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Inner Access and Transformation
The Beginnings
Centropic Integration (CI) is a body-oriented psychotherapy modality that my friend
and colleague, Dr. Camden Clay of Atlanta, Georgia, and I developed in the 1980's
out of our own personal growth work, based on our desire to create and be a part
of a therapeutic community. We synthesized elements of John Ray' Body ElectronicsTM, Stanislav Grof's Holotropic BreathworkTM, and added our unique form of core-feeling
counseling. The essential tools of CI are sustained acupressure point holding, evocative
music, and emotional facilitation. We first applied it in a group workshop setting
(which evolved out of years of "healing parties" that we hosted) and soon
modified it to work in the one-on-one setting.
The Definition
"Centropic" (in physics, a "movement towards the center") refers
to the natural tendency of humans to return to unfinished core experiences or issues
for the sake of completing them, and "integration" refers to the reuniting
of disconnected parts. Centropic Integration has as its theoretical foundation the
science of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which focuses on the biology of memory storage
via the neuropeptide system. The goals are to apply those physiological principles
to the realm of personal experience, and to use the influence of a group of loving
supporters and/or the therapist to bring about desired change in a rapid way. We
set out to demonstrate that inner healing does not have to take a long time.
(In the article, I go on to describe the theory and practical methodology of techniques involved in this sort of therapy approach. What follows is the final paragraph:)
Final Notes
The healing that occurs through Centropic Integration begins with a direct bodily
encounter with one's own locked-up pain and resistance to feeling, and ends in renewing
daily life with empowering choices and revitalized hope. Unlike the cognitive therapies
that effect experience by consciously altering the thinking process, with Centropic
Integration cognitive insight happens spontaneously, as a natural outcropping of
deeply processed feelings. Follow-up sharing, especially in the intimate group setting
of a Centropic Integration workshop, enhances cognitive anchoring. Changes and insights
facilitated by a natural integration at the body level endure over time.
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