Services
Counseling Services
Practioners: Elizabeth Venart, Elizabeth McNamara, Jodi Schwartz-Levy, Kathleen Krol, Jeffrey Katowitz, Jen Perry
Dance/Movement Therapy
Dance is the most fundamental of the arts, involving a direct expression of one’s self through one’s body. It is an especially powerful medium for therapy. Based on the assumption that the body and mind are interrelated, dance/movement therapy (DMT) is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process that furthers the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration of the individual.
The dance/movement therapist focuses on movement behavior as it emerges in the therapeutic relationship. Expressive, communicative, and adaptive behaviors are all considered for both group and individual treatment. Body movement simultaneously provides the means of assessment and the mode of intervention.
For more information about dance/movement therapy or to schedule an appointment, contact Elizabeth McNamara at bmcnamara3@gmail.com or call 215-913-0839.
EMDR
“EMDR” stands for “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.” This counseling modality integrates elements of many effective therapy approaches—including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, experiential, and body-centered therapies—into structured protocols designed to maximize treatment success (see www.emdr.com for more information).
During EMDR, clients focus on past, present, and future experiences while simultaneously focusing on external, bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, sensory tappers, alternating sounds on earphones). Through this dual focus of attention and the entire protocol, people are able to process through upsetting memories and experiences that remain “stuck” and continue to create current-day emotional reactions despite previous counseling work.
EMDR is especially powerful in helping people alleviate symptoms of anxiety and in helping people who have experienced trauma (childhood abuse, witnessing violence and death, car accident, bullying, etc.). EMDR
can also be very effective in enhancing feelings of confidence and unblocking motivation to make positive changes in one’s life.
For more information about EMDR or to schedule an appointment, contact Elizabeth Venart at Elizabeth@theresiliencycenter.com or call 215-542-5004.
Somatic Psychotherapy
Somatic psychotherapy is a pioneering field that weaves back together the fragmentation of the body, mind, and spirit. The ancient Greeks used the word soma to describe the body as container of all life experiences. This is quite different from our modern conception of body, which is an objectified experience separate from the mind, emotions and spirit. The field of somatics states that the body is continually conveying information and through greater awareness of such cues, one can achieve greater health. Therefore by bridging the fields of somatics with that of psychotherapy, a truly integrative therapy was born in which the mind, body and spirit hold equal significance.
In this holistic therapy, a dialogue is created in which the language of the body—particularly breath, movement, sensation, posture, voice, physical symptoms, and other nonverbal cues—is valued and supported. When we listen to and support our bodies, we are listening to and supporting ourselves. Culturally, we are encouraged to ignore bodily cues; however, such cues hold a wealth of information as to how to bring the soma (mind/body/spirit) into greater balance.
Somatic interventions are also critical for emotional regulation as they work directly with the felt sense to improve it. This mind-body approach has been shown particularly effective for helping clients coping with post traumatic stress (PTSD) or other trauma, but it is also used successfully for other challenges such as depression, anxiety, grief, psychosomatic symptoms, relationship issues, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunction.
For more information about Somatic Psychotherapy or to schedule an appointment with Somatic Psychologist Jodi Schwartz-Levy, contact her at jodilevy@mac.com or 215-370-7878.
Play Therapy
Play Therapy is increasingly the recognized method of working with children and adolescents. Play is natural for children who are able to more readily engage in this type of therapy than traditional talk therapy. Play is the language children use to communicate. A trained play therapist can understand the metaphors used in the child’s play to gain understanding of the problem areas, awareness of resources and recognize the stages of healing. Through the therapeutic relationship with the play therapist, an environment is established that feels safe and supportive for the child to work through problems, express themselves and heal without feeling overwhelmed or being re-traumatized.
Play Therapy is effective for resolving behavior problems at home and school, anxiety, depression,
ADHD, trauma, loss and adjustment to family stressors and life transitions. Through play therapy,
the child is able to express themselves, learn adaptive skills, gain self-control and mastery, increase
self esteem and heal from trauma and loss.
Trauma is sensory based in that traumatic memories are encoded in both the body as well as the
brain. The use of play therapy addresses the sensory component of trauma that cannot be achieved
through traditional psychotherapy. The combination of family therapy “talk time” and play therapy together are the most effective forms of treatment to assist the child in integration of both the
cognitive memories of trauma/loss with the part of the brain that holds the deeper emotional
experience, which is retained in the body itself.
For more information about Play Therapy or to schedule an appointment, contact Kathleen Krol at kasiakrol@aol.com or 215-289-3101.
Sandtray Therapy
Sandtray therapy is a specialized modality often used in conjunction with play therapy, which uses
sand and selected “miniatures,” objects which serve as the tools for communication and a means
to enact out problems leading to development of problem-solving and adaptive skills. Sandtray
Therapy like play therapy is also a sensory modality and can resolve trauma at the deeper sensory level.
For more information about SandtrayTherapy or to schedule an appointment, contact Kathleen Krol at kasiakrol@aol.com or 215-289-3101.
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