Individuals with anxiety may feel overwhelmed and often in a hypervigilant or hyperactive state. They may experience a sense of fear and dread continuously, and some go through numerous panic attacks. Anxiety lowers one’s ability to participate in social events and may affect an individual’s sense of self-esteem and ability to develop a sense of purpose or establish a career. There are many reasons why an individual feels anxious. There may be a genetic component, or it could be a sign that a more significant transition is at work and that past experiences such as trauma, relational injuries, or grief are affecting the individual. Together, we will explore possible triggers and go over your individual life story to find a sense of connection rather than a sense of loss of control.

At Flying Crane Practices, we hope to help individuals develop an understanding and self-compassion so triggers feel less overwhelming. Individuals may develop more self-esteem and courage, finding ways toward a sense of internal and external support and purpose in their lives.

Experiences of current or childhood sexual abuse profoundly affect survivors’ sense of self. Survivors are affected in different ways; some may dissociate and constantly cycle through traumatic states, unable to attend to or enjoy their lives, while others may feel that many of their relationships are traumatic or abusive. Many survivors live with guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, nightmares, panic attacks, and flashbacks. At the same time, survivors need safe relationships to feel connected and secure.

At Flying Crane Practices, using Internal Family System, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment, we help clients process their stories of sexual abuse at their own pace without retriggering them. We will provide trauma-informed interventions that bring the individuals a sense of emotional and physical safety and security. We will also help individuals understand how their attachment style has been influenced by their past relationships and how to heal relational injuries. We will also work on empowering survivors to find a sense of courage, calm, and self-compassion to develop stronger self-esteem and leadership in their lives.

Often depression comes with a loss of identity, hope, energy, and motivation. Some individuals report that they have always felt this way.

Depression can come with social anxiety, inner criticism, and feeling defeated or stuck.

In our work together, we will explore your life story and see if there are past relational injuries, traumatic events, unidentified experiences of grief, or difficulties passing through life transitions. We will also explore what brings joy, purpose, and creativity to your life.

Life transitions often come with a natural feeling of uncertainty, doubt, and discomfort. It may be more complicated for changes that are out of our control. Some life transitions trigger experiences of the past and may resurface a sense of grief, fear, anger, or collapse. It’s essential to understand how transitions affect us personally.

At Flying Crane Practices, we support individuals in exploring how transitions affect their lives and help them develop a stronger sense of self and confidence.

With our caretakers, within the first years of our lives, we develop the foundations of our sense of self and how secure we are in the world. Therefore, our first relationships with our parents, caretakers, family, teachers, or their absence may have long-standing effects on our relationships. Relational Injuries and possibly Trauma may happen in ongoing emotional, physical, or sexually abusive situations or in the absence of emotionally secure care. Being more specific in the type of attachment we currently hold (secured, avoidant, anxious, or disorganized) may help us understand what we need to feel more satisfied in our relationships. Often feeling ashamed and alone, individuals may retreat from relating to others or, on the contrary, may attach themselves to relationships that don’t feel satisfying.

At Flying Crane Practices, we believe that by exploring past experiences of shame, guilt, grief, Trauma, and possible sense of abandonment, individuals may find inner support and a new ability to develop more sustaining relationships.

At this time, trauma literature is developing very quickly, and the diverse symptoms experienced by trauma survivors are better understood. It is not unusual for individuals having survived a traumatic event to experience symptoms such as loss of hope, emotional overwhelm, insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks, memory loss, numbing, decreased concentration, irritability, depression, shame and worthlessness, hypervigilance, anxiety, panic attacks, substance use, chronic pain, self-destructive behaviors, and loss of self-identity (Janina Fisher, Healing The Fragmented Self of Trauma Survivors, 2017).

Since The Body Keeps The Score (Kolk, 2015), many authors have shown the necessity of unlocking trauma symptoms through the physical effects left on the body when possible. Recent neuroscience studies have validated the view that trauma is experienced through the nervous system and triggers confusing states in individuals’ day-to-day life.

At Flying Crane Practices, we use Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment developed by Janina Fisher, PhD as well as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP), developed by Pat Ogden, PhD. These models offer a solid basis to work on symptoms of dissociation as well. Our goal is to allow individuals to finally make sense of their symptoms, diagnosis, and possible attachment wounding they may have internalized physically and psychologically. Working together, we will ensure that our interventions allow individuals to feel safe and physically stable.

Grief is a powerful experience that can accompany many types of loss or transitions in life- often affecting our sense of well-being, identity, and ability to move forward confidently. Grief is a subtle and tender work. Different emotions can be present simultaneously and can become overwhelming. There can be a sense of depression, anger, guilt, insecurity, or indefinite turmoil. Grief often comes in cycles or waves that leave us shaky or ungrounded. At times, grief may also bring life to a halt, making it harder for individuals to reconnect to their sense of self. This is known as complicated or prolonged grief and may require an exploration of trauma or relational injuries that accentuate the intensity of the loss. Individuals’ needs around grief vary.

At Flying Crane Practices, we support you through many aspects of your healing journey. We will help you understand your experience and help you reconnect to a sense of joy and empowerment.

Past experiences involving physical and emotional pain, trauma, or relational injuries can complicate intimacy and relationships. Our culture or family of origin may have created a sense of self-doubt, shame, guilt, or a need to hide who we are. As human beings, intimacy, relationships, and sexuality are significant to our sense of identity.

At Flying Crane Practices, we aim to empower individuals to develop their sense of identity and more satisfying intimate relationships and sexual life.