What does an integrative, body-oriented approach look like in practice?
Not only understanding, but also experiencing
When something is difficult, we often try to understand it first. We analyse what has happened, look for explanations, and try to figure out what we could do differently.
That can be helpful, but sometimes understanding alone isn’t enough.
In my work, there is also space to slow down and pay attention to what you are feeling and experiencing.
What do you notice in your body?
What emotions are present?
Which patterns keep showing up?
What happens when you pause instead of immediately trying to fix or solve something?
From there, we can explore what is going on, what you need, and what might make room for change.
Slowing down
When we are constantly busy or moving from one thing to the next, there is little room to notice what is really going on. Slowing down can help you step out of autopilot and become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily experiences.
Feeling
Body-oriented therapy does not mean that we are constantly focusing on the body. It means that what you experience physically also has a place in the therapeutic process. Tension, restlessness, fatigue, changes in breathing, or other bodily sensations can tell us something about what you are experiencing.
Untangling
Sometimes thoughts, emotions, expectations, and old patterns become tangled up with one another. By slowing down and looking at what is happening, we can gradually make sense of things and gain more clarity.
Regulation
We also explore how you respond to stress, emotions, and overwhelm.
What helps you settle and feel more at ease? What tends to leave you feeling more overwhelmed or under pressure? And how can you develop more choice in how you respond to what you experience?
An integrative approach
There is no single method that works for everyone. I draw on different psychological perspectives and adapt my way of working to you, your needs, and the therapeutic process.
Conversation and reflection are an important foundation. When it feels helpful, we may also work with body awareness, movement, breathing, or other body-oriented exercises.
Inspired by Internal Family Systems (IFS)
My work is informed, among other approaches, by Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic model that pays attention to the different parts and patterns we may experience within ourselves. We explore these with curiosity, compassion, and understanding.
I’m Anke Snauwaert, a clinical psychologist with an integrative approach.
I’m interested in how people experience themselves and their surroundings, and in what can help when life feels difficult or stuck. In my work, I look at the interplay between thoughts, feelings, bodily experiences and the context we live in.
Alongside psychology, yoga, meditation and movement are an important part of my life and work. They have deeply influenced the way I understand people and therapy. I believe the body can be an important gateway to awareness, change and healing.