Several years back, I started a reflective practice during the transition from late December to early January. This time of year always feels like a natural pause, a moment to step back and take stock of where I’ve been and where I’m headed.
Typically I sit with my journal, my calendar, my phone and a nice hot latte to reflect and review. I do this practice both personally and professionally, and it allows me to assess my growth, and to set new goals, and realign my priorities.
This year, I was encouraged to formalize this process, and I thought it might be beneficial to share it with others through this blog. Here’s a glimpse into how I approach my reflective practice:
My Reflective Practice Steps, including Art Creation
Review the Past Year: I dedicate time to reflect on the experiences and milestones of the past year, noting both achievements and challenges, which I also refer to as possibilities and disappointments. How do I measure this? Each year, I choose a word or mantra that embodies an idea I wish to deeply understand. I integrate this word into my daily life and periodically reflect on it throughout the year. In 2024, my intention was to explore symmetry, especially focusing on the symbolism of the yin-yang and the chaordic path that lies between the tension of order and chaos.
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Identify Key Learnings: Since my intentions are dynamically set and concept-driven, they enable me to extract insights from my experiences and connect with them in novel ways, influencing my future decisions. I might document these insights by writing them down, sketching a concept, or jotting them on a post-it and storing it in my phone's photo records. The goal is to learn, relate, and grow with intention, achieving a deep understanding throughout the year.
Set Intentions for the New Year: As I embark on the review process, I recognize that a new word, concept, and vision are crossing the year's transitional threshold. I become curious about which words and concepts are capturing my interest and presenting challenges for growth. This allows me to start setting intentions for the coming year, integrating them with words from previous years. From this point, I outline my goals and aspirations for the upcoming year, ensuring they align with my values and long-term vision. I might even explore a vision art journal or collage work, and I will create a mandala or altar related to this. Being highly visual, I bring it to life kinesthetically.
Develop a Strategy: I create actionable steps to achieve my goals, breaking them down into manageable tasks. Importantly, I work with others by identifying who or what can help me. Should I keep or modify current support systems and people? Support offers accountability and a chance to explore new methods. Let's be honest, working alone can be isolating, overwhelming in business aspects, and can result in decision fatigue.
Commit to Regular Check-Ins: I schedule time throughout the year to revisit my reflections and adjust my plans as needed. I also listen intuitively along with the accountability through support that helps me prioritize
I hope the break-down of these steps may inspire you to create your own creative reflective practices as part of both personal and professional growth.
Sharing Insights from 2024: The Intersection of Art and Science in Neuro-informed EMDR
Throughout the past year, I've embarked on a journey to delve into the dynamic interaction between order and chaos in therapeutic work, instead of aiming for a perfect equilibrium. I hope this post encourages some thoughts on the Art and Science of EMDR. This viewpoint aligns with the yin-yang concept, where opposites are both interconnected and interdependent. Adopting this philosophy has enabled me to value structure while also acknowledging the significance of natural flow in my practice.
As an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and a member of a unique group dedicated to studying Polyvagal EMDR, I have made significant strides in my professional development. These experiences have not only refined my approach but have also opened up exciting new opportunities, illustrating that the dance between order and chaos can lead to richer therapeutic experiences.
The Evolution of Practice
Being selected as one of the few therapists to learn Polyvagal EMDR with Rebecca Kase was a pivotal moment. It has deepened my understanding of the nervous system and my perception of therapy structure, illustrating how protocol and intuition can harmoniously interact. The journey was filled with highs and lows—periods of great potential were often succeeded by doubt, eventually leading to renewed insights.
Where Structure Meets Flow
Our work as EMDR therapists requires both precision and flexibility. Through Polyvagal EMDR training, I discovered how these seemingly opposite forces actually strengthen each other:
Protocol provides the foundation
Nervous system wisdom guides the timing
Client resilience shapes the path
Therapeutic intuition illuminates the way
The Consultation Journey
Collaborating with therapists throughout the US and Canada has demonstrated how each practitioner discovers their distinct equilibrium. Some are exceptional with structure, while others thrive in flexibility. However, the most effective work occurs when both are respected. As a consultant, my role is not to impose strict conformity but to assist each therapist in uncovering their genuine therapeutic voice within the reliable practice framework of EMDR.
Anticipating the Future
As we approach 2025, my focus includes:
Enhancing the integration of Polyvagal insights with EMDR techniques
Broadening consultation to foster genuine development in therapists
Designing environments where structure and creativity thrive together
Developing programs that honor scientific principles while embracing clinical intuition
A Closing Thought
"A seed contains the plant's intention." Like seeds, we contain both structure (our training) and potential (our growth). Both are essential to our development as healers.
The content shared in this blog post reflects personal experiences and professional insights from my EMDR practice and training. While I aim to provide valuable perspectives for fellow practitioners, this information should not be considered a substitute for formal EMDR training, consultation, or supervision. Each client's needs are unique, and all therapeutic interventions should be implemented within the scope of your training, licensure, and professional guidelines. EMDR is a specialized therapeutic approach that requires proper training and certification. For official EMDR protocols and guidelines, please refer to EMDRIA resources @ www.emdria.org
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