Integrative counselling aims to promote healing and facilitate wholeness - encouraging a person's optimal being and functioning (mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health). Clients commit to self-exploration and open to identifying what factors,, blind spots in their life are perpetuating problems, and/or are causing current concerns.
This approach leads to increased awareness as integrative therapy helps to create a healthy alliance between mind, body and spirit - aligning core capacities, personal wisdom and resilience.
The process of integrative counselling is centered on the active exploration of experience in the here and now - a phenomenological view of reality.
The central core of integrative counselling is that there are many ways in which human functioning can be explored and understood. Anni's core foundation for her practice are grounded in:
A top-down and bottom-up approach (cognitive as well as body- oriented approach depending on need and current client capacity for safety).
Experiential modalities: Mindfulness, contemplative exercises, sound and expressive arts and ritual.
Science-based, Relational/Interpersonal Therapy. Currently competing a Level 2 NARM training (Neuro-Affective Relational Model for healing developmental trauma).
Benefits and Risks of Integrated Therapy
A key advantage of integrative counselling is its flexibility and focus on the whole of an individual. The integration of approaches means that counselling is tailored to meet a variety of needs and concerns. It can be particularly beneficial for those who want to shift negative patterns of behaviour, thinking or feeling caused by anxieties, fears, phobias or any other mental health issue that is greatly impacting life satisfaction (i.e. addictions, depression, past and current trauma, bereavement and low self-esteem).
Risks: Include one feeling open and vulnerable bringing to the surface or felt in the body old patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Also, counseling requires one's commitment towards truth, sometimes challenging old walls and personality adaptations. As necessary as this is, it requires courage, time and a healthy dose of focus, courage and commitment.
Benefits: Include exploring personal growth, expanded personal awareness on better understanding what is at the root of symptoms and dis-ease. Expanded skillfulness in navigating stress and change, increased patience and compassion for self and others and an overall increased capacity and sense of aliveness and purpose for Life.