PREVIEW:

Sometimes we keep emotions bottled up deep inside of us or are haunted by memories we cannot escape from. Physical activity can be an outlet for releasing uncomfortable emotions, tension, and stress from our bodies. In this episode of the SKYlights Podcast, Clinical Therapist Maura Nolan, LPC, ACMHC, NCC discusses somatic therapy; how she incorporates breathwork, dance, and movement into her work with students; and tools anyone can use for cultivating greater mind-body awareness.

GUEST PROFILE:

MAURA NOLAN, LPC, ACMHC, NCC

Clinical Therapist Maura Nolan, LPC, CMHC, NCC joined Open Sky in 2021 and has been helping young adults and their families heal and grow ever since. She has vast experience in crisis intervention and trauma-based psychotherapy. She incorporates dance, movement, breathwork, and yoga into her solution-focused, trauma-informed, and holistic approach. Maura brings a flexible, non-judgmental approach to her work and strives to provide a safe space for everyone as part of their treatment.

TOPICS COVERED: breathing exercises, dancing, mental health, movement, somatic therapy, therapy, trauma

00:00 Intro

02:31 What is somatic therapy?

04:05 Dancing and mental health

06:30 Slowing things down and creating a safe space

10:02 Breathing exercises

12:13 Moving across the wilderness

13:58 Mirroring

15:21 Grounding exercises

18:46 Progressive muscle relaxation

20:06 Providing psychoeducation 

SELECT QUOTES:

“By leaning into these body sensations, a somatic therapist can help a client move toward healing mental health from the inside out.”

“I didn't really notice it until later on in my life—the profound effect of moving my body through dancing, no matter what form that looked like, on my emotional and mental health. It's hard being a teenager at times, and I think we can all relate to the trials and tribulations of what it's like to be a teenager at times, whether it's navigating different relationships or changes in our bodies, whatever it may be. And dance was a huge outlet for me to be able to release some of the painful emotions that I was storing in my body.”

“The key with somatic therapy is to feel painful feelings but to do it in a way that feels safe and that also then allows us to release some of those emotions and heal in some ways.”

“Oftentimes, trauma feels like it's too much, too fast, too soon. So we want to work on countering this. And slowing down looks like you’re only working with small bits of difficult experiences at a time. So it might look like pausing, taking time to notice the sensations that are occurring in your body and how that corresponds to what you're speaking about.” 

“Isn't that the work of life? We have to walk through the fire of self-discovery. The heat can be intense along the way, but it also gives us warmth and brings us to a better place.”