Services
Counseling Services
Practioners: Elizabeth Venart, Elizabeth McNamara, Jodi Schwartz-Levy, Kathleen Krol, Jeff 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.
Contact
Several practitioners at The Resiliency Center currently offer EMDR.
- Elizabeth Venart, LPC, is a Certified EMDR Therapist who provides EMDR therapy to individuals and couples as well as consultation to therapists seeking certification in EMDR. To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit www.elizabethvenart.com or contact her at 215-542-5004 or evenart@verizon.net.
- Additional practitioners who have completed the EMDR Basic Training and offer EMDR at The Resiliency Center include:
Please contact any of these practitioners to learn more about EMDR and how it can benefit you. Additional information on EMDR can be found through the EMDR Institute's website at www.emdr.com.
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 kasiakrol17@verizon.net 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 kasiakrol17@verizon.net or 215-289-3101.
Trauma Art Narrative Therapy
Trauma Art Narrative Therapy is a structured cognitively oriented technique, which helps piece together disconnected memories of a traumatic event through use of sequential drawings. The narration of an individual's experience of their trauma facilitates integration of the emotional and cognitive components of the brain to promote trauma healing.
Contact Kathleen at 215-289-3101 or kasiakrol17@verizon.net.
Filial Family Therapy
Filial Family Therapy trains and coaches parents in how to better engage with their children through child centered play sessions. Contact Kathleen at 215-289-3101 or kasiakrol17@verizon.net for more information.
Counseling Using Hypnosis and EFT
This therapeutic approach focuses on emotions. Therapist Delia Trapuzzano has found that sometimes talk alone does not always reach the heart, so she looked for other ways to help the client identify and express emotions that s/he may not be completely conscious of. To this end, she became certified in hypnosis.
Hypnosis is a natural state of focused awareness that allows a person to put down their guard and accept suggestions that is for their highest good. Once a person is in a suggestible state, they can be helped to release excess weight or eliminate smoking or just about any unhealthy habit. Hypnosis also facilitates a person’s ability to retrieve memories from their past that may help him/her to gain insight and clarity. If desired, she will assist clients by using hypnosis to help him/her get rid of unwanted behaviors or feelings.
She also uses emotional freedom technique (EFT) in much the same way as hypnosis. This is an energy technique that is similar to acupuncture in that it targets meridian points and clears energy centers. There are no needles involved. It is done just by tapping your own fingers on various spots, mostly on the face. This technique allows natural physical and emotional healing to take place.
Delia can be reached by email at delia@soulsibling.com or by phone at 610-416-7535 with questions or to schedule an appointment. You can also learn more on her website: www.soulsibling.com.
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