A New Systems Approach to Resolving Inner-Stress and Trauma By Healing Archetypal Splits and Re-establishing Collective Unity. This is the coming together of Transpersonal, Somatic, and Jungian Psychology, with Craniosacral Therapy.

Overview
The Four-Step Healing System is the coming together of many different healing technologies from the ancient past combined with modern Osteopathic medicine and cutting edge Psychology. This system is non-cathartic and extremely gentle and is also deeply profound. The sessions usually last about three hours. This provides ample time and space for the client to settle into the session, and even more importantly, the client’s nervous system settles. Almost every client I have worked on for three hours described the session as only seeming to be about an hour and having no overall concept of time during the session.

Each step is dynamic and represents a symbolic realm of issues that exist in different nervous system states. Each step must be completed fully before going to the next one. The first step is about safety and dealing with stress. Working with stress is needed to be productive in the world, but too much can create a block towards happiness and achieving goals. The second step is about dropping into a deeply relaxed and spacious place within one’s self. The third step is about discovering and coming into relationship with one’s own inner life. A huge aspect of this step is to discover what is keeping one’s self from experiencing inner peace. The fourth step begins with inner peace and moves into discovering our souls purpose and/or connecting with the Divine. The first two steps are more in the realm of traditional therapy, while the last two steps are more about personal growth and spiritual connection.

A session begins with a short interview to update the condition of the client at that moment and in life overall. This is the time to discuss intentions for the session. Once the session begins the client lies comfortably on his or her back on a massage table or upright in a chair (fully clothed). The therapist very lightly and motionlessly touches different parts of the body for 3-30 minutes at a time. This allows the therapist to listen to fluid systems of the body, which is a pure expression of the Central Nervous System. The more centered an individual gets, the more unified the fluid system becomes. This unification creates a perfect setting for a therapeutic process. Stress and trauma are the greatest hindrance to the unification of the fluid system. There is a constant openness for dialogue on both sides and there is no rigid formula to exactly how the session will go.



THE STRESS EQUATION
by Brian Malis ©2003

Compression or Speed = Stress
Compression + Speed = Trauma
Compression x Speed = Stun

Compression is defined as a perception or feeling of loss of space and/or appropriate boundaries either internally or externally.

Speed is defined as information or stimulation coming in faster or more chaotically than being able to process it fully or successfully in that moment.

Compression & Speed often come together in the same package. Both create a sense of overwhelm in the mind, body, emotionally or spiritually. Often in a busy lifestyle, time itself can cause a sense of overwhelm.

Stress is defined as a perception, feeling, or experience of compression or speed either externally or internally. Usually one is still able to respond to the compression or speed when experiencing stress, although it still has an overall debilitating effect if there is long-term exposure to stress. (Beta Alert)

Trauma is defined as the coming together of compression and speed simultaneously with sudden force. This experience creates an extreme fight/flight response in the system to react. This is usually experienced as a heightened arousal state, which is part of an instinctual automatic survival mechanism within any human or animal. (Beta Emergency)

Stun is defined as the point when the compression and speed are so overwhelming that one surrenders their fight or flight response and accepts that they are either doomed or going to die. This leads to a major dissociative state, which usually consists of freezing, blacking out, or collapsing. Stun often leads to PTSD symptoms and less right brain functioning. (Beta Collapse)


The 1st Step - Safety
The first step of the session is to do what ever it takes to establish a connection of trust and safety for the client. Safety is an experience of one’s nervous system being able to relax and let defensive postures down. The first part of any session is to assist the client in relaxing and not engaging deeply into stories or immediately trying to resolve current or past issues. The goal of the first step is to assist in creating more space and slowing down, which helps to resolve stress in the form of compression and speed. In most cases the body will relax before the mind does. When safety is established the breath will begin to slow down, the vocal tones settle, and the fluid systems in the body lighten and/or slow down.

The main objective of the first step is to feel safe, while being highly functional in a high paced and stressful society that is dominated by beta brainwave frequencies. Most of this work is dealt with during later steps in the session when there are less defenses to work through.
...Essay on Safety

The 2nd Step - Establishing the Neutral
The nervous system only goes into a neutral state when complete safety is experienced. At this point much of the surface level compression and speed are gone and there is a sense of spaciousness. Time itself seems to slip away. Many experience it as true rest. It has the quality of stillness and balanced tension throughout the entire body. The fluid system within the body goes into stillness and the vocal tones go towards monotone. The dominant brainwave state slows down into a deep alpha or theta. Another feature of a neutral state is that the bodily functions go into a type of “auto pilot.” This is made easier when a therapist is protecting the environment and acting as a resource for the client. Usually, a person’s nervous system holds a significant amount of beta brainwave activity to protect themselves. This is not needed if the therapist is acting as the protector and makes sure the client will be safely brought through the session. This allows the client to more fully relax and go into a neutral state.

Due to having significantly less compression and stillness in the mind and body, the ability to have a greater perspective comes on line and this creates an ability to hold the witness function. It is also a time for increased creativity. The ultimate work within the 2nd step is to be able to return to a still center at will to facilitate healing, clarity, and rest.

The 3rd Step - Healing Inner-Splits
The third step is where left-brain contact is made through the beginning of a verbal dialogue between the client and therapist. The goal of the 3rd step is to resolve the split, polarized, or conflicted aspects of the self that lie deep in one’s unconscious. The dialogue begins with the client placing attention on a spot in their body or in their mind. Oftentimes, the heart is used as the opening place. The therapist then begins to ask questions, which assist the client in exploring their own inner life and patterns. This is a time to discover strengths and safely see weaknesses and name them. The therapist’s job is to see where the inner split is by asking the right questions to assist the client in discovering their own inner truth.

The dialogue then begins to expand to include many different perspectives. The main one is that of the witness-self, or the true-self, which is usually located in the heart or higher mind. After many resourcing questions are asked about the split aspects of the self, a win-win deal is attempted to be negotiated between all of the split or polarized sides of the self to create a deep sense of inner peace.

The 4th Step - Collective Unity
Once inner peace is attained, there is a great opportunity to experience a sense of connection with one’s own soul or even with the greater connectedness of the universe around us. In almost all cases someone must be at peace within themselves before they can experience a divine connection of unity with the greater collective. As a client moves into the 4th step and into a deep theta or delta brainwave state, they either come into a self-actualized state and have a greater vision for their life, or they experience direct communication with the divine or guides of some kind. Oftentimes an individual will have joyful tears roll down their face and will have moments of “Ah”. The room and the client’s fluid system both have a quality of permeation and radiance. This is also when old wounds are understood and forgiven. This is the ultimate space for healing and miracles to occur. The most important goal of the 4th step is to resolve a deep sense of betrayal from the Divine or Universe that allowed us to be traumatized. Healing this betrayal from the Divine is healing the source of all trauma.

For more information or to find out about session availability contact Brian Malis

Download the Printable Four-Step Healing System Visual Map