Short and Sweet Headlines are Best!
BOTTOM-UP PROCESSING
approach to treating mental health conditions
An approach that focuses on the body and physical sensations of trauma in order to access and process emotional experiences. This approach differs from traditional talk therapy, which primarily focuses on verbal communication and cognitive processing.
We integrate this approach (as well as traditional talk therapy) with integrated and conventional medicine, nutrition, exercise-by-prescription, physical therapies, neurotherapy, equine, art, somatic and sensorimotor therapy, family constellation therapy and much more.
The overall effect of the integrated bottom-up processing approach is that you address and treat the root-causes of your symptoms holistically from a team of trauma-informed and trained practitioners.
Why is a Bottom-Up Processing Important?
The bottom-up processing approach is highly effective because it provides a direct, physical connection to emotions and memories.
By accessing emotions through the body and physical sensations, these therapies can bypass the cognitive defenses that often prevent individuals from processing traumatic experiences and emotions.
Furthermore, by providing a safe and non-verbal form of expression, these therapies can help individuals who may have difficulty verbalizing their experiences and emotions and who have tried talk therapy for years and found little benefit.
Why Does Bottom-Up Processing Approach Work?
Firstly, lets look at what happens to our bodies when we experience trauma.
"Trauma happens when the energy that we mobilize to defend and protect ourselves doesn't get used up, doesn't get to complete.
So if we wanted to run and couldn't run, if we wanted to fight and couldn't fight, that energy gets stuck inside of us. As a result of this, many chemicals, like adrenaline and cortisol, get stuck boosting up that energy and keeping at that high level. It's as though our survival energies are all dressed up with no place to go.
This activation can stay on for years until the body is able to complete the responses that it began or that it wanted to do at that time. And it doesn't, again, really matter what caused the trauma. What's most important is the completion of that response so that our nervous system is free to go back into a relaxed, alert equilibrium." - Dr Peter Levine.
Bottom-up processing primarily treats the physiological response to trauma. Ranging from body-felt sensations, emotions and feelings, alterations in biochemistry and hormones to nutritional deficiencies, brain function and so much more. Treating the root cause from the physiological first then the psychological provides stablisation and regulation to your nervous system and wellbeing.