and/or “psychological stuckness” is the result of frozen or suppressed energy which needs to be felt and moved for healing to occur.
  • Earth is a school, we are all enrolled, and we will all graduate at some point.
  • Practitioners of Re-Integrative therapy are not healers, they are conduits for the energy of The Universe to work through them for the highest good of all the participants they are working with.

ReIntegrative Therapy is primarily done in a group format where the group’s unique energy guides the process. Even though participants may not know one another, the energies they bring are familiar to some others and it is through this recognition of an old, familiar energy – positive or negative, that issues are brought to the surface to be addressed.

Individual therapy does not have the benefit of the participant being in a space with several others who remind them of the people with whom they have unhealed issues. Rather than the client only projecting his or her issues onto the therapist, they can project onto a dozen or more people thus expanding the potential for meaningful, unresolved past relational issues to be addressed. The transference process is magnified by the presence of other participants.

ReIntegrative Therapy involves a combination of healing modalities, each is chosen for its ability to address the participant’s exact needs in each moment on each of four levels ~ physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

We have chosen the following therapies to utilise in this model:

  • EXPERIENTAL THERAPY+

    Linked to existential psychotherapy, which holds that one makes and changes oneself in present living, experiential psychotherapy and ''focusing'' gets into direct touch with the concrete level, where troubles are said to actually exist. Therapists try to establish a ''felt sense'' within their clients in order to create a more holistic sense of a problem or unresolved situation.

  • GESTALT+

    Gestalt Therapy is an existential and experiential psychotherapy that focuses on the individual's experience in the present moment, the therapist-client relationship, the environmental and social contexts in which these things take place, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of the overall situation. It emphasizes personal responsibility. Gestalt Therapy was co-founded by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman in the 1940s–1950s.

    Gestalt therapy is a method of awareness, by which perceiving, feeling, and acting are understood to be separate from interpreting, explaining and judging using old attitudes. This distinction between direct experience and indirect or secondary interpretation is developed in the process of therapy. The client learns to become aware of what they are doing psychologically and how they can change it. By becoming aware of and transforming their process they develop self acceptance and the ability to experience more in the "now" without so much interference from baggage of the past.

  • BOWENIA FAMILY SYSTEMS+

    Exploring your family diagram is the first step in the family systems approach to therapy. Family Systems Theory was introduced to the world by Dr. Murry Bowen in the 1950's. Seen by family therapists as radical at the time, it is now considered to be one of the best ways to help and heal family and personal troubles. If you're a fan of John Bradshaw, you've been exposed to Family Systems Theory, for much of his teaching comes from this approach.

    Dr. Bowen was the first to recognize that a family, or any group for that matter, was greater than the sum of its parts. He saw that families generate an entire field of energy that impacts on every member in it. Patterns of abuse in families are often many generations old, and it is this family energy field that contributes to the problem. If you were abused in your family, you can be sure that you are not the only one; you probably have uncles, cousins, grandparents, even great-great-great grandparents who were also abused.

    The energy surrounding any family has stability and reduction of tension as its primary goal. Each member of the family has his or her role to play, and there are very powerful pressures on each individual to maintain that role in order to preserve the stability of the family unit. Often when we feel unexplainable anxiety in regards to making a step forward it is because our proposed growth will take us out of the roles assigned to us within our families.

    These roles remain fairly well carved in stone even if we have little or no contact with our families. For example, it's been noted that, in general, the first child will acquire the values and goals of the parents, the second child will acquire the griefs of the parents, the third child will acquire the unresolved conflicts between the parents, and the fourth child will acquire the unresolved conflicts of the entire family system; the fifth child will behave as a first child, sixth as a second, and so on.

    Bowen's theories lie in the balance/imbalance of two forces, togetherness and individuality. Fusion results from togetherness being the stronger force. Unresolved emotional attachment to one's family prevents differentiation.

    Bowen introduced 8 interlocking concepts to family theory; 1.differentiation of self
    2.triangles
    3.nuclear family emotional processes
    4.family projection process
    5.multigenerational transmission process
    6.sibling position
    7.emotional cutoff
    8.societal emotional process

  • DUAL ATTENTION STIMULUS Also Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing when indicated +

    Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) integrates elements of many effective psychotherapies in structured protocols that are designed to maximize treatment effects. These include psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, experiential, and body-centered therapies. EMDR is an information processing therapy and uses an eight phase approach.

    During EMDR the client attends to past and present experiences in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus. Then the client is instructed to let new material become the focus of the next set of dual attention. This sequence of dual attention and personal association is repeated many times in the session.

  • ROGERIAN PERSON CENTRED THERAPY+

    Carl Rogers was an influential American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology. Rogers' therapy was an extension of his theory of personality development and was known as client-centered therapy, since the basis of the therapy was designed around the client. According to Rogers each person has within them the inherent tendency to continue to grow and develop. As a result of this the individual's self-esteem and self-actualization is continually influenced. This development can only be achieved through what Rogers refers to as "unconditional positive regard."

  • PSYCHODRAMA+

    Conceived and developed by Jacob L. Moreno, MD, psychodrama employs guided dramatic action to examine problems or issues raised by an individual (psychodrama) or a group (sociodrama). Using experiential methods, sociometry, role theory, and group dynamics, psychodrama facilitates insight, personal growth, and integration on cognitive, affective, and behavioral levels. It clarifies issues, increases physical and emotional well being, enhances learning and develops new skills.

  • EXPRESSIVE ART THERAPIES Including Dance, Art, and Music+

    Dance therapy, or dance movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement (and dance) for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioural and physical conditions. It is a form of expressive therapy.
    Dance therapy is founded on the premise that the body and mind are an interrelated continuum (refer bodymind), that the state of the body may affect mental and emotional well being in manifold ways. In contrast to artistic dance, which is usually concerned with the aesthetic appearance of movement, dance therapy explores the nature of all movement. Through observing and altering the kinesthetic movements of a client, dance movement therapists diagnose and help solve various psychological problems. Dance Therapy can also work as a form of bodywork and shift and release physically stored emotion.

    Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses art materials, such as paints, chalk and markers. Art therapy combines traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques with an understanding of the psychological aspects of the creative process. The artistic process can be theraputic in itself or the end product may be subject to psychological analysis and facilitation.

    Music therapy is use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship. In other words, music therapy is the use of music by a trained professional to achieve therapeutic goals. Goal areas include, but are not limited to, motor skills, social/interpersonal development, cognitive development, self-awareness, and spiritual enhancement.

  • NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING+

     NLP is an interpersonal communication model and an alternative approach to psychotherapy based on the subjective study of language, communication and personal change. It was co-created by Richard Bandler and linguist John Grinder in the 1970s.

    Their initial focus was pragmatic, modeling three successful psychotherapists, Fritz Perls (Gestalt Therapy), Virginia Satir (Family Systems Therapy), and eventually Milton H. Erickson (Clinical Hypnosis), with the aim of discovering the successful patterns of behavior and communication which distinguished these individuals from their peers.

    NLP aims to increase behavioral choice by the manipulation of personal state, belief and internal representation either by a practitioner/trainer, or by self-application

  • PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY+

    Spiritual Psychology is the study and practice of the art and science of human evolution in consciousness. In order to fulfill this quest, we must begin by distinguishing the essence of human evolution—what does it mean to evolve? In short, it means surrendering anything in consciousness that disturbs one’s peace. It also means sacrificing our illusions of separation.

    Essentially, this “surrendering” and “sacrificing” is work that can and has been called “healing,” which includes healing on the physical, mental, and emotional levels in service to the deeper revelation of who we truly are as Loving, Peaceful, Compassionate and Joyful beings. We refer to this level of awareness as the Authentic Self.

  • PSYCHOSYNTHESIS Roberto Assagioli +

    Psychosynthesis is a developmental approach, which can help guide a person to understand the meaning of their human life within the broad context of synthesis – the drive towards the harmonisation of all relationships, whether intrapersonal, or interpersonal, between individuals and groups.

  • ENERGY PSYCHOLOGY+

    Energy Psychology (EP) is the name for a broad range of psychological treatments that utilize the human energy system. Included in this group are treatments such as Bodywork, Cranial Sacrial Therapy, BMS, Thought Field Therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique, Releasing Technique, Be Set Free Fast, Tapas Acupressure Technique and many other such therapies.

    Each of these intentionally utilizes one of the human energy systems -such as the meridian system, the chakra system or the aura system – during psychological treatment.

    As unexpressed emotional energy will store itself in various regions of our bodies any person doing hands on treatment with a client will potentially trigger emotions. Therefore if you do these treatments with the support of a skilled emotional therapist they can support and facilitate this emotional release.

     

  • JUNGIAN ARCHETYPES+

    Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, influential thinker, and founder of analytical psychology.

    Jung's emphasized understanding the psyche through exploring the worlds of dreams, art, mythology, world religion and philosophy. Although he was a theoretical psychologist and practicing clinician, much of his life's work was spent exploring other realms, including Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology, sociology, as well as literature and the arts. His most notable ideas include the concept of the Jungian archetype, the collective unconscious, and his theory of synchronicity.

    Jung emphasized the importance of balance and harmony. He cautioned that modern humans rely too heavily on science and logic and would benefit from integrating spirituality and appreciation of the unconscious realm.

    ReIntergrative Therapy works predominantly with Synchronicity (meaningful coincidence), the projection of your shadow (unconsciously repressed or unresolved feelings, instincts & beliefs) onto others, and the power of the unconscious.

  • JOSEPH CAMPBELL'S MYTHOLOGY+

    Joseph Campbell was an American mythology professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion. He relied often upon the writings of Carl Jung as an explanation of psychological phenomena, as experienced through archetypes. But Campbell did not necessarily agree with Jung upon every issue, and had very definite ideas of his own.

    A fundamental belief of Campbell's was that all spirituality is a search for the same basic, unknown force from which everything came, within which everything currently exists, and into which everything will eventually return. This elemental force is ultimately “unknowable” because it exists before words and knowledge.

    Although this basic driving force cannot be expressed in words, spiritual rituals and stories refer to the force through the use of "metaphors" - these metaphors being the various stories, deities, and objects of spirituality we see in the world. For example, the Genesis myth in the Bible ought not be taken as a literal description of actual events, but rather its poetic, metaphorical meaning should be examined for clues concerning the fundamental truths of the world and our existence.

  • REBIRTHING +

    Rebirthing is a process whereby people can relive and heal birth trauma. Like all early childhood experiences the trauma suffered during birth, and the specific nature of this trauma, can have a deep effect on one's psyche and shapes one's perception and experience of life, self and the world in ways of which one is mostly unaware (For instance, someone born by forceps delivery might rely on others to pull them out of destructive situations.)

    It is possible to gain recall of aspects of birth, gestation and early childhood and to release the accompanying emotions through conscious connected breathing; such release can generate a positive paradigm shift and life transformation based on a change in the experiences people subconsciously attract.

  • BODY CENTRED PSYCHOTHERAPIES including Assisted Self-Study of Ron Kurtz (also called Hakomi Therapy) +

    Hakomi is a gentle but powerful mindfulness-based experiential approach to self-discovery and self-healing. In its exploration and understanding of the interface of body and mind,
    Hakomi works with the whole person. Limiting habitual patterns in the body and the core beliefs that organize the way we experience life begins to change and transform. The principles and techniques of Hakomi offer a powerful framework for facilitating self-study.

    Through focused attention on present experience in all its forms (thoughts, feelings, body tensions and sensations) we can become aware of the deep habits through which we live life, and the
    beliefs that are their roots.

  • EGO-STATE THERAPY+

    Ego-State Therapy: An Overview Helen H. Watkins University of Montana.
    Ego-state therapy is a psychodynamic approach in which techniques of group and family therapy are employed to resolve conflicts between various "ego states" that constitute a "family of self" within a single individual. Although covert ego states do not normally become overt except in true multiple personality, they are hypnotically activated and made accessible for contact and communication with the therapist. Any of the behavioral, cognitive, analytic, or humanistic techniques may then be employed in a kind of internal diplomacy. Some 20 years experience with this approach has demonstrated that complex psychodynamic problems can often be resolved in a relatively short time compared to more analytic therapies.

    Theoretical Concepts
    In approaching the theoretical concepts of ego-state therapy, it is worthwhile to underscore two processes that are cogent in the development of the human personality: integration and differentiation. Through integration a child learns to put concepts together, such as dog and cat, and thus to build more complex units called animals. By differentiation the child separates general concepts into specific meaning, such as discriminating between "good doggies" and "bad doggies."

  • CRANIO SACRAL THERAPY+

    Dr William Sutherland over 100 years ago realized that cranial sutures were, in fact, designed to express small degrees of motion. He undertook many years of research during which he demonstrated the existence of this motion and eventually concluded it is essentially produced by the body's inherent life force, which he referred to as the "Breath of Life."

    Furthermore, Dr Sutherland discovered that the motion of cranial bones he first discovered is closely connected to subtle movements that involve a network of interrelated tissues and fluids at the core of the body; including cerebrospinal fluid (the 'sap in the tree'), the central nervous system, the membranes that surround the central nervous system and the sacrum.

    During the course of our lives our bodies become patterned, shaped and conditioned according to how we¹re able to deal with any stresses or traumas. If stresses or traumas are overwhelming, they become locked in the body as sites of inertia - until such a time as we are able to access resources that allow them to be processed and released. These sites of inertia effect the natural rhythmical movements of our ‘Breath of Life’ and so hinder the ability of our essential blueprint for health to manifest at a cellular level.

    Common causes of inertia are physical injuries, emotional and psychological stresses, birth trauma and toxicity. Due to an accumulation of these stresses, tissues can become imprinted with the memory of unresolved experiences and so act like video tape which may keep replaying whenever stimulated.

    The facilitated use of Cranio-Sacral Therapy and emotional release work provide a powerful healing combination.

  • ERICKSONIAN HYPNOTHERAPY +

    Milton Erickson was crippled by polio when he was 17 and taught himself to walk again. Whilst totally incapacitated he became an acute observer of human behaviour. Erickson is noted for his often unconventional approach to psychotherapy, He developed an extensive use of therapeutic metaphor and story as well as hypnosis and coined the term 'Brief Therapy' for his approach of addressing therapeutic changes in relatively few sessions.

    Erickson's use of interventions influenced the strategic therapy and family systems therapy practitioners beginning in the 1950s among them, Virginia Satir and Jay Haley. He was noted for his ability to "utilize" anything about a patient to help them change, including their beliefs, favorite words, cultural background, personal history, or even their neurotic habits.

    Through conceptualizing the unconscious as highly separate from the conscious mind, with its own awareness, interests, responses, and learning's, he taught that the unconscious mind was creative, solution-generating, and often positive.

    Erickson believed that the unconscious mind was always listening, and that, whether or not the patient was in trance, suggestions could be made which would have a hypnotic influence, as long as those suggestions found some resonance at the unconscious level. The patient can be aware of this, or can be completely oblivious that something is happening. Erickson would see if the patient would respond to one or another kind of indirect suggestion, and allow the unconscious mind to actively participate in the therapeutic process. In this way, what seemed like a normal conversation might induce a hypnotic trance, or a therapeutic change in the subject.

  • FAMILY SYSTEMS THERAPY+

    Virginia Satir is one of the key figures in the development of family therapy. She believed that a healthy family life involved an open and reciprocal sharing of affection, feelings, and love. Satir made enormous contributions to family therapy in her clinical practice and training.

    The Satir growth model is based on her belief that humans have the "ability to change, expand, and manifest growth. Along with love, discovery of and the freedom to express one's feelings and differences are major components of the model." Virginia Satir's therapeutic beliefs form the basis of her growth model. Her "growth model looks at human beings in the form of wholeness -the integration between body, mind, and spirit-the fundamental characteristic of the universe."

    The common beliefs and principles of the Satir growth model are as follows:

    1.         Change is possible.  Even if external change is limited, internal change is possible.
    2.         Parents do the best they can at any given time.
    3.         We all have the internal resources we need to cope successfully and to grow.
    4.         We have choices, especially in terms of responding to stress instead of reacting to situations.
    5.         Therapy needs to focus on health and possibilities instead of pathology.
    6.         Hope is a significant component or ingredient for change.
    7.         People connect on the basis of being similar and grow on the basis of being different.
    8.         A major goal of therapy is to become our own choice makers.
    9.         We are all manifestations of the same life force.
    10.         Most people choose familiarity over comfort, especially during times of stress.
    11.         The problem is not the problem; coping is the problem.
    12.         Feelings belong to us.  We all have them.
    13.         People are basically good.  To connect with and validate their own self-worth, they need to find their own inner treasure.
    14.         Parents often repeat the familiar patterns from their growing up times, even if the patterns are dysfunctional.
    15.         We cannot change past events, only the effects they have on us.
    16.         Appreciating and accepting the past increases our ability to manage our present.
    17.         One goal in moving toward wholeness is to accept our parental figures as people and meet them at their level of personhood rather than only in their roles.
    18.         Coping is the manifestation of our level of self-worth.  The higher our self-worth, the more wholesome our coping.
    19.         Human processes are universal and therefore occur in different settings, cultures, and circumstances.
    20.         Process is the avenue of change.  Content forms the context in which change can take place.
    21.         Congruence and high self-esteem are major goals in the Satir model.
    22.         Healthy human relationships are built on equality of value.  (Satir et al., 1991 p.16)