"Try as I might, I can no longer remain in what is known - and things can no longer go according to my plan" - Connie Chapman
You are choosing freedom. Clearly, it's time to step out into the world, to widen your horizons, to start a new chapter of your life. It's likely that you have already created emotional distance from the constraints that have kept you small and "safe". Perhaps you are tired of being typecast by your responsibilities, your culture, a gender role, or expectations of friends and family. Mostly, it's time to move beyond the limited perception you have of yourself.
An acorn's destiny is to become an oak tree; a peach tree's destiny is to bear fruit. You have your destiny and you will step into it when you are ready. That's not a head-trick, it's a way of being - body and soul. When you can stand like the new you, breathe, move, and speak like the person you choose to be - then you will embrace your future.
There is a natural process of unfolding your potential - as natural as breathing - but unseen, unnamed emotions create roadblocks along the way. These emotions are closer, more accessible to the body than the thinking brain.
I can help you:
- Understand why you do what you do, and what is holding you back
- Reassure those parts of self - the critic, the protector - that it's safe to step out
- Align your values, relationships, and intentions (gut, heart, and mind) to find your flow
"I took the road less travelled by" - Robert Frost
I have found my own freedom in this work. I chose this career later in life, and it has taken time to truly stand in this role. The life change was a bold and beautiful step and the goal has set me on a new path - and the journey is where the juice is.
Take the next step
Book a free 20 minute evaluation session
Your First Session
These sessions are a playful exploration of "what if", of opening up new possibility. We know that you have the spark within, and you want it to grow, so we can smile when we find a gremlin on the path. Usually there are parts of self that want to break out, and other parts that see danger, embarrassment, or shame. We honour all parts - they have kept us safe or kept us sane in the past.
We check in with, and find harmony with your deepest values. Living free and according to your values can produce a special feeling in your tummy... really - a feeling of "Yum", a sense of deep satisfaction and fulfilment. I wish this for every client.
First we get to know each other - like new kids in the playground. The exploration of freedom is essentially play, so we establish a sense of safety, trust, and rapport so we can play freely together. You will find that no idea is too crazy, too silly, or too embarrassing to share. The interaction provides an embodied experience - an actual lived reality - that you can dream big.
Of course, we will be interested in any blocks that get in the way of you living your life of freedom; this exploration can be done seated or lying down. I usually offer a hypnotic relaxation exercise that primes you for optimistic feelings about the future and brings your awareness into the body. The process allows you to join the dots between ideas, sensations, old memories, and emotion. This is a "bottom up" approach that doesn't rely on figuring it out, or making sense of it. You are likely to experience "flashes" of insight - that's what I love about this modality.
Near the end of the session, you are likely feeling relaxed and optimistic. I use the space to reinforce your insights and acknowledge your achievements during the session. The special state of being helps the suggestions settle deep in the subconscious mind.
I love the "feel free" sessions. It's a joyous process of stepping out - and the bright energy lets us "play" with the possibilities, the self-talk, and even the fears... so positive and wholesome!
Take the next step
Book a free 20 minute evaluation session
About Me
Life is for living, and I'm so grateful for my life journey. Each stage of life, each new direction, each opportunity has given me new skills and new ways of being. It's like adventure travel - each new experience has prepared me for the next. I can truly say, standing here today, "I feel free".
And there comes a time when living a life for oneself feels small. It's more satisfying, more joyful for me to be a small part of something bigger. It's time to contribute.
That's why I'm here.
Each brave new step you take, each time your comfort-zone grows, each time you find a new sense of freedom... I'll be celebrating with you. There is no greater joy for me.
Testimonial
"I just had the most deeply healing massage of my life last night by Hamish Kempthorne. Gifted intuitive healer."
- Melissa Paschke
FAQ
This work relevant to anyone seeking personal insight, growth, balance, or resilience. It is likely the therapy of choice if emotion plays a big role in your life - either as a source of vitality and inspiration, or of struggle.
This page specifically refers to feeling safe in the world. The need for safety is often born of a difficult childhood, social, physical, sexual, or emotional trauma, bullying, deceit, violation of trust, and controlling relationships.
You will need to do some work to "feel and heal", but if you want to change your emotions - to feel more vibrant, more stable, more aligned, more trusting, more anything - you will likely find value in the work.
Drop any idea of being "in therapy" for years. Embodied interventions tend to be short, and I want each session to bring meaningful change. The session time tends to create personal insights and new perspectives, which unfold in the week ahead. For a time, it will raise more questions than answers, so I would usually recommend a series of at least 3 sessions, no more than 8 in a stretch.
Often people seek help when they feel in crisis, and quickly feel the pressure is off... the crisis has been averted. I strongly recommend further sessions to consolidate the changes you have made. That way, you can make some small tweaks in your life and feel more resilient for your future.
There are two distinct ways of addressing difficult life challenges. The top down approach (most talk therapy) is to hear the story and the meaning we have layered upon it, recognise the underlying belief, challenge and discredit distorted beliefs, behave differently, and feel ok again.
Embodied emotional therapy is a bottom up therapy, based on the idea of bodymind. How we feel within our bodies has a huge influence on how we think - “my heart is racing, therefore I feel afraid”. And our thoughts influence our bodies - like the sinking feeling in your gut when you realise you have missed an appointment.
The magic of this work is that body sensations give us insight into our emotions.
- Becoming comfortable with the sensations can bring emotional healing.
- Feeling sensation in numb areas can restore vitality.
- And calming our physiological state can make the world a safe place again.
Bottom up therapies tend to bring flashes of insight. The mind can quickly join the dots between a sensation, an emotion, a forgotten memory, and an unfulfilled need. We can understand and heal the ever-repeating story that had us stuck.
The strong intention with this work is to create an island of safety and gradually extend it out into your world. The best way is to show deep kindness and patience with yourself, and communicate your feelings as they arise so I can help you find a place of deep safety in-session.
Beforehand, try noticing any small thing that helps you feel lighter, or brings comfort. I don't recommend challenging yourself, trying to figure things out, or pushing to achieve something. Give yourself a wee holiday beforehand and the session work will flow more easily.
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Book a free 20 minute evaluation session
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