Linda Shing, PsyD, LMFT

Sometimes the fastest way through a problem is via the wisdom of your body and the history it keeps. Attending to physical sensations, like the pit-in-the-stomach feeling, super tight chest, or foggy feeling in the head, can facilitate healing at a depth and speed that talk therapy alone cannot.

Working with visceral reactions is particularly important when the goal is transformation, not just better coping or increased insight. If you've ever tried to out-think a problem or logic a feeling away, you know it doesn't stick if your knee-jerk felt sense keeps telling you something different. This is where talk therapy alone often falls short.

ART, EMDR, brainspotting, and IFS are all experiential modalities that utilize those distressing somatic sensations in the service of healing. They may track the body activation to find and then target the source of stuck patterns or focus on the uncomfortable sensations directly. Clearing the felt sense brings so much relief.

No bandaids needed.

Because much of our work will be experiential, we will often slow down and dive more deeply. You are likely to hear me say, “Would you be open to trying a little exercise around this?”  You can always say no, of course!  However, a new experience or perspective -- discovered through your own senses in session –  often sets the stage for positive, embodied change during the week and beyond.

Not checking their watch constantly because they’ve scheduled people back to back; not cutting you off at the 45 minute mark when you’re in the middle of something really important; and not sitting passively or letting you just vent week after week. 

I intentionally space out how I schedule clients to not have that unhelpful time pressure on either of us. I am an active and engaged participant in our sessions, not a “blank slate.” And while venting is a necessary release valve at times, it rarely leads to change or healing on its own. 

Welp, it’s been a minute since I had such awesome problems!

When it comes to good therapy, experience does matter, and so does training. Both take time.

I have been doing this for almost 20 years, have trained and supervised dozens of therapists, and am certified in multiple evidence-based approaches, which helps me meet the unique needs of each person I work with.

I get it!

We will define your goals and actively target them from the get-go, with constant input from you on how things are going and what you want more/less of.

If you are up for it, you are likely to get assignments in between sessions that will accelerate growth. These may be videos to watch, articles or books to read, skills to practice, experiments to try, or other activities we come up with together.

See more tips on how to get the most out of every session.