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COUNSELLING ACT THERAPY MINDFULNESS CBT
HYPNOTHERAPY ACT & SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

Benefits of Consulting a Counselling Psychologist, Hypnotherapist, ACT Therapist & Somatic Psychotherapist

About Melbourne Counsellor & Psychologist Dr Linda Edwards

Counselling, Benefits & Counselling Versus Counselling Psychology

Hypnotherapy, Somatic Hypnotherapy (CBT Interoceptive Exposure)

Body-oriented Psychotherapy & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)

CBT, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness CBT

Consultations

None of the information on this page or elsewhere on this web-site is meant as a substitute for appropriate individual psychological consultations.

Benefits of Consulting a Counselling Psychologist, Hypnotherapist, ACT Therapist & Somatic Psychotherapist

Which benefits you can achieve will depend on a number of factors including: your motivation and openness to change, how hard you are willing to work, the current circumstances in your life, and Linda's attitudes, knowledge, skills and personality and how well that fits with what you need to move forward. That is why the first session is always exploratory. These are some of the benefits that clients have reported from consultations involving a combination of counselling, ACT (a very workable form of coaching actually), CBT and hypnotherapy from psychological counselling with Linda.

• Increased sense of happiness, enjoyment and life satisfaction
• reached more of their full potential
• built confidence, assertiveness, self-esteem or creativity
• improved social/family/work relationships
• felt better, gained decisiveness, focus and clarity about life direction
• learned empowering skills to help achieve goals
• released stress and experienced peace and contentment

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About Melbourne Counsellor & Psychologist Dr Linda Edwards

Linda resolved her own difficulties with the aid of 'exceptional' international helpers and this has inspired many who come to her with the confidence and courage to do the same. She provides gentle and safe support through an attitude of genuineness, empathy and unconditional acceptance. Her approach is holistic, flexible and open, and if you choose, can involve self-hypnosis, music, CBT imagery work (visualization), CBT skills training, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), muscle relaxation, breathwork, body therapies and mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy (MBCBT) methods such as meditation in addition to more conventional motivational interviewing or counselling such as questioning your beliefs and talking things through. The first sessions is exploratory and if she is not the right person for you, she is willing to help you find someone who is.

Linda has considerable experience in assisting people to effectively deal with a wide range of issues.

These include personal issues such as: anxiety, phobias such as agoraphobia and social phobia, panic, grief, depression, addictions such as smoking, shopping, over-eating, and love, shyness, lack of confidence, lack of self-esteem, social skills training, assertiveness training, self development, personal development, developing self-awareness, religious issues, spiritual guidance, life transition and adjustment issues.

They also include family, intimate and social relationship issues such as: communication difficulties and conflicts with family, intimate partners and friends, grief, indecision or ambivalence about intimate relationships, parenting and step family issues, pre-marital and pre-relationship education, coaching or counselling as well as all the personal issues that can play out in relationships. See Couples & Relationships

They also include career, business, work and study related issues such as: relationship conflicts at work, communication problems at work, workplace bullying, workplace abuse, social skills training, assertiveness training, study skills training, time management, work stress, work addiction, retrenchment, transition to retirement, lack of motivation, lack of confidence, indecision, fear of public speaking, fear of flying, fear of confinded spaces such as lifts, and fear of heights such as offices in tall buildings. See ACT Coaching - Life, Career, Executive & Business

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Counselling - Benefits - Counselling Psychology

What is Counselling?

Counselling is a confidential two-way process in which a trained and experienced counsellor spends time listening to what you say, getting to know you, developing an understanding of your particular circumstances and offering you support, insight and encouragement to:

• Discover a way to look at things that makes life easier for you
• Behave or respond to situations or people in a way that works better for you
• Create new strategies and solutions for your situation
• Increase your self-awareness, self-empowerment, skills and independence.

Counselling assists you to explore, clarify and understand your difficulties in a non-judgmental environment. Good counselling can empower you to trust yourself and make your own decisions as to how to move forward in your life and deal more effectively with the people around you. Counselling doesn't necessarily lead to a change in your life situation, although it can. What it can do is empower you to handle life's challenges in a more successful way or change your attitude so that your life circumstances no longer bother you. In other words, it helps you to do what the Serenity Prayer recommends:

"Change what you can, accept what you cannot, and have the wisdom to know the difference."

Who Can Benefit from Counselling?

Having problems is part of being human. Sometimes we get too many challenges to deal with all at once and end up overwhelmed and not coping with anything. This can happen to anyone.

These days, with the incredibly busy lives most people live, it is not always possible to share our concerns, confusion or overwhelm with someone close. Even if that opportunity exists, friends and relatives can sometimes be upset by what we tell them, get annoyed that we don't take their advice, or we might feel guilty for burdening them with our troubles. Also some people prefer to confide in someone who is removed from the situation who can provide confidentiality and objectivity.

Thus, chatting to a counsellor is not just for those who can't cope. It is not the role of a counsellor to give advice, provide solutions or in any other way, tell you how to cope or run your life. However, counselling can be a helpful and reassuring option for anyone, a first difficult step on the road to resolving problems.

Good counsellors listen, support and empower you to discover your own solutions. Counselling can be very helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed, need someone to help you gain some clarity so you can set priorities and make decisions you are happy about. Counselling can be very helpful in dealing with: relationship and family issues, sexual difficulties, major life changes, separation and divorce, conflict, eating problems, anxiety, stress, phobias, cultural differences, loneliness, building self confidence, grief and loss, anger, parenting and step-parenting, career concerns and many other issues affecting emotional and mental well-being.

Before you go to your first counselling session, it would be beneficial for you to ask yourself what you hope to achieve and how you will know if counselling has been successful.

How Do I Find the Right Counsellor for Me?

There's no easy answer to this question. Counsellors have a wide variety of backgrounds, training, experience, attitudes, values and styles of counselling. A counsellor who proves to be good for your friend or relative may not be the right counsellor for you. You will need to consider::

• Whether you would feel more comfortable with a male or female counsellor
• Whether you prefer a young or more mature counsellor
• Whether you need a counsellor who is available out of business hours
• Whether you need counselling in another language
• Whether your privacy is protected
• Whether the counsellor has experience with your issue, culture or sexual preference
• What techniques or style the counsellor uses
• The counsellor's training and experience
• Whether the counsellor is a member of a professional association which sets standards of competence, training and ethical behaviour
• Cost (Try not to let financial considerations interfere with finding the counsellor who is right for you because outcomes have been proven to be highly dependent on a good counsellor-client relationship)
• Manageable methods of payment (e.g. credit card) and whether you can claim a rebate from private health insurance

Most of the above matters can be dealt with by thinking about your preferences and examining counsellors' websites and/or calling counsellors' rooms. However there are other important considerations which you may not be able to assess until your first visit. A good counsellor will:

• Be warm, responsive, genuine and exhibit personal integrity
• Treat you with respect, care, consideration and dignity
• Understand you and believe in you
• Encourage you to make your own choices and respect your decisions
• Have faith in your ability to work through your issues
• Be trustworthy, sensitive and non-judgmental
• Have values and attitudes that you are comfortable with
• Respectfully challenge your viewpoint when it is helpful to you
• Work with you in a way where you can see progress toward your goals

If, after the first visit, you are unsure whether the counsellor is the right one for you, trust your instinct and find another counsellor. If after further counselling sessions, you become unhappy about any aspect of our counselling, the best thing is to raise your concerns directly with your counsellor. If the matter is still unresolved, feel free to change your counsellor. You have the right to begin and end counselling at any time. Don't worry about wasting sessions telling your story all over again. If you have confidence in your new counsellor, you will get more out of your time together. Good counsellors can be helpful without knowing everything about you and it is usual for good counsellors to be helpful in the first session.

Counselling Psychology

There is much confusion in the community over the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a psychotherapist, a counsellor, a counselling psychologist and a clinical psychologist.

Psychiatrists are medical practitioners who are trained to diagnose mental illness and prescribe medication (drug therapy).

Psychologists are non-medical personnel who are trained in counselling and non-drug therapies (psychotherapy). Clinical psychologists are trained to diagnose mental illness and deliver non-drug therapies and counselling to the mentally ill (people with a history of schizophrenia, bipolar/manic depression or a personality disorder and/or have been prescribed drugs to manage psychosis). Counselling psychologists are trained to use counselling and non-drug therapies with people who are facing any normal life problem including phobias, anxiety and any type of depression which does not involve psychosis.

In Australia, all psychiatrists and psychologists are registered under state law and must have undergone extensive training and supervision.

In general, psychotherapists are people who use non-drug therapies. Many psychologists and some psychiatrists call themselves psychotherapists. However, in Victoria, there are no statutory regulations determining who can call themselves a psychotherapist or a counsellor. Anyone can call themselves a psychotherapist or a counsellor regardless of whether they have any training or experience.

As already mentioned, a counselling psychologist is a psychologist who specialises in counselling people who do not have a serious mental illness. Advantages in seeing a counselling psychologist include high ethical standards enforced by statutory regulations and state law, availability of a range of skills and psychotherapeutic approaches in addition to basic counselling, and the ability to claim psychology rebates from your ancillary health insurance.

Linda is a counselling psychologist registered in Australia. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society College of Counselling Psychologists and has a doctorate in counselling psychology from Monash University.

Using a mentoring approach, Linda provides a safe, accepting, non-judgmental and practical context in which people can gain clarity and understanding about the things that bother them and take their next step forward.

Helping people build confidence and better relationships, as well as getting rid of indecision and feelings of inadequacy, is often part of Linda's work. She has considerable experience working with men, women, couples, families and adolescents of diverse religious, spiritual or cultural values and sexual preferences.

Some issues seem to require more than discussion, in which case hypnotherapy or an experiential approach is usually suggested.

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Hypnotherapy & Somatic Hypnotherapy (CBT Interoceptive Imagery Exposure)

What is Hypnotherapy?

Originally endorsed by the American Medical Association in 1957 as a valid and useful form of treatment, hypnotherapy is therapy conducted when the client is in a state of hypnosis. Hypnosis is a totally natural phenomenon. It is a non-ordinary state of consciousness or state of profound relaxation called a trance state in which the brain wave frequencies are in the slower alpha or theta range instead of the normal beta range which we experience when we are thinking. We regularly experience this state of hypnosis when, for example, we pass from waking to sleeping and vice versa. We also commonly enter a state of hypnosis during other relaxing situations such as while soaking in a warm bath, lying in the sun, meditating, listening to relaxing music or having a massage. Typically, we feel detached and dreamy, knowing that we could open our eyes at any time but feeling just too comfortable to bother.

As you know, you are well aware of what is going on while engaged in these activities and can choose to stop them at will. The same is true for hypnotherapy. Nothing can be done without your cooperation and consent and you may change your mind whenever you want to. You cannot be made to act out or say things that are contrary to your personal values. In other words, you are in control at all times. The myth that you are under the control of the hypnotherapist has been perpetuated by the tricks of stage hypnosis.

How Can Hypnotherapy Help?

If Hypnosis, used alone or in conjunction with other techniques, is a powerful tool for accessing the subconscious and achieving personal goals or facilitating desired change. It can do this because hypnosis is a non-ordinary state of consciousness and the human psyche is far more amenable to positive change, healing or beneficial reprogramming when we are in an hypnotic state than when we are in our usual beta state of consciousness (our thinking mode). For more information, take a look at the work of psychiatrist Dr Stanislav Grof. He has written numerous books and research articles on the healing power of non-ordinary stares of consciousness. In addition, there is documented evidence that hypnotherapy compares very favourably with the most popular forms of therapy. In volume 7 (1) of Psychotherapy, the psychotherapy journal of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr Alfred A Barrios has reported the following success rates averaged over a number of studies:

• Hypnotherapy 93% recovery after 6 sessions (about 1.5 months)
• Behaviour Therapy 72% recovery after 22 sessions (about 6 months)
• Psychotherapy 38% recovery after 600 sessions (about 11.5 months)

How is Hypnotherapy Done?

There are many ways of doing hypnotherapy. Basically, there are two aspects to the process. First, the client must be put into an hypnotic state. This is usually referred to as an hypnotic induction. This can be done in numerous ways. Some of the most common ones involve visualization (mental imagery), breathing and muscle relaxation, arm levitation or focusing on an hypnotic spiral. However, there are other highly effective methods which the client may not even recognize as an induction. For example, if I ask you to become fully aware of the details of shape and size and location and intensity of an emotion which is happening in your body, and you do that, you will immediately enter an hypnotic state.

The second part of the hypnotherapy process involves doing therapy while you are hypnotised. There is an endless array of possible approaches that a therapist may use. The process selected needs to be tailored to fit the individual client's psyche, and the hypnotherapist should be sufficiently experienced to be able to calmly and safely lead the client through whatever experiences he or she needs to have in order to achieve the result they are looking for. In general, the client is aware of what is happening at all times and will remember their experiences after the session.

Some hypnotherapists limit their work to hypnotic scripts in which they talk to the client's mind. However, there are ethical issues about the therapist assuming what is good for the client and in addition, it often back-fires. For example, some hypnotherapists give suggestions that a client will stop smoking and the client takes on over-eating or over-drinking instead because the suggestions have not got to the core of the problem.

For long term change, there is usually a need to do more than reprogram thinking because beliefs are strongly affected by emotions. For example, a hypnotic suggestion that a client is an okay person will encourage thoughts of being okay. However, if the person later has a difficult challenge and experiences a strong feeling of inadequacy, the mind will believe the feeling and toss out the hypnotic suggestion. This view is supported by my clinical experience where I find that the most effective forms of hypnotherapy reprogram the emotional centres of the brain known as the limbic brain.

The form of hypnotherapy that I prefer and usually use is actually a form of CBT imagery exposure which has been recognized by psychologists to be very effective. I find that I can increase this effectiveness in many cases by combining it with CBT stress management techniques and ACT acceptance procedures. Because of the somatic element this introduces, I have called my eclectic mixture of these approaches Somatic Hypnotherapy.

Some of the techniques in this approach lend themselves to self-help and the first article in our Self-Help page provides instructions.

Would I Benefit From Somatic Hypnotherapy (ACT & CBT Imagery Exposure & Stress Management Exercises)?

Linda has found somatic hypnotherapy (can be called ACT & CBT Somatic Imagery exposure involving stress management exercises) particularly useful in assisting people with personal problems such as: relationship issues (personal and business relationships, divorce, separation, conflict, impotence and women's sexual difficulties); public speaking anxiety; stage fright; exam nerves; eating problems; weight problems; lack of confidence, assertiveness, motivation or achievement; low self-esteem; shyness; grief; frustration and anger; jealousy; worry and anxiety; conception difficulties; phobias (irrational fear of flying, driving, heights, closed spaces, open spaces, insects, groups of people, snakes, storms, dentists, the dark etc.); panic attacks; reactive depression; endogenous/major depression; post-natal depression; addictions (alcohol, smoking, food, sex, TV, etc); self-defeating habits (e.g. hair-pulling, blushing, nail-biting, stuttering); trauma and abuse; post traumatic stress, dream therapy and so on. However, somatic hypnotherapy is not helpful for people with a serious mental illness. By serious mental illness, we mean personality disorders and psychoses such as schizophrenia and manic/bipolar depression.

Successes achieved through somatic hypnotherapy can be startling. It sometimes enables people to make all the changes they want in the very first session, although this is not the norm. Most issues require between 2 and 6 sessions. If there are multiple issues, 4 to 10 sessions is usually adequate. And there are some who do not respond to this method at all. Depedning on the reason, they might be referred to someone else or another approach such as TRE.

The likelihood of success depends on factors such as: (1) whether you are comfortable with the hypnotherapist; (2) whether you can be hypnotised (about 20% of people cannot be hypnotised); (3) a willingness to do whatever it takes to resolve your issue, including stepping beyond your comfort zone, and (4) an openness to the possibility that somatic hypnotherapy can help. Somatic hypnotherapy cannot help you to do what a friend, relative or colleague wants for you if you do not want it for yourself.

Why Somatic Hypnotherapy Usually Works

Few people realise the awesome power their subconscious limbic brain patterns have over their lives. Most of our personal problems are rooted in emotional patterns in our limbic brain rather than the thinking in our neo-cortex. Thus we need an approach which will reprogram our emotional patterns in our limbic brain rather than focus on our thinking. Once the emotional patterns are changed, we change our mind as a result of our changed experience.

How Do I Choose a Good Hypnotherapist?

Regardless of whether you find out about a hypnotherapist from the Yellow Pages, the Internet, a professional association for hypnotherapists or psychologists, a recommendation from a friend, relative, colleague, or a referral from your doctor or another therapist, there is no guarantee that person is the right hypnotherapist for you. Even though some hypnotherapists consistently get better results than others, clients vary enormously in terms of the personality, values and therapeutic styles which work best for them. Thus, a miraculous outcome for your friend, doesn't necessarily mean a miraculous outcome for you. In addition, professional referrals are often made on the basis of personal liking for a particular colleague or a good impression received at a seminar without any knowledge of their success with clients.

For all these reasons, you need to trust your own judgment. You must feel comfortable with the person you choose to work with. Do you feel welcome and accepted? Is he/she genuinely interested in you and your problems? Does he/she have lots of life experience as well as clinical experience? Do you feel empowered by him/her? Would he/she be happy for you to have a friend or relative present in the session if you want it? Does he/she teach you techniques or other ways to become self-reliant so you don't need to keep going back to them when future life difficulties arise? Does he/she recommend or provide something for you to read with explicit instructions to help you become self-reliant? Does he/she provide a personalised service tailored to your uniqueness or do you get the impression that every client is treated the same way?

Do not be overly concerned with the per session fee. The rate at which your issues are being dealt with is equally important in the overall estimate of the cost of treatment. For example, if you got the outcome you wanted after three sessions costing $160/session ($480), you would be better off than if you went to someone with whom it took 8 sessions at $90/session ($720). Hypnotherapists vary enormously.

No-one can know in advance how many sessions your issue will take to resolve. There are far too many variables such as the personalities of you and the therapist, how much you want to resolve your problem and what other issues exist. Be assured though, that hypnotherapy or other therapies which use a non-ordinary state of consciousness usually speed the process up significantly. What may take months or years with regular psychotherapy can usually be accomplished in weeks with hypnotherapy. It is not uncommon for certain issues such as grief and phobias to take only one session.

Research also indicates that most of the improvement that is going to happen occurs in the first 1 to 8 sessions and the greatest improvement happens in the first 2 or 3 sessions (E.g. Bill Robinson's article in Psychotherapy in Australia, Vol. 10, no.1).

For this reason, if you are not getting anywhere after 2 or 3 sessions, consider whether you should look around for someone else. In fact, if you have a competent and ethical therapist, they should be taking the initiative to discuss the lack of progress with you and if a way forward cannot be found, refer you to someone whom they expect is likely to be more effective in your particular case. The lack of progress doesn't necessarily mean the therapist is incompetent. It may be that the therapist is not a good match for your personality or values or their therapeutic style doesn't suit your psyche.

That's why Linda likes to let people know as much as she can about herself and how she works before they come to see her. It reduces the mismatches and increases the likelihood that her work with any particular person will be rewarding for both.

If you would like to learn more about Linda and how she works, take a look at the rest of this website.

How Can I Stop Smoking?

Many people have trouble giving up smoking or take up another addiction such as over eating or drinking when they do give up smoking. The reason this happens is that most smokers are unconsciously using smoking to prevent them from feeling the stresses, anxiety and other bad feelings which they would be forced to feel if they didn't keep smoking or take up a different addiction. For this reason, Linda's approach to helping people to stop smoking involves eliminating the underlying stresses, anxieties and other bad feelings as well as dealing with the habit itself. The most effective methods in her experience involves somatic hypnotherapy (see above).

How Can I Lose Weight?

Many people start dieting, lose a certain amount of weight and then give up the diet and put it all back on again. They often berate themselves for lack of willpower not realizing that their lack of success is due to the fact that when we lose weight, our body becomes more sensitive to the stresses, anxieties and other bad feelings we don't like to feel and so it becomes more attractive to put the weight back on again. Alternatively, eating may have become the only comfort in our lives and it is hard to live without any nurturance or comfort.

In the former case, it is necessary to deal with the underlying stresses, anxieties and bad feelings in order for the weight loss to be maintained. In the latter case, there is a need to build up sources of comfort in our lives other than food so that we don't miss the food, and this may involve dealing with defense patterns which have prevented us from doing this in the past.

Sometimes there are other reasons for weight gain. For example, if a married woman is not enjoying her sex life, she may gain weight unconsciously to reduce her husband's desire for her. Alternatively, a divorced woman may be so frightened of having her heart broken again that she unconsciously puts on weight so that she will not be attractive to possible future partners.

Thus, the task in helping people to successfully lose weight and remain slim is to not only deal with the habit of over eating, bingeing or eating the wrong food, but also to uncover the unconscious reason why their psyche has decided that they need the excess weight and reprogram their limbic brain using somatic hypnotherapy (see above).

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Somatic Psychotherapy & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)

Somatic psychotherapy is therapy that involves the body as well as the mind and th emotions. Ther eis increasing evidence that incorporating some bottom-up somatic approaches in psychotherapy adds to its effectiveness. Even traditional CBT has used somatic approaches in for example, its stress management techniques. By combining some of the existing evidence-based therapies, Linda has found even better results than doing them individually. She combines mindfulness CBT and ACT acceptance and values with CBT imagery exposure and CBT stress management to create what she calls somatic hypnotherapy or body psychotherapy. This is especially suitable for dealing with issues which do not respond to counselling and for people wanting an experiential approach. Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy (MBCBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) underly her coaching and counselling style.

For those who do not respond to the above version of somatic psychotherapy, there is a promising new approach which Linda can use. Please note that this approach is very new indeed and there is insufficient evidence-based research for it to be considered as part of professional psychology practise at this time. This means that if you request this service, you will be asked to sign an acknowledgement that you understand that Linda is not providing this service in the capacity of a psychologist but in the capacity of a certified TRE instructor (a USA certification).

Linda has found, consistent with recent psychophysiology research, that trauma underlies most psychological issues and she agrees with clinical social worker and traumatologist, Dr David Berceli, thattrauma happens to everyone. The following is a brief summary of his book, the details of which are given below.

Trauma happens to Everyone

According to Berceli (2008) and Scaer (2001), we are all traumatized. Even if we have been lucky enough not to be (or live with) a victim of wars, crime, natural disasters, or childhood neglect, abuse, abandonment or bullying, almost all of us have experienced, or been forced to watch one or more of our loved-ones experience, at least one of the many normal traumas of life, such as accidents, medical procedures, life-threatening illness, intense pain, unexpected loss or threat of loss of a loved-one, poverty, retrenchment or employer abuse. In addition, all of us without exception have experienced the trauma of birth itself.

Like ourselves, all animals experience trauma. However, animals in the world release their trauma. Have you ever seen a sparrow flee from a cat, or two ducks fight for territorial rights. When the sparrow escapes or the territorial difference is settled, these birds briefly flap and tremor uncontrollably and then go about their business totally peacefully as if the event never happened. The flapping and tremouring has discharged excess energy built up for the aborted fight-flight-freeze response.

Amongst humans, tremouring is recognized as a sign that something is wrong because it has been observed as a symptom in anxiety disorders such as panic attacks, social phobia and post traumatic stress disorder. However, tremouring occurs far more widely than in psychological illness e.g. after witnessing a car accident, a person might say, "I shook like a leaf" Children tremor but adults have been socialized out of it. They suppress it so as not to feel out of control, vulnerable, embarrassed or frighten the children.

Suppression of Trauma Leads to Many Psychological and Physical Illnesses

Unfortunately, according to trauma recovery expert, Dr Berceli, there is now evidence that this suppression of shaking out any residual tension-causing chemicals and telling the brain to turn off its alert status, results in the flexor muscles remaining vulnerable to minor stresses setting up a cycle of unending anxiety and tension build-up which eventually leads to physical and psychological illness.

These illnesses are wide-ranging and include: unexplained chronic pain, adrenal exhaustion and hormone imbalance, digestive problems, frequent colds and infections due to a poor immune system, anxiety disorder, depression, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal troubles, some cancers, premature aging, migraine headaches, asthma, fluctuation of blood sugar in diabetics, poor circulation, muscle spasms, painful intercourse, carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical disc disease, TMJ, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, cramps, diarrhoea, gastro intestinal reflux, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lower back pain, whiplash after minor accidents, short-term memory loss, and lack of concentration.

Likewise, animals in captivity, such as pets, livestock and those in zoos or laboratories, lose their resilience because they cannot discharge their freeze response and suffer a variety of physical and psychological complaints.

The Value in Tremouring

As a result of the prevalence of the belief that tremouring indicates something is wrong, the purpose and value of tremouring has not received much attention. The limited assistance that exists for the massive demand for trauma recovery on our planet due to war, terror and the ever-increasing natural disasters of climate change is neither practical, cost-effective or sufficient in quantity or effectiveness given that trauma-induced behaviour cannot be rectified by use of traditional techniques that depend on logical-processing because trauma behaviour is an illogical, instinctual response not under the control of the rational brain. Even in the context of somatic psychotherapies, such as Holotropic Breathwork developed by psychiatrist Dr Stan Grof and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) developed by psychologist Dr Francine Shapiro, which employ physical techniques to release the trapped energy of trauma and recognize uncontrollable shaking as part of that process, the purpose and potential therapeutic value of tremouring has not been sufficiently explored.

However, deeper exploration of involuntary shaking commenced in 1997 with the work of psychologist Dr Peter Levine. The theory behind his Somatic Experiencing technique says that the body evokes 'neurogenic tremors' to complete the discharge of our flight-flight-freeze response. Also, while working with trauma recovery in war-torn countries and natural disaster zones, clinical social worker and somatic therapist, Dr David Berceli, discovered a self-directed body-based method of stress and trauma reduction, which allows individuals to process their own stress and trauma, in many cases, without needing to seek guidance from professionals. This method consists of a set of gentle physical exercises which fatigue certain muscle groups and can be practised by young and old alike. David's methods are a natural extension and simplification of the acceptance and somatic experiencing approach ( the self-help version of my somatic trauma release/somatic hypnotherapy technique) which I have taught thousands of people with trauma and stress of all kinds for the purpose of returning to a state of peace and self-empowerment.

As Dr Berceli says, trauma happens to all kinds of people. No-one deserves it. We can learn to live with the unpredictability of tragedy rather than fantasize that we are immune from it. At the same time, we can use this very effective stress- release tool on an everyday basis to deal with all the normal challenges of our lives and dare to not only dream of, but actually live a deeper more meaningful life in which we make a difference during our brief stay on this planet.

The Trauma Release Process

"I personally have used and taught the Trauma Release Process to friends and patients with consistently remarkable results. ... One of the unique features of the exercises is that they can be learned and practiced as a therapeutic self-help skill, as well as an adjunct to other forms of trauma therapy." __Robert Scaer M.D. Author of The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation and Disease.

If you are interested in learning these exercises, you can purchase Dr David Berceli's book The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process: Transcend Your Toughest Times. David has a Ph.D. in clinical social work as well as certification in somatic therapies and 15 years experience working with trauma recovery in war-torn countries and natural disaster zones. In addition, his Trauma Release Process is being used by the U.S. Army to resolve the war trauma of its returned servicemen and women. His book is available online through local sites such as www.fishpond.com.au. If you prefer, there is also a DVD available from namastepublishing.com who also provide a digital down-load option.

Although the exercises can be learned from the DVD or the book, each person needs to also learn how to self-regulate the trauma release process so that they do not have to re-experience the intense emotions and physical symptoms of any original traumas they may have experienced, and that process will be easier for some people than others depending on their history. For this reason, it is recommended that people do not do these exercises without having been guided through the process at least once. In addition, those people with physical or psychological difficulties and/or prolonged unresolved trauma, should seek assistance from a professional who has both extensive experience in trauma work and is familiar with Dr David Berceli's Trauma Release Process.

It is ideal to learn TRE in a coaching context of 4 sessions or more or a series of classes because this environment provides an ongoing incentive to practise and it takes 21 days to form a new human habit. Although recent trauma can sometimes be released through one session, the benefits for most people come with regular practise about three times per week. This is especially true for people with childhood trauma. Give Linda a call on 9836 5721 if you would like to learn Trauma Releasing Exercises from a certified TRE practitioner in an ACT coaching context with someone who is well experienced in trauma work. Just remember, Linda will not be acting n the role of a psychologist for these services and you will not be able to claim a rebate from your health fund or Medicare.

TRE instruction is only available in the Melbourne Eastern Suburbs at this time. If you do not live in Melbourne (Australia), you may learn more about the benefits of tremouring exercises by visiting Dr David Berceli's USA website - see Resources page for the link where you can also find certified TRE practitioners in your area.

For those of you in other parts of Australia, hopefully there will be certified TRE practitioners outside of Melbourne in the not so distant future. You can keep a watch on this by visiting physiotherapist Richmond Heath's website www.trauma-releasing-exercises.com.au. Although he is based in Melbourne (Warrandyte), he runs TRE groups interstate and in New Zealand.

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CBT, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness CBT

Counselling psychology includes any therapy that a counselling psychologist does e.g. CBT, motivational counselling, interpersonal psychotherapy, grief counselling, abuse counselling, MBCBT, ACT, hypnotherapy, body-oriented psychotherapy. Linda's counselling psychology is strongly based on ACT, CBT exposure (a part of hypnotherapy), and relationship counselling, couples therapy and sex therapy.

CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy is the usual psychotherapy provided under psychological counselling for Medicare ( in conjunction with motivational interviewing, interpersonal psychotherapy and psychoeducation). It consists of providing effective behavioural and cognitive strategies.

Linda finds the behavioural ones most effective, especially imagery exposure (a very effective form of hypnotherapy), and various skills trainings such as stress management, assertiveness training, and social skills training, mindfulness CBT skills, ACT's values-driven behaviour and workability principles in addition to the MBCBT skills it incorporates.

ACT is an extremely good basis for coaching psychology be it life coaching, career coaching, relationship coaching or business/executive coaching. For more information on this see ACT Coaching - Life, Career, Executive & Business.

Life coaching is about helping people find direction, motivating them to achieve their goals and teaching them effective skills to enhance their lives. Linda teaches techniques which she has found to be powerful and effective in resolving a broad range of relationship, personal and business issues.

These include personal issues such as: Anxiety, phobias such as agoraphobia and social phobia, panic, grief, reactive depression, addictions such as addictions to smoking, shopping, over-eating, and love, shyness, lack of confidence, lack of self-esteem, social skills training, assertiveness training, self development, personal development, developing self-awareness, religious issues, spiritual guidance, life transition and adjustment issues.

They also include family, intimate and social relationship issues such as: communication difficulties and conflicts with family, intimate partners and friends, grief, indecision or ambivalence about intimate relationships, parenting and step family issues, pre-marriage and pre-relationship education, coaching or counselling as well as all the personal issues that can play out in relationships.

They also include career, business, work and study related issues such as: relationship conflicts at work, communication problems at work, workplace bullying, workplace abuse, social skills training, assertiveness training, study skills training, time management, work stress, work addiction, retrenchment, transition to retirement, lack of motivation, lack of confidence, indecision, fear of public speaking, fear of flying, fear of confined spaces such as lifts, and fear of heights such as offices in tall buildings.

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Consultations

Availability of Consultations

Consultations are held in the Camberwell, Canterbury, Surrey Hills, Burwood area of Melbourne by appointment during business hours and after hours (Saturdays).

We currently have a waiting list for new clients which varies from about two to eight weeks. Therefore, it is extremely important that you let us know as soon as possible if you cannot keep your appointment. If you can give us 48 hours notice of your intention to change or cancel your appointment, there will be no cancellation fee. If you cannot give us 48 hours notice, let us know as soon as possible and we will waive the cancellation fee if someone else is able to use your appointment time.

If you are in crisis during the night or the weekend or at any other time when you cannot see a counsellor, call Life line on 13 11 14 or Suicide Help Line Victoria on 1300 651 251.

If you are currently involved in an abusive or dangerous situation, call Violence Against Women 24 Hours Helpline on 1800 200 526, Women's Domestic Violence Crisis Service of Victoria on 1800 015 188 or Child Abuse Prevention Services on 1800 688 009 or Centre Against Sexual Assault on 9344 2210.

How Many Consultations Will I Need?

The majority of people seeking counselling or hypnotherapy for personal issues require 2 to 6 sessions. All sessions are long (60 minutes or more). In most cases, the first session involves finding out what you want to achieve and anything relevant to your goal that needs to be known, discussion of ways to deal with your issues and discovering whether the two of you are likely to be able to work together effectively.

Through career coaching, many executives, professionals and business people can achieve one or more concrete business and career goals in just a few consultations. However those who are looking for a significant increase in emotional intelligence would be well advised to budget for longer term coaching.

Fees

To eliminate account-keeping costs, we require payment at the time of the consultation. There is a $10 administration fee for late payment.

Our fees reflect the quality of our service and are close to the Australian Psychological Society recommended fee. The fee for a 60 minute plus session is $195.

Payment may be made by cash, cheque, money order, Visa or Mastercard. To cover banking costs and time, there is a $10 convenience charge for using a credit card.

Our services are GST free.

Rebates

Those entitled to psychology rebates from Health Funds usually claim a refund of between 20% and 90% on psychology consultations depending on which ancillary or 'extras' schedule they have chosen. Ask your Health Fund for details.

We do not bulk bill, and Medicare rebates only apply to G.P. referred psychological treatment under a Mental Health Plan.

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Copyright Dr Linda Edwards 2001-2011, Counsellor, Counselling Psychologist, ACT Therapist Hypnotherapist Melbourne. Art of Living Psychology Consulting Rooms are in Melbourne in the Camberwell, Surrey Hills, Burwood and Canterbury region, also serving Ashburton, Balwyn, Box Hill, Glen Iris, Hawthorn, Kew and Malvern.