Madeleine Eames

- Psychotherapist
- Mindfulness Teacher

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on email
Share on linkedin

What Makes Good Therapy?

Madeleine Eames 2019

I am often asked..

What is the best treatment for anxiety?

What therapy is the most effective for trauma?

How do I know if therapy is working?

These questions and their answers are very personal, but I can offer some perspective. 

First of all, only YOU know if you feel like you are on the right track. This does not always mean you feel better.

Sometimes when we’re working through some difficult stuff, it can feel raw and vulnerable as change and growth happens. 

Therapy in the past has focussed on thoughts, on the mind as the computer that drives the body and your life.  This is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

However, there has been a shift, largely starting with the work of Eugene Gendlin and Focusing Therapy of including what he called the ‘felt sense’ in the body. 

This focussing below the neck to what is actually happening in the body in the way of sensations and emotions was a game-changer. 

Why do we go to therapy?

Because we feel bad.

Emotions, anxiety, trauma show up in the body.

So now we have somatic experiencing (soma=body), EMDR, somatic psychotherapy, embodiment coaching, and so much more.  These, in my opinion, are what makes a difference in therapy. 

When you don’t include the experience of the body you are only addressing half the person with half a solution.

And half the wisdom that you already possess. 

When I started using EMDR (Eye Movement Densensitization and Reprocessing) in my practice, people thought I was nuts.  But I knew it worked, and my clients knew it too. We tracked the emotions and also our ‘progress’ through the body, not the mind.

AND, this is what seems to make therapy more effective, when one is seen, heard and felt in the body in the counselling room. 

CBT is still good.. but it is limited. The difference is trait change (change your thoughts) and state change (shift and release through the body). 

Think about it, if we could all just change our thoughts to change our life, we would have all done it by now. 

This is what we are exploring in my new course:  

Becoming Embodied: Heal the Body, Heal the Heart. 

If you are looking to heal the fear, the uncertainty, the feeling of being unsafe and in pain in your body, let’s heal that in 2021. 

Doors are open for registration today!

  • Spots are limited as it includes one-to-one coaching. 
  • Kick-off meeting is December 22nd. Don’t miss out. 

Get off to a good start in 2021. 

Check it out at the purple button below.

I can’t wait to get going.

Madeleine

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Madeleine's Most Recent Posts

Panic Attacks: Avoiding the Messy Middle

  I was listening the other day to a story (I’m paraphrasing) about a woman who had a grumpy old neighbour. He squabbled about the noise, the fence, the street.. basically everything. One day she happened to be delivered his mail by mistake, and noticed a letter to him from

Read More »

Are You Resentful? Do This Right Away…

Hello Dear Readers,  Thank you for all the wonderful  replies on my last few posts. I read every single one of them as connection with those interested in this path is integral to me and my work. And honestly, (theme of last post) if this does not align with you,

Read More »

Honesty as Treatment for Pain and Suffering

“What’s wrong with a little white lie?”  You have probably heard that, or said it yourself. A little lie never hurt anyone. That might be true in some cases, and this is not a moralistic issue here, it’s a health issue.  We have ALL learned to lie. To ourselves, to

Read More »

The Journey of the Divine Feminine

As I enter my Crone years (a term used to describe the Queen who sits on her throne either in a cabin in the woods or in a castle or condo)  my focus is clearer on the journey that a woman takes during her short stint here on earth.  Feminine

Read More »

Subscribe For Peaceful Insights

Top Posts

Want To Know The Truth About Anxiety?

Madeleine’s Archived Posts