Lifespan Integration

Description of Lifespan Integration

Lifespan Integration therapy facilitates neural integration and rapid healing in adults who experienced complex trauma and / or significant neglect during childhood. Integral and unique to Lifespan Integration therapy is the incorporation of a Time Line of memories and mental images. During the integrating phase of the LI protocol, a memory or image is allowed to surface spontaneously and chronologically for each year of the client’s life. Through repetitions of the LI protocol, clients come to a deep, bodily understanding that what happened in the past no longer has power over them. In addition, Lifespan Integration therapy enables clients to reconnect with and integrate their own internal resources and strengths.

Clients gain insights into their lifelong behavior patterns.

The Lifespan Integration technique causes memories to surface spontaneously, and because of how memories are held neurologically, each memory which surfaces is related to the emotional theme or issue being addressed. The resulting panoramic view of the client's life is related to the presenting problem and gives the client new insights about lifelong patterns resultant from the past trauma. Once the client gains this awareness of how archaic defensive strategies have entered into reactions, decisions, and dysfunctional patterns, he is ready and able to let go of outmoded defenses.

Lifespan Integration connects implicit to explicit memory, thus reducing anxiety.

Lifespan Integration is body based. The protocol begins with the client focused on the presenting problem and the related sensations in her body. The neural networks associated with these bodily sensations are followed throughout the protocol. The LI process seems to assist the brain in making synaptic connections between implicit memory and the actual historical event(s) from which the implicit memory originated. Through this process clients are able to make sense of previously unexplainable somatic states and/or emotional states. After making these connections during LI processing, clients experience an immediate and significant reduction in their levels of anxiety. This shift in the level of anxiety held by the client remains stable, i.e. previously chronic anxiety continues reduced.

Lifespan Integration protocol re-creates conditions needed for neural integration.

The Lifespan Integration protocol incorporates the conditions which have been shown to be important for optimal neural integration in infants and children. These include:

Through repetitions of the Time Line of memories and images, the client develops the ability to view himself as "one" unified self existing continuously and fluidly across space and time. According to leading neuroscientists* such a mental map of self across space and time is believed to be central to neural integration.

Lifespan Integration addresses a wide range of psychological problems.

Modified versions of the Lifespan Integration protocol can be used in the treatment of many psychological disorders which have at their root insufficient neural integration. These disorders include anorexia, bulimia, anxiety disorders, and difficulties with affect regulation. A modified version of the Lifespan Integration protocol can also be used to integrate dissociated ego states in D.I.D. clients.

Therapeutic outcomes indicate evidence of change at the synaptic level.

Clients who have completed Lifespan Integration report:

Based on the results I have observed in clients, I propose that Lifespan Integration therapy promotes neural integration in the brain both between hemispheres, and between sub-cortical and cortical regions.

Notes:

* These leading neuroscientists include: Daniel J. Siegel, Allan N. Schore, Louis Cozolino, and Joseph LeDoux. For a more detailed explanation of my hypothesis of how Lifespan Integration contributes to neural integration, see Chapter Two: "The Neurobiological Basis of Lifespan Integration" in my book, Lifespan Integration: Connecting Ego States through Time.