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Therapy clients--especially those who have ever felt unseen or unheard by a therapist before--feel Clinical Social Worker Stephanie Greene attune to even their most subtle of emotional cues. A profound sense of feeling seen, heard and understood can liberate us from self doubt and shame. This tuning-in to the most subtle changes in client emotion, body language, and tone guides Stephanie to interpret clues that uncover where a client may feel guarded or even reveal something the client does not yet know herself! Thus, patients can feel highly validated and secure which is crucial to building trust and openness in a therapeutic relationship.

Stephanie responds to resistance in a welcoming, gentle, and curious way, therefore clients typically feel respected and not judged. Resistance, which can manifest as reluctance to discuss certain topics or discomfort with particular emotions, is acknowledged as a natural and important part of the therapeutic process. Instead of pushing against this resistance, Stephanie meets it with curiosity and compassion, creating an environment where clients feel more at ease to explore their feelings at their own pace. This approach helps clients to lower their defenses and engage more fully in the therapeutic work.

Stephanie is skilled in gently increasing the client’s window of tolerance, understanding how to help the nervous system gradually become comfortable with more complex emotional material. The window of tolerance refers to the optimal zone of arousal where a person can effectively manage and process emotions. By slowly and carefully exposing clients to challenging emotions and experiences, Stephanie helps expand this window, allowing clients to handle more intense emotional states without becoming overwhelmed. This gradual process ensures that clients feel secure and supported as they confront and work through deeper issues.

The therapeutic process often involves a delicate dance between top-down talk therapy and bottom-up nervous system regulation. Top-down approaches focus on cognitive and verbal processing, helping clients to understand and articulate their thoughts and feelings. Bottom-up approaches, on the other hand, involve working directly with the body and the nervous system to regulate emotions and reduce stress. Stephanie integrates these methods, helping clients reach repressed issues while maintaining their comfort and grounding them throughout the process.

In this dance, Stephanie might use talk therapy to explore and make sense of the client’s experiences, while also incorporating techniques like mindfulness, breathwork, or somatic experiencing to calm and regulate the nervous system. This holistic approach ensures that clients not only gain insight into their issues but also develop the capacity to stay present and grounded when dealing with emotional pain.

Overall, clients affirm that they feel a blend of safety, validation, and empowerment. They are more likely to trust the process and engage deeply in their healing journey, knowing that Stephanie is responsive, compassionate, and equipped to help them navigate both the cognitive and somatic aspects of their experiences.