Healing through the Body and Fragmentation of the Self in Complex Trauma with Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

CPD

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Speaker

Esther Perez, MA, LMFT Related seminars and products

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Esther Perez, MA, LMFT, obtained an MA in Counseling Psychology and an MA in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, CA. As a bilingual Senior Trainer for the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, Esther currently teaches across Europe. As a consummate learner-teacher, Esther has committed herself to deeply integrating a number of modalities supported in the emerging research on neuroscience and attachment. Embodying the spirit of Unity, one of the core foundations of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy®, Esther studies how Sensorimotor Psychotherapy® intersects with EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and Mentalization Based Treatment. Esther uses her learning to inform her work with adults, adopted children and adolescents with attachment related issues, complex trauma and dissociation in her private practice in Malaga, Spain in addition to consulting with graduates of various levels from the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy® trainings.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Esther Perez maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Esther Perez is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist, the European Society for Trauma and Dissociation, Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Andalucía Oriental, the International Attachment Network España, and EMDR-Spain.

Objectives

1. Categorize indicators of different dissociative parts or self-states associated with complex trauma presentations.
2. Utilize sensorimotor psychotherapy skills to foster integration of the self in therapy clients.
3. Execute skills to effectively identify and integrate internal conflicts between parts.
4. Demonstrate the use of externalized mindfulness techniques with the use of sand tray art.
5. Organize sensorimotor skills to facilitate the development of secure attachments and integration of the self.
6. Evaluate factors which may inhibit attachment repair in clients with attachment phobias so that healing may occur.

Outline

• Learn how people “remember” past trauma through reliving non-verbal iterations of these events or through the development of unexplained physical symptoms  
• Gain exposure to how unexplained memories are situationally accessible within the body
• Review neuroscience research to tap the body’s wisdom and capacity for healing
• Learn why sensorimotor psychotherapy relies upon the use of body work rather than verbal psychotherapy to stabilize arousal
• Learn about the deleterious effects of structural dissociation of the personality
• View demonstrations of working “on the edge” of regulatory boundaries of the window of tolerance to promote healing
• Understand why hyperarousal or hypo-arousal will inhibit integration
• Understand the system of somatic organization of dissociative parts and how to help clients access this system and experience their various parts
• Learn how to help clients become curious about core fears and their protective strategies
• Learn different levels of systemic intervention to promote healing
• View a description of the use of mindfulness techniques using sand tray art
• Understand the process of integration as described by Daniel Siegel
• Learn about a variety of dissociative phobias which may be present in clients with traumatic memories
• Gain exposure to neuroregulatory intervention skills 
• Learn how trauma related internal conflict between parts can be addressed in sensorimotor psychotherapy    
• Learn why sensorimotor psychotherapy focuses on clients building empathy and attunement to their parts rather than centering on development of attachment to the therapist 
• Learn about improvement in the development of earned secure attachments
• Observe the presenter guide clients to shift from self-alienation to self-compassion through greater awareness of their parts 

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Nurses
• Physicians
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Other Mental Health Professionals

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