Category: Somatic Psychotherapy

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

How to Learn the Language of Emotions

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist and Educator, Artarmon, Sydney

To learn the language of emotions, we need to understand that emotions are not logical, and cannot be communicated meaningfully in logical terms alone.

You can tell someone “I feel down” or “I feel great” in three simple words. Telling them exactly how and why can be far more challenging, especially when you might not even know yourself. 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

Expectations – What Expectations?

J:“I’ve given up all expectations”

M: “OK”

J: “OK? OK? Is that all you have to say? I thought you’d be a little more excited than that!!”

We all have expectations

We all have expectations,  some stated, some unstated and taken for granted.

Some of the biggest problems in relationships, causing us stress both at work and in our personal lives, are caused by expectations that are not clearly communicated. 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

Somatic Psychotherapy Beyond Labels : The CoreDevelopment Method

Core Development’s method of Somatic Psychotherapy

Core Development offers:

  • FACE-TO-FACE  PSYCHOTHERAPY SESSIONS IN SYDNEY
  • ZOOM AND PHONE PSYCHOTHERAPY SESSIONS WORLDWIDE

Orientation

Core Development’s method of body-inclusive or somatic psychotherapy enables us to learn from our own experiencing.

Core Development takes the view that symptoms that are often labelled in our society as ‘sick’ or ‘dysfunctional’ are in many cases the opposite – they are pathways to creating more fulfilling and successful lives. 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

Stress and Emotional Wellbeing For Parents, Educators and Practitioners Who Work With Children

YOU CHERISH THE TIME YOU SPEND LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN.
THE QUESTION IS : WHO IS LOOKING AFTER YOU?

Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Psychotherapists and Practitioners in the Healing Professions Please note:

If you substitute the word “patients” for children, and “Doctors, Nurses, Therapists or Paramedics” for Parents, you will find that this also applies to you.

Core Development offers the following to Parents, Educators, and Practitioners who work with children:

  • Counselling and Psychotherapy (Core Development method)
  • Individual sessions (also available by phone and Zoom)
  • Couples sessions
  • Sessions for parents and teenagers (together or separately)
  • In-house workshops tailored for your team or organisation
  • Public workshops and Talks
  • Supervision

YOUR NEEDS MATTER

If you parent or work with children, it is likely you are always thinking of others. In doing so, you may be neglecting your own needs.

To be a better carer, it is important to take care of yourself. read more