An Interview with Diane St. John
Hello everyone.
This is an interview with Diane St. John. She is a colleague of mine and is very good at what she does. She helps find ways for people to unwind, dissolve, and integrate trauma.
I hope this interview with Diane will help everyone understand that trauma is not at all a "bad" thing. Most everyone has unresolved trauma fixated somewhere in their nervous system. Perhaps this interview will help illuminate what some of us already know.
Thank you for visiting my blog
Diane can be reached at:
206-368-8145
Her web-site is:
http://pathsofconnection.com
How long have you been practicing?
In 1981 I began doing biofeedback as part of a stress management practice. At that time I was working primarily with people with headaches and TMJ/ dental issues. Since that time, I have been in private practice and working with many different types of people and issues; traumatic experiences, chronic diseases, emotional distress… I guess all of the things that practitioners find in their offices on a regular basis! I also teach professional and public workshops with my husband, Don.
How did you start?
Biofeedback was my starting place. Since that time I have been exploring and studying different disciplines: psychology; (i.e. Voice Dialogue, Psychology of Mind, the Enneagram, A.E.D.P., Peter Levine’s S.E.), somatic practices: (Primarily Hellerwork structural integration, craneiosacral, breathworks) movement (Continuum with Emilie Conrad and Susan Harper), and I have my own spiritual practice. I have always been interested in exploring ways to integrate and weave these together in a coherent way that works for me.
What are some of the more rewarding attributes of your work?
I really love working in a relational way with patients. I love assisting them in be coming more attuned to their bodies, more aware and more self-reflective. I appreciate being part of an individual’s growth and being able to support them in becoming more resilient and capable in meeting life’s challenges. I know also that this work challenges me to stay in a continuing learning process both for myself and for my professional growth; that is rewarding also.
What are some of the more difficult challenges?
I think for me, people who come to me to deal with a shock trauma (ie: an auto accident) and we discover that there are underlying traumas from a long time ago that haven’t been dealt with. How to open that up and deal with it skillfully is challenging. Also, meeting people where they are and being really present with them is an art form in itself that is challenging.
What kind of work do you do?
I work very eclectically; depending upon what I think would be the most appropriate for the patient. Helping people learn how to slow down and attend to their inner sensations is really important. Helping people to discover and attend to their hearts intelligence is also a big part of the work I do. I also educate people, helping them learn what is occurring in their bodies and how to understand and work with it. I sometimes use touch, movement and breath, sometimes on the table but more frequently I work in a dialogue format; using the relational part of our work as part of the healing journey.
What is trauma in your opinion?
Trauma is anything that overwhelms the organism’s capacity to feel, deal and process energy. If that energy is not processed, released or integrated, the capacity for the autonomic nervous system to stay in sympathetic-parasympathetic balance becomes overwhelmed. A person will be living in a flight or fight mode, resulting in excessive and chronic sympathetic nervous system activation. Over time this creates not only adrenal exhaustion but can lead to the onset of a host of physical or emotional symptoms.
What are some common signs of unresolved trauma?
Good question! There are many signs to look for; hypervigilence (the person who is always on the lookout for danger…real or imagined), chronic anxiousness, a tendency to overact to emotional or physical events, guardedness in the musculo-skeletal system, difficulty maintaining relationships, emotional volatility, a tendency toward physical or mental rigidity. People’s lives can become very narrow.
How can trauma be resolved and integrated?
Often this takes time; I would say some of the resolution depends upon the individual’s resiliency and their personal and social resources. This type of person, in my experience, is capable of moving through trauma fairly well. A person who is less resourced and resilient needs to have their sense of safety, resources and trust restored or at least ‘roughed-in’. This is often the most vital part of the work. Then I work to titrate experience (break it down in to bite sized and digestible pieces), and then help the body to release the excess energy in a manageable way. As this happens, I want to help each person create a coherent experience, that is: be able to recall and remember the event without activation. This is perhaps an oversimplification, but it gives you an idea of the process of resolution.
What is S.E.?
S.E. is a termed coined by Peter Levine which stands for Somatic Experiencing. Basically, it is tuning in to the subtle experience, the felt sense, which is always occurring in the body. By turning attention to these experiences and learning to be present with them, a person can become more familiar, even comfortable, with newly felt sensations. When there is avoidance or fear, the work is to help people learn to tolerate unusual or difficult sensations. This preparation facilitates the release of excessive energy which is what ultimately allows for the trauma to be resolved.
How does Rolfing and S.E. benefit one another? Similar? Different?
I believe that being aware of S.E. is an advantage for anyone working with the body. It is a way to educate patients and help them become more attuned to their experience moment to moment. They in turn are then more adept at dialoguing with their practitioner about what is happening for them…the work becomes an exchange with each other, a healing relationship. It is also useful for the practitioner to know when to back off and when to go forward with his (her) work…especially if the objective is to assist the patient in becoming more integrated physically and emotionally. They are two really different processes but I believe S.E. can be brought to Rolfing in a way that is very beneficial for the patient.
What are you curious about these days?
My husband and I are developing the work of Paths of Connection. I am also interested in learning more about the role of the heart and how this understanding can be useful in the healing of trauma as well as working with other health issues. I am studying attachment relationships and how to work with them. What happens in a baby and child’s early experiences that sets the tone for their developing ability or inability to engage with themselves and others successfully? There is just so much to explore!
This is an interview with Diane St. John. She is a colleague of mine and is very good at what she does. She helps find ways for people to unwind, dissolve, and integrate trauma.
I hope this interview with Diane will help everyone understand that trauma is not at all a "bad" thing. Most everyone has unresolved trauma fixated somewhere in their nervous system. Perhaps this interview will help illuminate what some of us already know.
Thank you for visiting my blog
Diane can be reached at:
206-368-8145
Her web-site is:
http://pathsofconnection.com
How long have you been practicing?
In 1981 I began doing biofeedback as part of a stress management practice. At that time I was working primarily with people with headaches and TMJ/ dental issues. Since that time, I have been in private practice and working with many different types of people and issues; traumatic experiences, chronic diseases, emotional distress… I guess all of the things that practitioners find in their offices on a regular basis! I also teach professional and public workshops with my husband, Don.
How did you start?
Biofeedback was my starting place. Since that time I have been exploring and studying different disciplines: psychology; (i.e. Voice Dialogue, Psychology of Mind, the Enneagram, A.E.D.P., Peter Levine’s S.E.), somatic practices: (Primarily Hellerwork structural integration, craneiosacral, breathworks) movement (Continuum with Emilie Conrad and Susan Harper), and I have my own spiritual practice. I have always been interested in exploring ways to integrate and weave these together in a coherent way that works for me.
What are some of the more rewarding attributes of your work?
I really love working in a relational way with patients. I love assisting them in be coming more attuned to their bodies, more aware and more self-reflective. I appreciate being part of an individual’s growth and being able to support them in becoming more resilient and capable in meeting life’s challenges. I know also that this work challenges me to stay in a continuing learning process both for myself and for my professional growth; that is rewarding also.
What are some of the more difficult challenges?
I think for me, people who come to me to deal with a shock trauma (ie: an auto accident) and we discover that there are underlying traumas from a long time ago that haven’t been dealt with. How to open that up and deal with it skillfully is challenging. Also, meeting people where they are and being really present with them is an art form in itself that is challenging.
What kind of work do you do?
I work very eclectically; depending upon what I think would be the most appropriate for the patient. Helping people learn how to slow down and attend to their inner sensations is really important. Helping people to discover and attend to their hearts intelligence is also a big part of the work I do. I also educate people, helping them learn what is occurring in their bodies and how to understand and work with it. I sometimes use touch, movement and breath, sometimes on the table but more frequently I work in a dialogue format; using the relational part of our work as part of the healing journey.
What is trauma in your opinion?
Trauma is anything that overwhelms the organism’s capacity to feel, deal and process energy. If that energy is not processed, released or integrated, the capacity for the autonomic nervous system to stay in sympathetic-parasympathetic balance becomes overwhelmed. A person will be living in a flight or fight mode, resulting in excessive and chronic sympathetic nervous system activation. Over time this creates not only adrenal exhaustion but can lead to the onset of a host of physical or emotional symptoms.
What are some common signs of unresolved trauma?
Good question! There are many signs to look for; hypervigilence (the person who is always on the lookout for danger…real or imagined), chronic anxiousness, a tendency to overact to emotional or physical events, guardedness in the musculo-skeletal system, difficulty maintaining relationships, emotional volatility, a tendency toward physical or mental rigidity. People’s lives can become very narrow.
How can trauma be resolved and integrated?
Often this takes time; I would say some of the resolution depends upon the individual’s resiliency and their personal and social resources. This type of person, in my experience, is capable of moving through trauma fairly well. A person who is less resourced and resilient needs to have their sense of safety, resources and trust restored or at least ‘roughed-in’. This is often the most vital part of the work. Then I work to titrate experience (break it down in to bite sized and digestible pieces), and then help the body to release the excess energy in a manageable way. As this happens, I want to help each person create a coherent experience, that is: be able to recall and remember the event without activation. This is perhaps an oversimplification, but it gives you an idea of the process of resolution.
What is S.E.?
S.E. is a termed coined by Peter Levine which stands for Somatic Experiencing. Basically, it is tuning in to the subtle experience, the felt sense, which is always occurring in the body. By turning attention to these experiences and learning to be present with them, a person can become more familiar, even comfortable, with newly felt sensations. When there is avoidance or fear, the work is to help people learn to tolerate unusual or difficult sensations. This preparation facilitates the release of excessive energy which is what ultimately allows for the trauma to be resolved.
How does Rolfing and S.E. benefit one another? Similar? Different?
I believe that being aware of S.E. is an advantage for anyone working with the body. It is a way to educate patients and help them become more attuned to their experience moment to moment. They in turn are then more adept at dialoguing with their practitioner about what is happening for them…the work becomes an exchange with each other, a healing relationship. It is also useful for the practitioner to know when to back off and when to go forward with his (her) work…especially if the objective is to assist the patient in becoming more integrated physically and emotionally. They are two really different processes but I believe S.E. can be brought to Rolfing in a way that is very beneficial for the patient.
What are you curious about these days?
My husband and I are developing the work of Paths of Connection. I am also interested in learning more about the role of the heart and how this understanding can be useful in the healing of trauma as well as working with other health issues. I am studying attachment relationships and how to work with them. What happens in a baby and child’s early experiences that sets the tone for their developing ability or inability to engage with themselves and others successfully? There is just so much to explore!
posted by James Allbaugh at 10:57 PM
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