Gut Bacteria to the Rescue In addition to contributing to the health of the digestive tract, the gut organisms are responsible for regulating the immune system and the central nervous system and facilitating overall well-being. Gut microorganisms produce several neurotransmitters, such as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), acetylcholine, and serotonin, as […]
How Sensations Become Intuition The vagus nerve communicates gut signals to the brain by first connecting to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the brainstem at the base of the brain. From here, information is relayed to 1) the amygdala, which registers fear and panic; 2) the hypothalamus, which regulates
Emotional Suppression and Gut Feelings Many of us learned to suppress our emotions in childhood, pushing down feelings of sadness, anger, fear, disgust, hurt, and even joy. When expressing emotions meant punishment, ridicule, being sent alone to our room, or being made wrong, it became adaptive to shut them down
Have you ever had a gut feeling about someone or something that you wish you hadn’t ignored? This may have been accompanied by a physical sensation of tension, agitation, a sinking feeling, constriction, or aversion—your body was letting you know that something was off, but you disregarded it. I recall
Compassionate Inquiry is a psychotherapeutic approach characterized by three primary components: We know from published research over the last 25 years that the therapist’s personal qualities and their connection with their client are stronger determinants for a successful therapeutic outcome than the specific therapeutic approach that is used 1 2.
The Quality of Self-Awareness in Compassionate Inquiry Read More >>
By Sat Dharam Kaur ND Over the last few years, I have attended several Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshops to become more informed in my work with clients, and to apply what I learn to my role as a Compassionate Inquiry Facilitator. During the first workshop when the material was
By Sat Dharam Kaur ND One of the questions I may ask a client in a Compassionate Inquiry session is “Who is speaking right now?” or “Who do you think you are in this moment?” The same questions apply to me when I am in the therapist role – “Who
When I meet a client or patient for the first time in a Compassionate Inquiry session, what is most present for me is curiosity. I want to know who they are, what issue they are bringing to me, and how their current situation arose. Each new encounter is an exploratory
Three Ways of Working on the Front Lines It’s not easy to stay present, engaged and connected when working the front lines with people who have experienced severe trauma. There are basically three ways of dealing with it. One of them is harmful to yourself, another is harmful to the
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