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In April 2011 I concluded a two year training Eye of the Needle 1 and 2, to assist those who have had near death experiences or anesthesia awareness while having surgical procedures.  This training was given by Peter Levine for those who have completed the three year training and are Somatic Experiencing Practitioners (SEP).  Some people who have had these types of experiences have a nervous system that has a hard time understanding it survived.  You may be stuck in an altered state.  The techniques that Dr. Levine has developed may be able to help you settle back into your body and live a more regulated life again.

In October of 2012 I attended Peter Levine's Master class on Emotion, Memory and Trauma in Chester, CT.  In this class we learned ways to access and help process different types of memory in relation to trauma.  Traumatic memory is one of the most misunderstood and contentious issues in trauma treatment today. Part of this confusion stems from a limited comprehension surrounding the nature and complexity of memory. There are multiple memory systems in the brain and body ranging from those most conscious (so called "normal" or declarative memories) to implicit (emotional) and procedural (so called body) memories, which are deeply unconscious.  We learned ways to weave these memories into a cohesive narrative to help restore wholeness and open pathways for healthier reactions to traumatic events. 

In April of 2013 I attended another of Peter Levine's Master classes on the Polyvagal Nervous System and  Healing Complex trauma with Bodywork.  We learned  new more specific ways to help our clients with containment while their bodies process the complex reactions to thwarted traumatic responses.  It has been very helpful for my clients so far.  We learned techniques to help deal with chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Pain.

  In October of 2013 I attended another master class by Peter Levine dealing with Depression, Aggression and Life Energy.  We worked with different protocols to help clients who are immobilized by depression to find ways to start mobilizing the energy that holds them there.  We were working to help people discover their authentic self and thereby move forward.  This was one of the best classes I have taken from Dr Levine.

In February of 2014 I attended Healing the Wounds of War.  It focused on techniques to help veterans with PTSD that Dr. Levine has developed after working with Veterans returning from the Middle East.

October 2014 took me to Garrison NY for a wonderful class with Dr. Levine called Advanced Work with Complex Syndromes that provided me with protocols to do bodywork and to work with autoimmune issues and complex syndromes such as Chronic Pain and Chronic Fatigue.  I left there with exactly what I went for.  A new way to combine forces with medical providers to help the body deal with autoimmune issues and complex syndromes.

In March of 2015, I attended Dr. Levine's class in Dana Point, CA on The Psychology of the Body, Body Reading and Developmental Trauma.  I came away from this class clearly being able to be more attentive with the visual cues that the body gives during sessions.  Very useful tools in helping clients to titrate their experience in a safe environment.

October of 2015 I once again headed to Garrison NY for Dr. Levine's master class on Sexual Trauma.  I have returned to my practice with some excellent protocols that have been working well with my clients who have been dealing with sexual trauma.  This class also focused on Trauma and Memory which is the subject of Dr. Levine's new book.  It gave me a deeper understanding of how memory works which in turn gives me a better understanding of how to help clients figure out what they need in order to complete their traumatic experiences. 

In April 2016 I attended PTSD and Concussions with Dave Berger in Kansas City.  In this class I learned more protocols for helping those with concussions.  Dave is a Physical Therapist and teaches SE Beginning and Intermediate classes.  He provided some great bodywork protocols that have been very successful with my clients.  Working deeply with the brain and helping it with cranial sacral protocols.

In October of 2016 I attended Peter Levine's class Therapeutic Presence, Therapeutic Rhythm.  In this class we reviewed and improved our SE skills.  I was able to assist Dr. Levine with a client who started going through the Eye of the Needle.  This gave me a much deeper understanding of how he works - what he sees, feels and knows when working with clients.

In May of 2018 I attended Eye of the Needle 1 for a second time to reinforce my understanding of this difficult protocol.  I am including my previous statement about the class:   Some people who have had these types of experiences have a nervous system that has a hard time understanding it survived.  You may be stuck in an altered state.  The techniques that Dr. Levine has developed may be able to help you settle back into your body and live a more regulated life again.

On January 10, 2021 I attended a class online titled Covid, ICU and Ventialtor Trauma with Peter Levine.  It was designed to help people who had to go to the ICU and be on a ventilator and who are having trouble regaining their footing in life.  I am hoping that this class will be a valuable tool for people in the future as Covid cases ease and I am able to meet in person with clients again.  It is a very similar protocol to Eye of the Needle.

If you are looking at my pages and feel that you could use this kind of help but I'm not the right match, I urge you to find someone who does Somatic Experiencing in your area to help.  It is an amazing protocol that has helped traumatized people re-establish themselves in the world.  Best wishes to you as you go forward.