with Cherie McCoy
Here is an interview I did recently with Karen Adler about Self Acceptance Training tools for moving from pain to pleasure in mental health.
Topics include:
YouTube Video – Tools for Dealing with Stress
Karen Adler interviews Cherie McCoy about Self Acceptance Training tools for dealing with stress at work, from the media, or from families.
Here’s a new video I recorded with Karen Adler covering the following topics:
Zoom recording from April 14, 2020.
Cherie leads an experience of how to ground your energy, and alleviate fear and anxiety, followed by a meditation.
From a Zoom recording on March 24, 2020.
Cherie leads a session teaching about anxiety, and a tool to alleviate anxiety. Begins with a 15 minute meditation followed by the lecture.
Recently a trainee reacquainted me with two audio recordings by Dick Olney. Dick was beginning to develop SAT when we met. He and I lived together and continued to refine this work for several years. Some of you may have had the opportunity to work with Dick. You are blessed.
I want to share these files with you to give you a taste of his gift of hypnosis. There is some background noise, so you might choose to pretend it’s a waterfall or passing stream.
Let me know if you like them.
It is a word from our childhood, when we are much more connected to our bodies. As children we pretend. Usually we think we are a teacher, super hero, ballerina, or a famous basketball hero. What makes a pretend so powerful is that we have different sensations and/or emotions for each pretend. When a trauma comes along, the child forms a thought or belief about themselves, and embodies a sensation about that belief. So now they are pretending that they are an idiot, or ugly, or fat, or helpless, etc. The most powerful pretend happens when we “grow up” and pretend that we no longer pretend. Meanwhile all these beliefs connected to sensations and emotions are embodied and unconsciously running our lives.
People and/or events in life often trigger these old, embodied pretends. We think it is about that person, or that event. The sensations and/or emotions embodied in the past are now directed into our present situation. Because we are now adults, our reactions of fear or anger which we could not express when we were children are now poured out at that person or that event.
Pretends are not always negative. If you were loved a lot as a child, you expect, see, and draw love toward you. If you were praised for accomplishments, you are probably successful in whatever you do. Whatever you believe, you will achieve as they say. That is true, both negatively and positively.
In New Thought, they call every thought and action an affirmation. However, I have noticed that the people who were most successful in there affirmations, really “felt” or experienced the affirmation in their bodies. And of course we are all doing affirmations or “pretends” all the time. Watch yourself when you watch the news or hear a story about someone. What happens in your body? What is your “pretend” about that situation?
In this workshop, which you are about to hear, we are exploring, experiencing, releasing, and recreating these experiences.
I learned from studying Dr. Wilhelm Reich and Dr. Alexander Lowen that our history is stored in our tissues. When the child or even the adult experiences trauma, because it is often not safe to express the emotions involved, they tighten different areas of the body, thus storing that experience along with the emotions.
Often, while working with clients over the years, some would start shaking. This was usually frightening for them. When I would ask them, “Is it scary and painful or scary and pleasurable?” They would reply, “Oh, I guess it’s scary and pleasurable.” They would then settle into the experience and let themselves shake until it stopped and then they would be breathing deep belly breaths.
When the shaking was happening I would affirm for them, “Your body is releasing old memories. Maybe they will come to you or maybe not. It doesn’t matter.” A few years back I discovered this video by Dr. Robert Scaer, How the Brain works in Trauma. It proves that animals in the wild relive and shake off trauma as soon as it’s over, ending in deep belly breaths. Dr. Scaer explains that animals in the cage (zoo animals, pets, and humans caught in the cage of culture), do not. They go into a freeze response.
In Self acceptance Training, client/trainees sometimes intentionally or other wise find themselves reliving a trauma. I facilitate them through the experience, helping them to express the emotions that the child could not and sometimes re taping the experience in a more positive way.
Gratitude has been a practice of most religions and spiritual philosophies as well as Twelve
Step programs. Even Oprah has promoted it. Many people practice it daily, either with a
partner, texting 3, 5, or 10 gratitudes daily, or by themselves, writing them in a journal or just
noticing throughout the day. It truly changes your attitudes and your life. I highly recommend it.
One of the gratitudes that we can easily forget in this highly intellectual culture is our body. A friend recently sent me this e-mail and since I am all about the body, I share it here with you.
A tip. As you read through this, focus on the sensations in that part of your body. If it is tense,
breathe into it and send love and light to whatever is held there. If the sensations are pleasurable, ENJOY!
Sometimes you may feel like your body is beginning to creak and fail you on the outside, but do you ever stop to consider the incredible work that is taking place inside of it?
There is so much going on and everything fits together so well, that it’s almost impossible to comprehend it. This presentation will remind you that there are miracles going on inside your body every single day.
Dr. David Perlmutter, whose latest book, Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers, has recently released this video showing how early trauma affects the gut as well as changing the shape of different areas in the brain.
Self Acceptance Training is a method of connecting the mind, body and spirit to relieve stress,
pain and trauma, resulting in peace, confidence, and more aliveness. Over the last 47 years of
practicing the tools of SAT with clients and trainees as well as myself, I have noticed changes in
people’s behaviors as well as their overall health. Dr. Perlmutter believes that by changing
your gut health, you change your DNA. I have stated in my book, Becoming Alive And Real,
that I believe alleviating stress, tensions and trauma can change DNA. In fact, I know several
people who have utilized the tools of SAT since the early 70’s and 80’s and are in excellent
physical and mental health. I’m not saying that SAT is the only reason for this but I have noticed
that when people feel more alive, they begin to find more paths to health.