Toni Pieroni

HEALTH IS A FUNCTION OF CONNECTION



I have been in private practice as a counsellor/therapist since

1993. I graduated from Antioch University in Seattle, Washington in 1993

with a MA in Psychology (Counselling Track). Previously, I  worked as

a Dental Hygienist in clinical practice. During my professional career, I

pursued an avocation in psychology, personal development and holistic health

by participating in a wide variety of courses, workshops, trainings and therapies.

  I brings this eclectic background to my work today as a therapist.

My background as a health professional has led me to study and train in

body-oriented psychotherapies, such as Reichian Breathwork, Integrative Body

Psychotherapy (IBP), and Self Regulation Therapy. I have done further training

in Lifespan Integration for healing trauma, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples and I am a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist.

I have also trained in AEDP and Internal Family Systems Therapy.

I work with individuals and couples dealing with such issues as:

Emotional, physical and sexual abuse



Addictive and obsessional behavior



Co-dependency



Relationship issues



Anxiety and depression



Stress/burnout



Grief/loss



Self-esteem



Self-expression



Women’s Issues



Ecological Stress

MY APPROACH TO THERAPY



" A core sense of self, once recognized in the body, is a consistent source of

internal support and stability."



-- Jack Rosenberg, Ph.D, founder of Integrative

Body Psychotherapy



The Goal of Psychotherapy:



To experience and live from one’s core/authentic sense of self.

It is not uncommon for people to have moments or periods of life which feel

authentic, i.e., the felt sense that "this is who I really am". This experience

is usually accompanied by a sense of expansion, aliveness and well-being, a

body-felt knowing of one’s true self. However, they may not know how to live

from this knowing in a more consistent way. Some people may not recall having

had this experience, yet feel a vague (or pressing) sense that something is

really missing or that they need or want more out of life. They may feel a

sense of deadness, a lack of passion or emptiness. For many, life is often

about physical and emotional survival and coping. They may predominantly feel

fear/anxiety, pain, loss/grief, despair and/or a lack of joy, happiness, peace

and love.

As a result, people may experience a variety of symptoms or issues in their

lives: relationship difficulties, physical illness, lack of success or satisfaction

in work/careers, chronic emotional or physical pain, substance abuse, addictive

behaviours, sexual dysfunction, etc. People often seek and enter therapy when

their own attempts to solve these problems are unsuccessful.

The Process:



The first step in the therapeutic process is to develop a good working relationship

with the therapist. The earliest stages lead to increased awareness. Most

of our responses in life are reactions – automatic, habitual and unconscious,

learned from our earliest experiences. These become neurologically and biochemically

encoded in the body. Many people enter therapy when they become aware that

patterns are being repeated in their lives and they don’t know why that is

or how to change them. All reactions begin as a contraction in the body.

Under stress, the body is hardwired to react in a survival response of fight,

flight, freeze. Patterns become behavioural forms of those responses. They

are not who you really are (your authentic/core self).

Therefore, another aspect of the therapeutic process is working through and

releasing emotional and cognitive content from the past that perpetuates the

continuation of patterned responses. It is said that you can heal what you

can feel. The natural response of the organism is to move away from painful

stimuli as quickly as possible, like touching a hot stove. However, as children,

we were powerless to move away from sources of pain that occur within our home,

family, school environments, and so we develop ways to defend and protect ourselves

from further pain. These defense mechanisms become our means for survival and

become physically, mentally and emotionally a part of our system. Any stimulus

that is reminiscent of previous painful events triggers us to respond in the

only way we know how, i.e., our learned survival response. That mechanism was

essential to our survival when we were children. However, survival is not the

same as thriving. As adults, our means of survival often become the barriers

to resolving problems and actualizing our potential.They also limit our capacity

for intimacy and deeply satisfying relationships.

The body, emotions and spirit are powerful resources within each person that

can assist you to respond in life-affirming ways: ways that expand our aliveness

and well-being and that move us toward wholeness and integration of who we

really are. Therefore, another step in the therapeutic process is to experience

the resources available within and to learn tools for accessing those resources

on an ongoing basis. This is done in a variety of ways: through the relationship

between the therapist and client; through body awareness and breathing techniques;

through experiential exercises and processes; through verbal interaction and

exploration.

Another aspect of therapy is coaching. As we work through reactive patterning,

options and choices open up. Coaching involves goal setting and developing

congruent actions that move you toward positive outcomes.

Results:



An expanded experience of aliveness and well-being



A greater capacity to fulfill the potential of who you really are.



A greater sense of confidence in your ability to resolve problems and proactively

create from life’s challenges and opportunities

A greater sense of confidence in your ability to resolve problems in your intimate relationship and to grow towards more intimacy and connection.



Development of compassion and acceptance of oneself.



Discover how to move increasingly in a life-affirming direction.



Discover your own inner resources and how to draw upon them.



To experience a sense of wholeness and integration of self, i.e., body, mind

and spirit are one.



A greater capacity for healthy relating and intimacy.



More empowered to meet the

challenges of our complex world and to participate in its healing.



To know that

you make a difference