RESEARCH INTERESTS

As an athlete, I have always been fascinated by the body's capability.  I learned to tune in to (or sometimes tune out) the messages or information my body was providing.  Interestingly, I also found this to be true as a counselor.  My training and supervision was heavily therapist-focused rather than having the entire focus be on the client's process.  In supervision at the Crisis Center where I completed my clinical training, when you were struggling to work with a client, rather than exploring the client's issues, the focus was on what was happening with you as the therapist that was keeping you from connecting.  This therapist-centered process was extremely painful at times and often humbling but it also increased my self-awareness and helped me learn to trust myself in the therapy process.  It allowed me to explore how and why I was being impacted by my clients and learn to use this process to build the therapeutic relationship. 

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One part of awareness that is almost always present for therapists but completely lacking in counselor training or preparation is the area of somatic awareness.  As human beings, we have a constant flow of energy or sensation occurring throughout our bodies.  We may not have this information in our conscious awareness but it is none-the-less buzzing in the background.  At times, we may get triggered or something happens that causes a more noticeable reaction in our bodies.  I found this to be true for myself as a therapist and I wondered how others, especially beginning counselors, experienced and made sense of this form of information. 

 

I decided to research the concept of felt sense, a form of somatic awareness, for my dissertation.  Due to the lack of research regarding this topic, I chose to utilize a qualitative methodology, Phenomenology, in order to explore the concept in greater depth.  I interviewed six Counselor Education students who were engaged in clinical work at the time of the study.  Findings from the study indicate beginning counselors experience felt sense information at varying levels and utilize this information with clients depending on their own comfort and awareness of felt sense experiencing.  An interesting finding of the study was that all counselors in the study increased their awareness by participating and indicated the concept of felt sense provided a language to talk about sensation and somatic experiences.  A full report of the study and the findings can be found here: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Felt Sense Among Beginning Counselors: A Phenomenological Study.

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I continue to work on research and publications based on the study's findings.  I offer workshops for counselors regarding felt sense awareness as well as integrate this information into groups and trainings for clients.  I feel strongly that this is an area of need for therapists and have developed a course, Felt Sense in Therapy: Linking the Mind & Body, to teach beginning therapists these skills.

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