Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB)
Transforming Touch® | Transforming Presence
In my practice, I understand that true healing goes beyond just talking about your experiences. The Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB) model offers a unique, regulation-focused approach that integrates insights from Polyvagal Theory, somatic and sensorimotor practices, attachment theory, and neurophysiology. This comprehensive method allows us to delve into the pre-verbal and early childhood developmental traumas that may be stored in your body, fostering a pathway to healing that feels both secure and embodied.
Imagine an important person in your life for whom you care deeply for coming to you sharing that they need to talk with you about a concerning situation in their life. How would you respond? I’ll guess here that you’d likely set aside your task, put down your phone, close your tablet, and orient yourself to their concern. Choosing to use TEB in session is just like doing this with your own nervous system. Participating in somatic therapy is like hearing your nervous system just as you did this important person in your life. Your nervous system is coming to you saying, “I need to talk to you about a concerning situation” and you’re orienting to the concern not with words or thoughts rather with deliberate intention, presence, and awareness. TEB is a somatic regulation method in orienting directly to the nervous system for parasympathetic repair.
TEB is a non-pathologizing and judgment-free way to address your mental health. Instead of merely targeting specific symptoms, this embodied approach focuses on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), recognizing that our bodies hold the key to healing. Feeling in your body is foundational to any healing process, yet many of us may not have experienced that sense of attunement, especially if we faced adverse experiences in our early years. This lack of embodied safety can be at the root of chronic physical and emotional pain and suffering, and recognizing this is a vital step toward healing.
When early developmental or relational trauma occurs—whether in utero or during childhood—it can create ruptures in our nervous system. These ruptures may manifest later as issues of betrayal or abandonment and can lead to dysfunctional patterns in our bodies and in relationships with ourselves and others. If left unaddressed, these early experiences can contribute to a heightened stress response, lending to chronic toxic stress as we navigate the demands of our everyday life.
Open the door for healing.
In our sessions, the TEB model emphasizes creating a safe haven. You won’t need to identify or relive painful memories; instead, we focus on building a trusting presence and nurturing a healthy relationship. This environment opens the door for healing, guiding a transition from insecure attachment to one of earned secure attachment. Here, you can explore deeper vulnerability and the potential for profound healing.
Throughout session, you may be guided through a series of gentle touch points, either while seated or lying down. I also offer the option of lying on a regulation table for Transforming Touch®. It’s common for me to bookend sessions with Transforming Presence as a method of guided settling and regulation supporting you as you enter and exit session. It’s important that you feel comfortable at all times: you’ll always be informed about any touch points beforehand, and you have the full control to stop the session at any moment without needing to explain why.
If you’re ready to explore a different way of healing—one that respects your body’s wisdom and nurtures your sense of agency—I’m here for you. Together, we can get started on a journey that honors your unique experiences and fosters lasting transformation.
Want to learn if TEB might work for you?
You can find out more by following the links shared and you can also feel welcome to connect with me directly to talk about your current experience to see if we may be well paired to begin care.
Austin Attachment and Counseling Center
Research on the Effects of Touch
Nurturing Resilience by Kathy Kain and Stephen Terrell
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You will never be touched without permission. Consent is imperative to healing.
TEB can be facilitated through Transforming Presence which is a guided experience cultivating inner awareness through the therapeutic protocols. This is also the experience for virtual sessions.
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Yes, TEB can be facilitated for virtual practice through Transforming Presence.
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Nervous system regulation refers to the mechanisms and processes by which the nervous system maintains stability in the body's internal environment. The nervous system is responsible for controlling and coordinating all of the body's functions, including sensory perception, movement, and physiological processes. The regulation of the nervous system involves a complex interplay between various structures and functions, such as the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the endocrine system, and the immune system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling involuntary processes such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion through the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches, while the endocrine system regulates hormone secretion and the immune system controls the body's response to infection and disease. Comprehensively, these systems work to maintain homeostasis and ensure the body's internal environment remains stable and functional.
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All parts of you are welcome in session. Those that want to speak and those that want to be silent. Talking is not a requirement of this intervention.
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Your nervous system and regulation will be our North Star. The concerns that bring you into therapy and your defensive accommodations or dysfunctional patterns will be our benchmarks or indicators of how increased regulation is occurring as treatment goes along. These will naturally shift over time.
We will also check in during every session to notice what is different, what occurred between sessions, and what you noticed in the day or two following the last session.
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Allostatic load is a term used to describe the physiological consequences of chronic exposure to stress. It is our “cost of doing business”. Essentially, it refers to the wear and tear that stress puts on our bodies over time. When we experience stress, our body undergoes a series of changes in order to help us cope. These changes include the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, and a redirection of blood flow to the muscles and brain.
While these changes can be helpful in the short term (survival physiology), if they are activated repeatedly over time they can take a toll on our bodies. This is because they involve the activation of our "fight or flight" response (sympathetic nervous system), which is designed to be a short-term response to acute stressors, not a chronic one. Over time, the repeated activation of this response can lead to a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, depression, and immune dysfunction.
Allostatic load is a useful concept because it helps to explain why chronic stress is so harmful to our health. By understanding the physiological processes that underlie stress, we can begin to develop strategies for managing stress and protecting our long-term health.
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No, I am not a bodyworker.
I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with advanced training and certification in Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB) to provide hands-on Transforming Touch® therapy as an intervention. I am a certified Transforming Touch® Practitioner (TTP) trained with Dr. Stephen Terrell and his lead assistant, Ellen Keating.
About my certification and specialization:
I am a Transforming Touch® Practitioner (TTP) trained and certified with Dr. Stephen Terrell, PsyD, SEP, creator of Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB), founder of Austin Attachment and Counseling Center, and co-author of Nurturing Resilience along with his lead assistant, Ellen Keating, PsyD, SEP. I am in regular consultation with Dr. Terrell and Ellen to continue learning and deepening somatic healing and skill development.