Our work and our mission is to redefine therapy and our conversations are about the art and practice of healing. This blog was launched in May 2018 by Dr. Jamie Marich, affiliates, and friends.
Originally published on the Dancing Mindfulness Expressive Arts Therapy Blog, 5/4/2017 If you’ve followed Dancing Mindfulness and other projects connected to my Institute for Creative Mindfulness work, you’ve likely encountered the hashtag #redefinetherapy. What started as a book chapter and a hashtag is quickly turning into a movement that you
The behaviors associated with an abusive narcissist (AN) aren’t confined to intimate relationships. They scale. In relationships it’s intimate partner violence (IPV). In families it’s domestic violence (DV). In a group, a cult, and at a national level: a dictatorship. Couples therapists screen for coercive control because, if missed, therapeutic
When I began drafting Dissociation Made Simple at the beginning of 2022, I thought the phrase dissociation is not a dirty word might be a better title for the book. After analyzing over 60 interviews of contributors who freely shared the wisdom of their lived experiences with me, this core theme (one of six
I am a trauma survivor who has been repeatedly failed by therapy. I am also a trauma therapist questioning if I want to stay in the field given how harmful it can be. Do I want to be part of a system that causes harm, even if I hope that
“We need to teach people more skills for regulating their nervous systems in these troubled times,” a colleague shared during a recent meeting. She offered this suggestion from a heart-felt place as a somatic therapist, and I know that she is wonderful at teaching such skills. Still, I bristled with
Since beginning my therapeutic journey in 2008, I have made it a practice—without fail—to say“Thank you” as I walk out of every session. On the surface, it is a simple, unremarkable phrase.Two words people often say automatically, without thought. For me, it has never beenautomatic. It carries weight. Meaning. History.
To my knowledge I was the first EMDR Therapy trainer and author to “come out” as a person living with dissociative identities. And not in that “it’s a thing of my past” way. Yes, I was diagnosed with what we now call OSDD in 2004 by a skilled EMDR therapist.
I often tell my EMDR Therapy students that if I had it my way, I would place EMDR Therapy Phase 2 (Preparation) before EMDR Therapy Phase 1 (Client History), especially in working with people with complex trauma or those who navigate dissociative responses. However, I do not have it my
With Dr. Jamie Marich selling the Institute for Creative Mindfulness at the end of 2026, she is also bringing an end to the Advanced Certificate Program in Dissociation Studies for EMDR Therapists. While both Jamie and co-director Amy Wagner will consult and continue to offer courses in dissociation through other outlets, they
Could it be that we’ve gone too far in stripping the spirit and soul out of therapy and have created a new altar of empirical science at which to worship? Last week, several of my friends texted me to see if I’d read the “takedown” article of Internal Family Systems