Healing the Trauma of
Childhood Abuse & Sexual Assault

Psychotherapy addresses our emotional issues through talk without touch, while massage therapy addresses our physical ailments through touch without talk. Both approaches are very important but limited, as they rarely tap into the memories and the pain from past trauma that are stored in our bodies. Integrated Bodywork releases these memories on the physical level, thus enabling us to deal with them on the emotional level.

To help women heal the trauma of childhood abuse or sexual assault, Ulrike has created a unique approach bridging these worlds of words and touch, combining breathwork, body-awareness, massage, and energy healing with peer counselling, Tantra, and Shamanism.

In a supportive, non-judgmental, and nurturing space you can learn to trust, to stay connected with your body, to set healthy boundaries, and to develop good self-awareness and self-love.

Learning to Trust

During your first session, you may talk as much or as little about yourself as you feel comfortable. It is not necessary to tell your whole history because we are working on the effects the trauma has in the Here and Now. You can learn that:

It is safe to set boundaries;
It is safe to express your wishes;
It is safe to ask for your needs to be met;
It is safe to relax.

Bridging Dissociation

At the time of the abuse or assault, our souls withdrew from the painful situation and separated from our body creating a rift called dissociation. It doesn’t matter whether we were hurt only once or repeatedly over a long period of time, the harm is done the very first time our boundaries were violated. Today, we find ourselves disappearing whenever we feel threatened or whenever we are in a situation, even pleasurable, that brings back memories. This behaviour helped us survive the trauma but it no longer serves us today; on the contrary: it prevents healing.

It is possible to bridge this dissociation with our breath. You can learn simple yet powerful breath exercises that you can practice anywhere at any time in your daily life and make use of when you get triggered.

Developing Body-Awareness

Once you are able to stay present in your body using your breath, you can use a mental body-scan to bring your awareness to each part of your body, identifying areas of strong sensations, such as pain or tension, areas of numbness, and areas with no sensations at all, so called blind areas. You can learn to:

Observe your sensations without judgment and without needing to change them;
Trust your body as your strongest ally and most reliable friend;
Listen to the messages your body gives you and to respond appropriately;
Increase your awareness and develop a positive body image.

Releasing Trauma

Memory of past trauma is stored deep within the body, resulting in energy blockages. Integrated bodywork, such as massage combined with energy work or Process Acupressure, can facilitate awareness of the body, its needs and its direct relationship to emotions, thought processes, and past history. Unblocking the movement of energy opens and balances the body's energy pathways. As the energy releases in the body, so may blocked emotions, chronic tension, and unresolved trauma, thus stimulating deep healing on all levels.

The same releasing can be achieved "hands-off" through breathwork and tantric energy practices.

Opening up to Intimacy & Self-Love

As you progress on the healing path, we can incorporate tantric practices to help you open up to intimacy in your life. You can also learn tantric meditations and energy practices to release blocked energies yourself. Tantric practices may include:

Heart Gazing* to stay present and develop a deep connection with another person.
Sensual Communication* to express your needs, wants, and wishes in a respectful and approving manner.
Abyhanga+ (self-massage) to give yourself loving healing touch and as a natural anti-depressant, and breast massage to balance hormones and regulate menstruations, alleviate PMS and menopausal symptoms, and help prevent breast cancer.
Full-body Orgasm Technique*, a breath practice to circulate energy through your entire body and open up energy channels, which increases your orgasmic potential.
Shavyatra+ ("journey within the corpse"), an advanced yogic meditation practice to release the pain from past trauma.
Yoni Healing Ritual*, a sacred massage ritual to release female genital armouring.

*As tought by Maryse Côté.
+As tought by Maa Parvathi Nath Saraswati.

Reclaiming your Birthright

At any time, we can include shamanic practices to support your healing process, if you so choose. From a shamanic point of view, the source of all things is Spirit. In a healing, the shaman journeys to the source of the illness or disharmony in the spirit realm and effects a change there so that healing can occur here. This means bringing energy back from the spirit world to put it were it belongs in the physical world, or removing energy from the physical world and returning it to were it belongs in the spirit world. These may include:

Soul Retrieval to return and reintegrate parts of your soul that were separated at the time of trauma so that you can move forward Whole.
Power Animal / Helping Spirit Retrieval to find and connect with your own greatest ally and guide.
Shamanic Journeying, similar to guided meditations but much more empowering, allowing you to find the answers you seek, and even to "go back" and amend what happened, working with your power animal and helping spirits.
Extraction to remove the residual energy that may have been left behind and that is now blocking you.

The Healing Process

Each individual’s journey is unique and the steps vary. As you walk your own path of recovery and growth, Ulrike will hold the safe and sacred space necessary for your healing. It takes time to heal the trauma of childhood abuse and sexual assault, but HEALING AND PLEASURE ARE POSSIBLE!

Please note that this healing approach does not replace psychotherapy. In fact, you are encouraged to see a registered psychologist or counsellor parallel to working with Ulrike. If at any time it may seem that you need more support, Ulrike will point this out to you and can even recommend a few qualified individuals if you wish.

Appointments

Sessions are offered in Ulrike's beautiful healing space in Burquitlam (Coquitlam just off North Road on the Burnaby border). To find out more or to book your free initial consultation of 20 minutes, please call 604-765-0685 or email: ulrike [at] kaleidoscopehealing.com

Find me on

What happened to you
is not who you are;
it's what happened to you.

“And the day came
when the risk it took
to remain tight in a bud
became more painful
than the risk it took
to blossom.”

- Anaïs Nin

"You are more powerful
than what happened to you!"

- Staci Haines

"Any belief that generates fear or feelings of unworthiness is a lie."

- Don Miguel Ruiz

Healing the Trauma of Childhood Abuse & Sexual Assault