FAQs

+ Can I book individual (private) sessions?

Yes, if you are an Expansion Training Initiate or Alumni of the program. After years of offering nervous system work, I've narrowed down what gets the best results for most people. Expansion Training is an intensive introduction to laying foundations for change at the level of the nervous system, and after you've been through the program I recommend following up with regular individual sessions. Expansion Training covers the theory as well as the experiential component of nervous system work. The group program primes your nervous system for deeper work that will create lasting change. Slow is fast, in the language of the nervous system!

+ How many sessions will I need?

The number of sessions required to change someone's nervous system habits and restore their regulatory capacity varies, according to the individual nervous system and life experience. Most people notice changes from their first session. However, we are working to change fundamental physical patterns that may have been in place since you were very young - maybe before you were born - and we are re-building your system from the bottom up, which takes time. The process is nuanced and specialised. The harder you push for results, the more your nervous system will resist. The reason is not because your nervous system is stubborn, but because it is a highly sensitive measurement of safety. Your nervous system needs lots of space so it feels safe enough to change. That's a physiological safety inbuilt into your nervous system, not your mind. Your conscious mind can’t understand or control the kind of safety your body needs to feel to be able to create space and to allow change to happen. Finally, your goals will influence how long it takes.

+ How often should I have a session?

Clients generally consult with me every other week (fortnightly). Long-term, permanent change to patterns created over decades (sometimes the whole lifetime), requires commitment and regular practice. Although energetic change can happen quickly, a completely different approach is required to change physical structures. It doesn’t always have to take a long time, but developing the skills to change physical structures takes practise, and because for most people it’s not something their brain and body has been trained to do, it takes repetition. The nervous system is a learning system, just like the brain, or a muscle, and regular effort is required for change to occur. You wouldn't expect an athletic body after only one fitness class. The nervous system also needs time to permanently change old patterns and unhelpful habits.

+ Do clients experience results after one session?

Clients always experience changes from the first session. To get permanent results, we have to work at the pace of the client's nervous system. This pace is dictated by the body, not by the mind's timeframe. The body will not open and let go some of the stuck energy until it feels safe enough to do so. The body has lots of ways of protecting us from falling apart. The mind fears we will never put the pieces back together again if we do. So, for some people, knowing that they won't die if they let go might be achievable in minutes, for others, longer. If it's longer, we have to establish more safety in sessions - this often means more safety for the mind so that it can get out of the nervous system’s way.

+ Do sessions have to be in-person, or can they be conducted online?

Sessions can be taken either in-person at my clinic in Brisbane or online. Zoom is my preferred platform because it is encrypted and provides client confidentiality. Skype (not encrypted), or a similar encrypted platform (VSee) are also possible.

+ Can Brainspotting be done online?

I've developed a specific method to do Brainspotting online, and I have also been trained in two other methods as part of the Brainspotting protocol, so there is plenty of flexibility. It helps if you have some awareness of your internal sensations, although it's possible to work around that too. We can do Brainspotting without any additional gear, but if you have headphones I can give you bilateral music tracks which amplify neural processing for most people. It's also worth buying some colourful stickers or stars to mark the spot, and I will send you a pointer for you to hold in sessions too. After a few sessions tracking the benefits and feeling the potential, clients usually buy their own safety goggles and make them into Brainspotting goggles. That's all you need to do Brainspotting the same way as it's done in-person.

+ Can I get a Medicare or health insurance rebate?

Although I studied psychology and have postgraduate qualifications in mental health, I am not a registered clinical psychologist. Therefore my services are not covered by mental health plans, and consultations are not eligible for Medicare or health fund rebates.

+ Can I exchange or swap my services for sessions?

My responsibility, first and foremost, is to create a safe container for you to do your work. It's too difficult for me to do my job if I have to maintain the boundary of an exchange while giving a session. The exchange arrangement becomes an additional thing in the container, and an unnecessary complication that makes it harder for me to do my job and not as clean, clear or safe for you. By it's very nature, trauma is a physical boundary breach, so we must start with good boundaries, otherwise we are setting the stage for traumatic re-enactment. That places more demand on your nervous system and is uncomfortable for you as well as for me. Clients need me to hold as much of the traumatic event as necessary to protect them from being overwhelmed (and re-traumatised). If I’m taking care of fiscal boundaries, I'm not fully with my client, ensuring their safety and taking care of the process.

+ Can you recommend any reading material that explains the process?

There are several books and academic papers which describe the origins and theoretical underpinnings of Brainspotting therapy and Somatic Experiencing® trauma renegotation. The seminal texts were written by Dr. David Grand and by Dr. Peter Levine. Most people find these books excellent starting points.

D. Grand - Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change

P.A. Levine and A. Frederick - Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences

A full booklist (not exhaustive) on body-oriented healing and academic papers referring to the Somatic Experiencing® method can be found under the 'Resources' navigation menu above.