Emotion-Focused Workbook
A Compassionate Guide to Self-Reflection
By Bridget Quebodeaux, LMFT
From the Introduction: I am a therapist. Every day I have the privilege of accompanying my clients into their emotional world. What we encounter together is often painful, scary, shameful, unfamiliar or otherwise challenging for them to navigate--yet they persist. Hour after hour, I find myself witness to what I can only describe as an awesome and relentless will to heal. I know my clients’ courageous work continues in the days between our therapy sessions. They have told me they want resources (videos, exercises, worksheets…) to help them on their path, and I have wanted to provide that for them. That’s how this workbook was born. While my clients are my inspiration, the exercises and recommended resources in this workbook will be beneficial to anyone working towards greater emotional flexibility and improved relationships—whether you are currently in therapy or not. In Section I (Why Emotion Focused) you will be introduced to the purpose and power of your emotions. You will also learn about forces and factors beyond your control that may have shaped your current relationship to your emotions and contributed to various forms of suffering (anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties…). This kind of understanding makes both compassion for self and new ways of relating to yourself and others possible. In Section II (Emotion Focused Journaling), you will be guided in exploring your internal experience while reflecting on a difficult event. My clients often tell me that reflecting on upsetting events between sessions can trigger shame/judgment, rumination (re-playing the event over and over), shutting down or impulsively acting on feelings in ways that increase pain and suffering. The aim of Section II is to provide guidance and an alternative: reflection on challenging circumstances becomes an opportunity for self-soothing, non-judgmental self exploration, and movement towards your immediate goals and long-term values.
Awareness Through Movement
Posture with a Purpose:
A Whole-Self Approach to Improving Posture
with Bridget Quebodeaux, GCFP, LMFT
The way you move both informs and is informed by the way you act, think and feel. Restrictive habits in movement and posture inhibit your natural body intelligence and limit your freedom of true self-expression in action. Improving your posture isn't about stretching or exercising or holding your body in the "right" position. Improved posture arises organically from ways of moving and being that are natural and feel good. Posture with a Purpose utilizes directed attention and sensory-motor exploration to help you discover your best posture and live your best life.
There are no rules to remember, no exercises to feel guilty about not doing. These lessons will help you transform sensory-motor exploration into learned improvement and healthy habits that you'll keep for life. Perfect posture is within you, and practiced mindfulness and self-awareness can help you set it free.
Anatomy of Attunement:
An Awareness Through Movement Series for Psychotherapists
with Bridget Quebodeaux, GCFP, LMFT
Authentic connection is a state of being that can be deepened through spontaneous expressions involving physical movement. Infant and animal behaviors demonstrate that reading and responding organically to and through non-verbal communication is natural to all of us. Physical habits and muscular holding patterns developed over time, however, can impact access to a free and easy exchange of these non-verbal behaviors.
Why might this be of concern to us as therapists?
Psychotherapy research suggests that well attuned non-verbal communication on the part of the therapist, including perception of and expression through facial movements, gestures and body positions, can enhance the therapeutic alliance and contribute to improved outcomes including the re-wiring of attachment patterns and enhanced functioning of the client’s own internal regulating system.
How can therapists raise their awareness of physical responses in both themselves and their clients and allow for reciprocal and therapeutically effective non-verbal communication?
This audio series consists of five Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® Lessons designed to stimulate the neural substrate required for effective non-verbal engagement (via movement explorations involving the muscles of the face, spine and breathing apparatus) toward the goal of corrective relational experiences in therapy.
Integrative Healing by Z. Altug
(Chapter on Feldenkrais by Bridget Quebodeaux, GCFP)