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Understanding the fawn response: how body based therapy can help
In my practice, I began to notice that many of my clients struggled with people-pleasing behaviors: always putting others first, saying “yes” when they meant “no,” and feeling guilty for expressing their own needs. During a bodywork course with my Grinberg Method practitioner, Markus Schnizer, I learned about the different nervous system states and the emotions, feelings and behaviors linked to each one (see picture below). Alongside the well-known fight, flight, and freeze responses, Markus introduced a fourth state to me that I was not familiar with yet: fawning. I became fascinated by this topic and decided to write a…
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When the body speaks: unlocking the message behind your pain
That stubborn shoulder that keeps flaring up.Those recurring headaches that are driving you nuts.That lower back that always feels tight.That knee that no longer cooperates, forcing you to give up the activities you once loved.We all know it, that one place in the body that keeps asking for our attention. From a young age, we’re taught that pain is something to avoid or eliminate as quickly as possible.We take a painkiller, distract ourselves, or try to “not think about it.” But what if pain isn’t your enemy, what if it’s a signal from your body, a way of saying: “Will…
