The purpose of Spiritual Accompaniment is to allow you to enter into a deeper relationship with whatever you consider beyond yourself: G-d/Spirit/Universe/Greater Power/Hashem. The Hebrew term for this is hashpa’a, which means "influence," but it is not about me influencing you! Rather, my hashpa’a training stands in the neo-chasidic lineage of R’Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, ztz”l, inviting down shefa—the flow of the Divine, which is the root word for hashpa’a—during our sessions to do the “influencing” in your life.

You set the goals. I am there to accompany you on your journey. The interaction takes the form of sharing aspects of your life that need to be shared, principally, but not exclusively, through words and stories. These stories could be about relationships, work, self-image, life purpose, ritual observance—whatever is going on. My response can take the form of reflective listening, silent contemplation, prayer or blessings, as well as spiritual practices to try out.

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a short-term naturalistic approach to the resolution and healing of trauma developed by Dr. Peter Levine and is supported by research. The word “trauma” in this sense covers a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms that result from the effect of accumulated stress on human physiology. SE is based upon the observation that wild prey animals, though threatened routinely, are rarely traumatized. Animals in the wild utilize innate mechanisms to regulate and discharge the high levels of energy arousal associated with defensive survival behaviors. These mechanisms provide animals with a built-in “immunity’’ to trauma that enables them to return to normal in the aftermath of highly “charged’’ life threatening experiences.

SE supports individuals in completing basic fight, flight, and freeze response patterns that remain inhibited after stressful or traumatic experiences. The completion of these response patterns brings a greater capacity for self-regulation as well as an increased sense of well-being, and integration. Even though SE primarily targets issues of trauma, it is also an effective way of supporting individuals interested in expanding their ability to authentically be in the world physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

I am currently an advanced SE student.

For more information on Somatic Experiencing, please visit https://traumahealing.org