Our therapeutic modality:
Integrative Core Dynamics
ICD integrates different therapeutic modalities that address important aspects of human experience from Prepersonal-Personal-Transpersonal domains into an easily understandable and practically usable holistic approach
ICD integrates the abovementioned knowledges into what we recognise as Core principles of the psychosomatic and energetics reality of the human experience
ICD perceives the human experience as ever-changing dynamics of unfoldment and growth and we are allowing our approach to renew itself in the light of that observation
Our therapeutic modality:
Integrative Core Dynamics
- ICD is a neo-Reichian analytic, integrative body-oriented psychotherapy which explores the way that early influences and early traumas affected the development and organisation of the nervous system, including the further somatisation of that influence
- ICD explores this process in context of the early affective regulation (childhood) and later (adulthood) capacity to self-regulate, as a base for the person’s feeling of positive and productive sense of self.
- ICD therapeutic process focuses on healthy re-organisation of unhealthy traumatic experiences
- ICD explores the use of movement, focused intention and breath modulation to achieve states of ego-dissolution and self-transcendence. The traumatised, unproductive self-identification is replaced with integrated healthy self-identity
Integrative Core Dynamics
Basic premises and principles that we follow:
- ICD approaches the client with the intention of creating a different experience through the relationship with the therapist who offers realistic and healthy mirroring, so that the client can develop a positive feeling of self and improve the quality of life in intrapersonal and interpersonal, social and professional domains
- ICD cultivates a client-centered approach (C. Rogers), which means we’re focused on client’s subjective experience of the world and therapist and client are equal partners in the therapy process
- ICD uses confrontative and directive approches when it is apropriate in constructive and sensitive way
- ICD works under EABP and SPUH codes of ethics (SPUH = Croatian alliance of psychotherapeutic associations)
Integrative Core Dynamics
Our basic premises and principles in body psychotherapy:
- The body represents the manifestation of real self and the honesty of autonomous nervous system, that bypasses the neocortical top-down control of maladapted ego. Everything that the psyche cannot overcome, the body takes over
- Opening the flow of life impulses through the body if it is appropriate, increases the client’s energy and self awareness
- Catharsis and emotional discharge are not forced but allowed to occur in accordance with the natural processes of the client
- Body-oriented interventions have to be adjusted to the window of tolerance
- Body plays a crucial role in the therapeutic relationship through e.g. mirroring, somatic resonance, somatic countertransference, somatic empathy etc.
- The body, nervous system, energy system and self awareness function in unity
Integrative Core Dynamics
Areas it comprises:
A) Early childood trauma
B) Attachment styles
C) Character defences – Compensations
D) Transpersonal and Integral psychology – Core Self and Outer Self integration
Integrative Core Dynamics
A) Early developmental trauma
Includes:
- building the capacity to release traumatic energy
- repairing the damage that was done
- establishing capacity of self-regulation
- calming down or stimulation of the nervous system
Integrative Core Dynamics
Steps in trauma work:
1) Resourcing, strengthening the feeling of safety (the therapist becomes a supportive ego, a constructive selfobject for the client (Self psychology – H. Kohut)
2) Strengthening client’s emotional capacity to tolerate unpleasant emotions, using the method of optimal frustration (H. Kohut and S. Johnson) and widening the window of tolerance (Interpersonal neurobiology – D. Siegel). Clients encounter the unpleasant experience just outside of their comfort zone
3) Connecting the client with the traumatic energy, while keeping their consciousness in the here and now; using our own presence and contact to be an anchor and, if needed, a resource to the client while they go through their process
4) Gentle coaxing and encouragement to allow the client to surrender more fully into the energy and the experience of trauma
5) Allowing the client to release the trauma from the nervous system (shaking, vibrations, discharging pain and fear)
6) Balancing the autonomous nervous system, the polyvagal parasympathetic and sympathetic sides (fight & flight, freeze, faint – S. Porges)
7) Creating the experience that was lacking (calming down in the feeling of safety and a free, natural flow of their life force or stimulating the client aliveness if he/she is in hypoarusal state – B. van der Kolk) Using appropriate touch when it’s needed and safe for the client
8) In the following sessions we continue working with the feelings of traumatisation (anger, aggression) in order to reclaim the feelings of power and meaningfulness
Integrative Core Dynamics
B) Attachment styles:
- The work is largely based on understanding and re-organising early childhood influences, especially through the relationship between the child and the primary caregiver (subject/object – object relations)
- Understanding attachment styles and their effect on the later formation of the psyche, development of personality, and adoption of unconscious behavioural patterns and limiting beliefs (images)
Integrative Core Dynamics
Steps in attachment work:
1) Providing a realistic and healthier mirroring
2) Working on understanding and diagnosing the insecure attachment styles (avoidant, ambivalent, disorganised) in order to choose specific methodology related to the particular style
3) Re-parenting, acquiring healthier self-regulation through new experiences,
A) helping the client step out of the splitted black & white awareness
B) grounding the client’s awareness into embodied felt sense of the here and now
C) relaxing client’s sense of self into being human where the interpersonal secure attachment experience is possible
Integrative Core Dynamics
C) Character defences – Compensations:
We are particularly interested in:
- the ways how organism defends itself from the unpleasant experiences and creates defence patterns by using the body and creating a muscular armour in order to stop the life energy flow (through, in and out of the body)
- how to de-armour unproductive defence patterns and re-open the healthy life energy flow
- we work with neo-Reichian character defence (developmental arrest) map that includes schizoid, oral, symbiotic, submissive/masochistic, aggresive/psychopathic, rigid, impulsive-borderline and closet/inflated-narcissistic components of character defences
Integrative Core Dynamics
Steps and stages in character defences de-armouring:
A) Understanding and diagnosing character defences
B) Choose specific methodology related to the particular combination of character defences, and use of specific body-oriented approach in therapy (W. Reich, J. Pierrakos – Core Energetics, S. Johnson)
C) General stages of work:
DIRECTION of work: SURFACE (MASK) → to CORE / ESSENCE → to INTEGRATED SELF
1st stage – mask
- exploring and working through the mask self (i.e. maladapted superficial defence layer – resistance, discomfort and hidden negative intention)
2nd stage – negative intention
- opening up, accepting and expressing the repressed forbidden emotions and sensations: frustration, anger, fear, shame, guilt, pain…
- helping the client express and/or melt the negative intention towards themselves, the others or life.
3rd stage – real needs
- expression of the needs and experience of their fullfillment
- transition from negative intention to positive intention
- accepting the experience of pain, sadness (related to the past experiences) is the transitional point that may lead the client’s heart and body into an undefended open state and the experience of the real needs
4th stage – positive intention
- centering in the positive intention of Core experience
- grounding the experience of the fulfillment and the presence in openness. This is needed in order to enable the client to ground themselves in the state of positive intentionality
5th stage – integration
- unfolding of the life plan from the positive intentionality of the integrated Core Self identity
- in the following sessions suporting the client to integrate this new direction into their life
Integrative Core Dynamics
D) Transpersonal and integral psychology – Core Self and Outer Self integration:
- ICD uses Core Energetics/Pathwork, Jungian and integral maps in which a (numinous) central source of psychic energy – Self/Higer Self/Core/Essence is added to the Freudian Super ego – Ego – Id map
We are particularly interested in:
- exploring the shadow/lower self aspects of the psyche to remove the obstacles, so that love, strength and clarity from personal Core or central psychic source could permeat the outer self
- breathing techniques – knowledge about intentional modulation of the breathing rhythms to modulate the nervous systems to provide experience of ego-dissolution and self-transcendence in service of de-identification from defensive ego state and identification with universal-transcendental sense of self, in order to achieve embodied Core Self and Outer Self integration
Integrative Core Dynamics
Breathwork – basic premises:
- Traumatic experiences distort our natural breathing rhythm, which further affects neuroception, perception and self-awareness
- Breathwork is one of the fastest way to modulate someone’s state of consciousness
- Conscious regulation of breathing rhythms opens new possibilities in trauma work
- It is also a useful tool in ego-transcendental, transpersonal domain
- Changes in the breathing rhythm and gas exchange in the lungs and the body (O2, CO2 iNO) instantly affect vagal nerve and autonomous nerve system, change in the blood pH, stress hormones’ levels, neuroception, perception, modulation of brainwaves and related state of consciousness
- Change of psycho-biological equilibrium becomes therapeutically available through conscious breath modulation (slowing down or speeding up) or inflation od different parts of the lungs/chest (lower, middle or upper parts)
- Conscious breath regulation enables a conscious choice of bringing oneself and/or a client into a chosen state of consciousness
- When the client is in the desired state of consciousness, we use some of the previously described techniques to work with a specific issues
Our education for integrative body psychotherapy
Integrative Core Dynamic offers two levels of education:
1) level ICD practitioner 20 modules 4-years basic training for body-oriented psychotherapy – students attain all the fundamental knowledge after which they can start practicing therapy, while simultaneously attending the second level of the education.
2) level ICD body psychoterapist 8 modules-1,5 years of advanced training and supervisions for body-oriented psychotherapy – students complete their knowledge and attain theoretical and experiential competency for psychotherapuetic work, while having mandatory individual and group supervision and working with non-clinical population only (the clients are usually found through the circle of their acquaintances and colleagues)
ICD body psychoterapy training lasts 5,5 years altogether
TRAINERS, SUPERVISORS & PSYCHOTHERAPISTS OF THE TRAINING CENTER
TRAINERS (10 YEARS)
László Pintér EABP
Tomislav Senečić EABP, ECP
Enesa Mahić EABP
Svjetlana Bukovec EABP
Lidija Kaštelančić
TRAINERS (5 YEARS)
Márton Szemerey EABP
Matea Blažević EABP
Éva Institoris
TRAINERS
Kruno Šunjić
Nina Senečić
Asja Kuzmanić
Adrienn Molnár PhD
Olivera Drutter
Maja Petković PhD
Györgyi Szalay PhD
Mihaela Richter
Marija Rudić
SUPERVISORS
Tomislav Senečić EABP, ECP
László Pintér EABP
Enesa Mahić EABP
Svjetlana Bukovec EABP
Márton Szemerey EABP
Lidija Kaštelančić
Matea Blažević EABP
THERAPISTS
Svjetlana Bukovec EABP
Lidija Kaštelančić
Márton Szemerey EABP
Matea Blažević EABP
Éva Institoris
Kruno Šunjić
Nina Senečić
Asja Kuzmanić Roje
Adrienn Molnár PhD
Olivera Drutter
Maja Petković PhD
Györgyi Szalay PhD
Mihaela Richter
Marija Rudić
Snježana Moskalj
Ljiljana Puović
Stella Balen
Dean Bajković
Miroslava Benda ECP
Iva Pigac
CIR TIM SUPERVISORS:
(Twice a year)
Siegmar Gerken PhD, EABP, ECP
Cornelia Gerken EABP
