Inside Voices: Skills For Somatic Parts Work

Several years ago I had a revelation as a therapist in Brooklyn. Teaching adults, teens, and families how to change their emotional reactions and behaviors had left me feeling somewhat limited. Working to ‘fix’ how we think and feel can overshadow important needs. I felt like I was always holding a hammer, so everything looked like a nail.

Meanwhile my dreams at night left me deeply curious each morning, leading me to study dreamwork in Northern California. There, I learned how to connect our deepest unconscious beliefs to the voices that dictate the feelings and actions in our waking life. I learned how to pay attention to the body and what it’s communicating, even when it doesn’t make sense. I came to understand that we all have several different parts (voices) who want to be in the driver’s seat.

Today I appreciate the importance of integrating all the wisdom our voices offer. We need the skills to identify those parts and name them, and we need the willingness to listen. We need a dialogue with what I call Inside Voices.

You may already be aware of some of your voices, and might struggle to separate certain voices from your truth. Our loudest voice is often the one trying to protect us and keep us alive - it tends to sound urgent. Others may be quieter, but hold a lot of insight. Whatever they sound like, whatever they’re saying…they matter.

I’ve designed the Inside Voices approach to include all the mindfulness skills that I’ve taught for years, along with all the somatic and imaginal practices I learned while studying dream work. The process yields deep self-compassion and awareness as well as sustainable change.

I look forward to having you join an upcoming workshop and you getting acquainted with your Inside Voices.