Ruth Berendt I Counselling & Psychotherapy

10/02/2023

"Your confusion is not pathology, it is path."

Your confusion is not pathology, it is path. It has something to show you that clarity could never reveal. The nature of chaos is wisdom, but you must provide safe passage for the mystery to unfold.

Your feeling of heartbreak is not neurotic, it is intelligent. It has something to show you that the unbroken could never reveal. If you will provide holding for the broken pieces to reassemble, they will reveal an unmet doorway.

Your loneliness, tenderness, and vulnerability are not mistakes. They are not errors or obstacles which must be remedied by way of spiritual process. They are pure and complete on their own, soaked with spirit, guidance, and an uncompromising creativity. It is through embodiment to the shaky that the poetry of your life will flow.

There are surges of somatic activity that contain very important information for your journey. The unmet ones are longing to reach you, to reclaim their rightful place in the vastness of what you are. They will spin, shapeshift, and take infinite forms in order to find reunion inside you.

Your world is turned upside down when you realize the freedom you are longing for will never be found in the eradication of the unwanted, but only in attunement to the love and the information it carries. Yes, you may burn until you are translucent, but it is by way of this burning that wholeness will be revealed.

02/06/2022

The ABC has been raising the profile of trauma-informed mental health a lot through the pandemic. The new tv series, Space 22 follows seven strangers, each with their own lived experience of mental ill health, as they take part in an experiment to test if the simple act of participating in art can help heal invisible wounds.

Space 22 follows seven strangers, each with their own lived experience of mental ill health, as they take part in an ambitious experiment to test if the simple act of participating in art can help heal invisible wounds.

24/03/2022

Creating art stimulates the release of dopamine, the chemical released when we do something pleasurable that makes us feel happier. Increased levels of this feel-good neurotransmitter can be very helpful if you are dealing with stress. You don’t need to be an artist to benefit either.

15/03/2022

If you are not sleeping well, your body interprets that as an emergency, shifting it into a stress state to prepare. Protecting our sleep is a significant factor in overall mental and physical health. If you're having trouble with sleep, check out some tips to help here: https://www.coogeecounselling.com.au/post/top-sleep-tips-for-a-restful-night

12/03/2022

I love this explanation of how trauma is resolved on many levels. In therapy we address them all.

Repost from
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How does trauma resolve?⁣
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The word trauma means a wound, shock, or injury. When we experience, overwhelm, shock, emotional pain or neglect, we develop the unconscious conviction that our survival is at risk. As a result, the survival responses come alive. We may disconnect or live in ongoing states of arousal and immobilization. ⁣
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This unconscious active-survival shatters our fundamental sense of safety in our body, with others and in the world, disrupting our body's natural balance, nervous system range of resiliency and flexibility, and the various mental, emotional, somatic systems as well as our identity. ⁣When this is the case, we live our life from an altered state of perception of ourselves, relationships and the world. ⁣⁣
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If trauma is systemic the resolution of trauma is also systemic. ⁣
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What does resolution mean at each level? ⁣
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1. MENTAL: reframing old survival beliefs, letting go of outdated beliefs, shifting perspectives, uncovering traumatic memories and reframing them. ⁣
2. EMOTIONAL: expressing suppressed emotions, releasing painful feelings, restoring the emotional field and emotional regulation, containing intense survival emotions. ⁣
3. NERVOUS SYSTEM: completion of survival responses of fight/flight/fawn/freeze/shut down, restoring core cycles of activation and restoration, re-regulating the nervous system ⁣
4. RELATIONAL: stabilizing the relational field as secure and safe, feeling the other in your own system, allowing us to be felt and seen by another ⁣
5. SOMATIC: remembering and resolving body/implicit memories. Containing sensations and allowing them to move through our system. ⁣
6. IDENTITY: comforting and soothing younger versions of ourselves and leading them into safety and our Presence at the moment⁣
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Resolution is not a single event. It's a process, unique to each of us. OWN IT. ⁣
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If you need guidance on how to support your system long-term to complete cycles of unresolved trauma then the Self-Attunement Workbook is for you. ⁣⁣Discover more via the link in my bio. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Love.⁣⁣
Ally.⁣
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11/03/2022

Stress Less by consciously s l o w i n g d o w n whatever you are doing. Practice this when you are unrushed so you can turn it on when feeling flustered.

08/03/2022

Our brain is comprised of 80% water and being even mildly dehydrated can negatively impact your moods - making you feel more anxious, tense, or depressed - in addition to sapping your energy levels and lowering your ability to concentrate. This may seem simple but staying well hydrated is an easy step we can take towards less stress.

07/03/2022

Love you to join me for a Creative Break during lunchtime this Wednesday. Take a moment for some creativity and mindfulness to reduce stress and find your flow. Message with any questions.

Find it hard to make time for creativity? Jump online in your lunch break and each week we'll use mindfulness, relaxation, drawing, and reflective themes to get your daily dose of self-care and space for your creative outlet. March 2nd - April 13th. Weekly drop in class, limited places. No previous....

07/03/2022

Welcome to Week 2 of Stress Less March.. today let's talk about MULTI-TASKING..
Do you find yourself responding to text messages while booking an appointment online and having a conversation? Are you sending emails while cooking dinner and watching YouTube? Do you stop activities midway to respond to something else, or go to do something only to find yourself doing something completely different without realising or knowing how you got there? When was the last time you focussed on a concrete task, without any distractions?

When we're trying to juggle multiple tasks at once, our brains are constantly bombarded and we never get into a state of uninterrupted focus - one where we become absorbed in the enjoyment of what we are doing. When we can find this place, we also often find a space where worry moves into the background and is replaced with focus and satisfaction.

07/03/2022

Self-compassion leads to authenticity 🦋

Shared in this week’s message from Kristin in honor of women’s history month 💪🏾

One of the most pervasive findings of the research literature is that self-compassion leads to authenticity because when we aren’t dependent on the approval of others for our self-worth, we are free to express our true selves. A key part of authenticity involves honoring our fierce and tender sides and getting them into balance. - Kristin Neff

06/03/2022

Practicing self-compassion is a powerful way to reduce stress. This means that we speak to ourselves kindly, treat our selves with care, and forgive ourselves for mistakes or perceived shortcomings. It means we don't beat up on ourselves, but practice gentle acceptance of all of us.

03/03/2022

Our relaxation system is regulated by safe and caring connection with others. Sharing in-person laughter and eye contact helps our nervous systems rest and restore. Even moments of ‘micro-connection’ in your day can deliver what’s needed. Connection is medicine!