Advanced Imago Relationship Therapist, Encounter-centered Couples Therapist, EMDR Certified Trauma Therapist, HeartMath Certified Clinician & Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional
Nancy Hyatt, LCSW-C
Providing Transformational Psychotherapy
"I help individuals and couples release old emotional blocks that get in the way of their highest personal and relational potential."
"Bridging Ritual" designed by Hedy Schleifer.
The Ritual of Bridging:
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Sit across from each other, with one partner's knees on the inside, touching the chair of the other partner
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Sit quietly, and breathe, and hold hands, and make soft eye contact, and just sit across from each other for an eternal "moment."
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With your eyes, warmly express gratitude for this moment in time, for being alive, for having a wonderful family, for the abundance of life...
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The "Host" makes the invitation by saying: "I am inviting you to cross the bridge and come to me. I would like to take your hands and visit a neighborhood in my world."
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The "Visitor" says: "Thank you for the invitation" as if it is an invitation that just arrived in the mail. And then says: "I accept!"
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The "Visitor" consciously and deliberately crosses the bridge of their imagination, one step at a time, knowing that, as they walk towards their partner, their own world is getting smaller and smaller and disappears in the distance.
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When the "Visitor" senses that they are now fully present with their partner, in the "here and now," available, curious, and open hearted, they say: "I am here with you and I am ready to hear you."
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The "Host" speaks in one essential sentence at a time.
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The "Visitor" listens attentively, knowing that they are learning the language of their partner and allows the words to penetrate
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After a pause the "Visitor" says: "I hear you say.......Have I got you?"
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The "Host" says either "Yes" or "Yes, almost" or "Yes, but let me clarify"
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When the "Host" feels complete, and feels nourished by the encounter, they say: "I feel complete"
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The "Visitor" then essentializes by saying: "Let me see if I have got the essence of what you told me. I heard you say....... Have I got the essence?"
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The "Host" says; "Yes, you've got the essence" or "Yes you've almost got the essence, and I also want you to hear....."
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If there is an addition to the essence, the "Visitor" repeats it and then asks: "Have I got the essence?"
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The Visit ends with mutual appreciation of both partners: "What I most appreciate about you during this visit is......" which is repeated by both partners.
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Remain sitting, holding hands and looking at each other to get a sense of the climate in the space-between and describe some qualities of the space-between
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Thank each other for the visit