AVILA COUNSELING * LORI WIGGENHORN, MA LP

I’ve been a Licensed Psychologist since 1997. I enjoy being a therapist because it’s rewarding to see clients go from a place of emotional distress to a growing sense of joy and living a more satisfying life. I work with young adults to seniors and provide a healing space for mental health clinicians. My goal as a therapist is to provide a level of care for clients that meet their needs. I welcome clients where they are at in their process and we work together from that point at their own pace. I believe to heal emotional and psychological wounds there needs to be an integration of the body, mind, and spirit. I work with clients using the understanding of the "universality" of spiritual experience. I welcome all faiths and incorporate spirituality to the level you are comfortable with. Clients who do not have a spiritual belief are also welcome. I love helping clients learn how to integrate an understanding of the mind while being present and resourced in the body. Why Avila Counseling? Avila is a beautiful walled city in Spain I went to while on my honeymoon. My husband and I walked around the walled city curious about its structure. We got lost and tried to find a way inside. We found an old door only to discover it was locked. We found yet another door only to discover it too was locked. Finally, we came upon an entrance and walked through the gate into a beautiful old European city. We were amazed at what we discovered on the inside. I think therapy can be like this. You might want to know who you are on the inside but struggle to get through the walls you have built up over time. Yet at some point in life a door can be discovered and if you choose to go inside a growing sense of self-acceptance can be explored. Sometimes, we need help in this discovery of self and as your therapist I can be your guide. I have extensive training in a variety of therapy techniques including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Hakomi Method, EMDR and Anchored Relational Therapy. Below is more information about these specialized techniques: Hakomi and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy are body-oriented talk therapies that require extensive training as a therapist. I am Trained in the Hakomi Method and in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma and Attachment Repair. Body based therapy is listening to the body and mind together for a more holistic experience. At the beginning of therapy, you may learn how to develop skills like grounding and centering that help build a relationship with the body that can reduce anxiety and increase self-attunement. You are welcome at any level of mindfulness and we can build your deepening mind-body connection. When clients have a firmer sense of presence, then therapy begins to focus more on utilizing mindfulness as a tool toward heal wounds. I am a Certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) therapist and use bilateral stimulation to help heal from trauma and developmental wounds. We can build a “readiness” to work with this powerful therapy method using a combination of EMDR and Sensorimotor resourcing techniques. A combination of these methods may be ideal if you has tried EMDR in the past and it didn’t meet your goals. I am a Certified Anchored Relational Therapy (formal known as AIR Network) and utilize this therapy method to help if you have dissociative abilities. We can help build a connection between parts and a most resourced observer self. This method also focuses on rescuing parts from distress and understanding conditioning and programming. Inner noticing can lead to healing from significant events using a combination of Sensorimotor and EMDR techniques if interested.