New Therapies for Challenging Times

A new generation of therapists and family wellness counselors are emerging in the 21st century. Rather than rely exclusively on talk therapy, with a patient reclining on a couch talking about their childhood, new tools are being added to the therapeutic toolbox. Nora Wright of West Chester, Pa. is one such therapist. Wright is the co-founder of The Family Hive (https://www.familyhivewc.com/) and is a therapist at SoundMind SoundBody Therapy (https://www.soundmindsoundbodytherapy.com/) who draws from an expanded assortment of therapeutic approaches. “Certainly, people should still go to general therapists, but if they are going through something transformative and unique – a serious loss, or the birth of a baby, for example – they might want to find a professional specifically trained in the journey they are on.” said Wright. “In these times of extraordinary uncertainty, individuals, families and groups need new strategies to alleviate fears and feel empowered.” In her practice, Wright promotes personal growth, self-realization and empowerment for individuals, couples and families. She employs an array of therapeutic techniques that help her clients use areas of their brain, cerebral regions rarely tapped into in their everyday lives.

Consider a short list of uncommon circumstances and threats that currently lead people to feelings of fear, anxiety and insecurity -- climate change, a global viral pandemic, social unrest, systemic racism or a shaky economy. Any one of these could lead to private, if not collective fears. In addition to these unfamiliar acute challenges, all people go through stage-of-life stressors. These happen to most people at some point in their lives, and yet people are often unprepared. Stresses on the stage-of-life list include the transition from single to married, pregnancy and the birth of a child, job loss, divorce, or the grief that accompanies the loss of a loved one. According to Wright, there are scientifically proven ways to work on, and grow through, these challenges, the uncommon as well as the ordinary. “It’s crazy, in a way” says Wright. “There is no human being who will not be affected by one or more of these major stressors at some point in their life, and yet so few people have access to the very reliable tools that could help them cope and prosper through difficult times.”

One of Wright’s areas of expertise is a technique known as Pravada Shamanic Sound Healing. The practice helps patients temporarily refrain from thinking about their past or their future, staying instead in the present moment. “With this tool people use their own primal vocalizations to reconnect with their deeper selves,” said Wright. “Our bodies are mostly water. The brain and the heart are 73% water. Sound vibrates water. Using a person’s own authentic sound to vibrate the water in their body brings them into the present moment. In that present moment, the therapist can do different kinds of work than when the patient’s mind is off in the future or back in the past. It is a shamanic journeying technique.”

Wright also has expertise in helping women through pregnancy and childbirth, as well as helping couples adjust to the transition to parenthood. “In general, I find that families have some nervous anticipation around giving birth. These days, many women give birth in hospitals and they associate hospitals with illness and emergencies. Right now, there are added layers of distress for families preparing to give birth due to fears of contracting COVID-19 and the inability to have some of the support people they would normally have included in their birth experience.” For those soon-to-be parents, Wright offers HypnoBirthing. “It’s a practice that meets families where they are. It focuses their thinking on those areas where couples do have control. Couples can’t change the rules of the hospital, but they can practice entering into a state of mind where they maintain relaxation, calm and togetherness despite the environment. This has proven extremely helpful to many women.”

What happens to the couple after the baby has been born? Wright became a mother herself for the first time a few years ago. She discovered firsthand how grueling the transition to parenthood could be. She had imagined that she and her husband would easily master parenting. Afterall, she was already a therapist. Then came baby. “We found it really stressful and exhausting! You are trying to do something 24/7 that you've never done before (care for a new baby)” said Wright. “I asked myself, ‘How is this possible? I’m a therapist, and I'm having a hard time. Are other new-parents struggling?’ I decided to train in the “Bringing Baby Home” program through the Gottman Institute. Gottman found that in fact most couples will struggle in the transition to parenthood and provides a map to avoid some traps in the process.”

Over two thirds of couples report a high degree of relationship dissatisfaction within the first year following the birth of a child. Factors like fatigue, increased stress, less sex or affection, less time to communicate – all of these and more make the addition of a baby difficult to navigate. Uncertainties around finances, health and the current inability to have extended family help can raise anxiety about what lies ahead for new families. The Bringing Baby Home program was designed to offer a road map for what resilient and happy couples do through the transition. “It’s a relief for couples to know which variables will give them leverage in strengthening their tie in a situation with a lot of unknowns,” said Wright. Through The Family Hive, Wright and co-founder Kelly Trese, PhD, teach the Gottman roadmap to their clients in a five-week workshop for couples.