Category: Professional Development

Help with Depression, Anxiety and Stress. The Person or the Condition?

It’s good to remind ourselves not to see and relate to people – children and adults – through the filter of a label, however correct we may think the label is.

Some time ago I had the opportunity of working with a woman in her late 20s. She was diagnosed as chronically depressed, and stuck in a junior position in her company because they said she was a slow learner with poor communication skills and no good at working in a team. read more

What is the most important skill of a Somatic Psychotherapist?

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“EVERY TIME WE TEACH A CHILD SOMETHING, WE PREVENT HIM FROM INVENTING IT HIMSELF!” Jean Piaget

You may think that the most important skill of a somatic psychotherapist is their ability to understand your process, to make sense of what you’re going through. That’s helpful but it’s not enough. read more

Do You Have To Be Mentally Ill To Benefit From Counselling And Psychotherapy?

Counselling and Psychotherapy are powerful tools for personal and social change.

They enable us to resolve emotional issues that are preventing us from being happy with ourselves and our lives, and from having fulfilling relationships.

They can also be helpful in cases where physical problems are caused or aggravated by emotional stress. Somatic or Body Psychotherapy can be especially helpful in this respect. read more

The Most Important Aspect Of Psychotherapy

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist, Artarmon, Sydney

“Be wary of those who say they have the answers.
Seek instead the company of those who are trying to understand the questions.”

THE TASK OF A THERAPIST IS TO START WITH NOT KNOWING
What works for one person does not necessarily work for another. read more

Somatic Psychotherapy and Counselling for Parents, Educators and People Who Support Others

PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT OTHERS NEED SUPPORT TOO!

Parents, Educators, Social Workers, Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics and Practitioners in the Healing Professions.

Are YOU getting the support you need?
Are YOUR needs being met?

I don’t need to explain how damaging stress can be, how it can undermine your immune system and cause you irritability, pain, and discomfort in the short term, and serious illness in the long term. read more

What do CORONAVIRUS, VACCINATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PSYCHOTHERAPY have in common?

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist Sydney

Consider this :
“IT’S EASY FOR MEAT-EATERS TO SHARE A KITCHEN
IT’S EASY FOR VEGETARIANS TO SHARE A KITCHEN
THE CHALLENGE IS FOR MEAT-EATERS AND VEGETARIANS TO FIND WAYS OF SHARING A KITCHEN WITH EACH OTHER!”
Quote from Sun Bear, Native American Medicine Man read more

Somatic Psychotherapy and Indigenous Wisdom

by Donald Marmara, somatic psychotherapist and educator, Core Development Sydney

My Initial Diagnosis: Clinical Anxiety and Depression

At the age of 14 I was diagnosed clinically anxious and depressed and prescribed an ever-increasing dosage of psychotropic drugs. I was told that I would be dependent upon these drugs for the rest of my life.

I would probably have continued to be dependent on these drugs if I had tried to adjust to the values of society . read more

How Do You Listen? An important question in counselling and psychotherapy

A wise old owl sat in an oak,The more she saw, the less she spoke. The less she spoke, the more she heard. Why can’t we be like this wise old bird?

In the mid-1980’s I served an apprenticeship with a Native American medicine man, Sun Bear.

When I introduced Sun Bear to an audience, I said:

There are different ways to listen. One way is to listen with your head, to try to understand, explain, interpret, evaluate and take notes. read more

Counselling, Somatic Psychotherapy and Emotional Healing: Reflections

PERHAPS IT”S TIME TO STOP FIGHTING AND START LISTENING.

Not listening in order to convince others that we’re right and they are wrong, but listening to understand, listening to empathize.

Perhaps its time to remember that our humanity unites us all. We may have conflicting beliefs and strong feelings, but underneath all this we are all human beings. read more

SCHOOL by Arnold Greenberg

One of my favourite poems.

SCHOOL – by Arnold Greenberg

Our teacher handed us some seeds and said, “Go plant these in your yard and water them, then let your questions grow with every leaf. He hardly spoke except to ask what’s on our minds, and when we didn’t say a word, he’d shake his head and say, “Well that’s too bad- We’ve nothing to discuss,” And then he’d sit down on a rock and look up at the sky or at the dirt and think. One day we asked him why he wouldn’t teach and he replied, “I am.” “What do you mean?” we asked. And when he said- “I gave you seeds to plant And everyday I ask what’s on your minds and now I’m waiting patiently for you to learn your teacher is inside of you. I’m just a friend with questions of my own, but if you asked what’s on my mind, I’d have so many thoughts to share we’d talk all day, if I believed you cared- and only then .

That’s when our school began. read more