As the year comes to an end, I sit quietly in stillness, reflecting on the profound shifts that have unfolded since 2018—a time when my life began to transform significantly for the better. Back then, I didn’t realize I was in the middle of a major transition. Only now, with the benefit of hindsight, can I clearly see how the structures of my identity and life gradually dismantled, creating space for me to reexamine who I was and who I might become in the years ahead.
This deep self-examination is something that often arises in midlife for many, me included. I also cannot ignore that this personal spiritual awakening occurred amidst a larger collective shift—a time of "great remembering" experienced by thousands of others.
Like many, I approached this transition slowly. As a psychotherapist trained in touch and body-based therapy, I spent 2017-2019 using Somatic Experiencing, Intentional Touch, and sound therapy, specifically the Safe and Sound Protocol, to support nervous system repair and recalibration. My training had taught me that consistency and repetition—through touch and sound—could effectively heal attachment ruptures and relational wounds that typically form between the ages of 0-3. Because our understanding of ourselves and the world is rooted in our sensory and somatic experiences of being seen, felt, and known, touch and sound naturally became powerful tools for fostering change on a foundational level for many of my clients.
Over time, this approach often led to profound outcomes: improved emotional regulation, deeper access to the inner child, and a greater sense of “feeling like oneself.” These shifts occurred as clients developed stronger connections to their interoceptive cues and improvement in their gut-brain coherence.
During this period, I began noticing a consistent pattern in my clients—a split between the left and right sides of the body. The left side, which I now associate with feminine or yin energy, often presented as dissociated or empty. In contrast, the right side, linked to masculine or yang energy, appeared dense and overdeveloped. I also observed a recurring state of disconnection beneath my clients’ feet, which seemed to hinder their ability to fully ground into their bodies and the earth.
As these patterns emerged, my own intuition began to expand. Initially, I gained a deeper understanding of how inner child parts resided in specific areas of the body. I studied methods of structural dissociation and began to view all aspects of the body as split off parts with their own consciousness and cellular memory. Over time, my intuitive sense sharpened, enabling me to hold space for clients to reconnect with these fragmented aspects of themselves in a manner that was deeply transformative.
Through my continued training in inner parts work, I provided verbal guidance that helped clients approach their disowned parts with compassion and a gentle presence of acceptance and welcoming. This process encouraged greater connection to Self-energy, memory recall, and emotional processing. At the same time, the sound protocols I used seemed to act as cues, prompting these inner child parts to reveal themselves to the adult witness. By using my own somatic resonance as a “booster,” I enhanced the therapeutic container, creating a felt sense of safety within the relational field.
This type of deeper inner child healing, works with emotions, body memory, and the physiology to support clients to shift from states of disorganization and incoherence into coherence and states of thriving – illustrated through a deeper connection to creativity, interpersonal connectivity, and engagement in present moment experiences.
Through somatic exploration we explore what psychologist and author Judith Anodea refers to as our fundamental rights:
Today, many somatic providers are trained in this form of somatically based interpersonal neurobiology. Practitioners trained in these methods intentionally use touch and the relational space between therapist and client to foster healing. This approach to therapy demands that providers know themselves deeply and continually attend to their own inner processes. By doing so, they can show up with attuned presence, free from ego or personal agendas. Mastering this level of presence often requires years of personal healing, allowing the therapist to become a clear and grounded channel for their clients.
In 2019 the Embodied Recovery Institute was well underway. Rachel Lewis and I were teaching and training providers in the work of Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen. In our program we taught about the relational cycles and the integration of the movements yield, push, reach, hold, and pull. Over the years, I have come to understand each of these movement intimately and their correlation with the relational field—also known as the Biofield—a living energy or field that both surrounds and connects us to one another.
The term Biofield may be new to you.
Biofield Science is a growing field of study that aims to understand the complex energy fields that regulate living organisms, including the electromagnetic patterns from the brain (EEG) and heart (ECG). The term biofield itself is new, coined in 1992 at a National Institutes of Health meeting. The use of biofield-based therapies can be traced back to ancient systems of care including Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.
According to practitioners, biofield therapies stimulate a healing response by affecting subtle energy fields that surround the human body.
In my experience, the intersubjective field or Biofield is a living and dynamic field of energy that is part of our day-to-day life. It allows us to navigate our experience of safe embodiment within ourselves, outside of ourselves, and in the spaces that are in-between.
Although all forms of interpersonal therapy that involves an energetic exchange through somatic resonance can be considered Biofield Therapy, we have regulated the following to be included in the Biofield Therapy offerings. I have trained in Brainspotting and Internal Family Systems in addition to several of these and found that they all work directly with the Biofield if the provider is tuned into this level of healing.
This marks the beginning of the next stage in my journey.
In Part II and III of this blog, I will delve deeper into my exploration of ancient perspectives, modern science, and earth-based wisdom traditions. I will also explore the role of sound healing in our current paradigm.
For more information on our inner alchemy groups, workshops, services, and classes, join one of our upcoming programs.
Resources:
Jean Anodea
https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Body-Western-Mind-Revised/dp/B004WGT6YY
Somatic Experiencing
https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/somatic-experiencing
Safe and Sound Protocol
https://integratedlistening.com/products/ssp-safe-sound-protocol/
Healing Ourselves, Biofield Science
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Ourselves-Biofield-Science-Future/dp/1683644336?tag=googhydr-20&source=dsa&hvcampaign=books&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1KnUyZXVigMVZDrUAR3rWw-iEAAYASAAEgLaevD_BwE
Transforming the Experienced-Based Brain
https://www.austinattach.com/transforming-the-experience-based-brain/
Relational Bodywork and Somatic Education
https://daveberger.net/base
