Stress
Overcome Stress-Related Disorders
The Alexander Technique is a mind-body educational process for chronic pain, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mood disorders as well as addictions (both chemical and process addictions). It teaches a person to become aware of a habitual response to stimulus that is not healthy for the person, to inhibit that response, and release their energy to move in a new direction. Those three parts of the Alexander Technique–Awareness, Inhibition and Direction–give the person a new skill with which to manage their response to stimulus, whether it is an addiction, a physical pain, or an emotionally challenging situation.
Work Past Trauma
When a person experiences trauma, it is natural to react with guarding (contracting part or all of the body, which is a natural tendency when one is injured). This acts as an anesthetic preventing the person from feeling. The pattern of guarding often becomes a new, defensive postural behavior. It desensitizes them from pain; physical, psychological and/or emotional. This disconnection in their body will have repercussions down the line.
When you have patients that are not comfortable in their bodies, it makes it harder for them to engage in their therapy sessions. When people achieve a state of comfort in their bodies as I guide them in their Alexander lessons, they also become better able to engage in their therapy.
During these last four decades of private practice, I have worked with medical doctors in a clinical setting. I see the Alexander Technique as a wellness modality that integrates well with treatment for both physical and mental/emotional problems.
Here are some real-life testimonials from students of Sherry Berjeron. Note how important the mind-body integration has been in giving each of these students a new skill for managing a behavior we tend to think of as predominately mental.