Psychoeducation with Melissa and her Team

Before going deep into the understanding of the human mind, it is important that we understand the purpose and function of your autonomic nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system regulates your involuntary physiological responses in your day-to-day life that you need to survive (such as your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure). You do not consciously control this system, rather it works in the background as you go about your day.

So, why is it important to understand the states of your nervous system? That is because, mental health is governed by the flexibility of your nervous system – which means, your ability to shift from state to state.

Our nervous system is made up of 3 states which we move in and out of throughout our day. There is ventral vagal/state of safety, sympathetic arousal (also known as hyperarousal) and dorsal vagal shutdown (also known as hypoarousal). Our body attempts to balance the state of hyper and hypo arousal, but sometimes, because of our experiences in the world and our relationships with others, our nervous system becomes unbalances, or dysregulated. This is when our mental health suffers.

Ventral Vagal

• Is a state of safety
• We feel calm and connected – we are able to relate and connect with others
• We are able to be in the moment and mindful
• We are curious and open minded
• We are compassionate
• One that you probably didn’t think of – your digestion system is working and you have an optimal immune response
• When in ventral vagal, you do not just feel health mentally, but also physically

Sympathetic / “Fight-or-Flight” Response

• This is our fight-or-flight response – It is our survival strategy – it is meant to protect us against imminent dangers to our lives
• In life-or-death situations, this response saves your life – your heart pressure, your blood pressure and adrenaline increase while other parts such as digestion, pain threshold and immune responses decrease as they are not needed when you are preparing to run or fight for your life
• When we experience painful experiences, your nervous system automatically assumes that there is a threat to your survival, so this instinct will kick in involuntarily 
• When your body goes into a fight response you may feel angry, irritated, annoyed, frustrated and rage
• When your body goes into a flight response you may feel anxious, worry, fear and panic
• As you can see, these are responses that we have to everyday situations that aren’t necessarily a threat to our survival, rather a threat to our egos, self-image, and confidence
• When you have a flexible nervous system, it may feel easier to move from these feelings back into a state of calm and rational thinking
• However, individuals with trauma (we will come back to types of traumas another time), but the system will become more rigid, and we experience more difficulty moving back into the state of safety

Dorsal Vagal State / “Freeze” Response

• This is also known as our “emergency state”
• We completely shut down and feel hopeless and as if there is no way out
• This state is activated when our fight-or-flight did not work in a situation
• When this state is activated, you may feel depressed, dissociative, a lack of energy or motivation and a feeling that you cannot move forward
• Biologically, your fuel storage and insulin activity increase and your pain tolerance will increase

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Each of these states will dictate the way that you interpret the world around you. Our minds will tell a story about us and our experiences that make sense based on the state of our nervous system. So, if you are in a state of danger, or fight-or-flight, the way people treat you or respond to you will seem more threatening than if you were in a state of safety.

Have you ever gone through a tough time in life and then heard a song that matched exactly
what you were going through? So accurate that it almost felt like the song was written about
you… Take a moment to think about that experience. How did you feel when you first heard
that song?

● Maybe you felt soothed by having a new way to express your pain…
● Maybe you felt disgusted or afraid from feeling exposed by the song…
● Maybe you were even brought to tears from suddenly feeling like you weren’t alone…

Maybe you experienced all of these reactions or something completely different! Regardless of
what your initial reaction may have been, you probably experienced something inside. A
strange, yet profound deepening of emotion, insight, and catharsis.

Or are you a musician? (Singing in the shower counts!) Have you ever experienced peace after
making music that described how you were feeling, almost like a weight had been lifted off of
your shoulders?

What if this power of music could be used in your psychotherapy sessions?

I’m excited to say that this is exactly what music therapy entails!

The Canadian Association of Music Therapists states, “Music therapy is a discipline in which
Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) use music purposefully within therapeutic relationships to
support development, health, and well-being.”

Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen, once said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” This
is the power of Music Therapy.

Whether you are a virtuosic musician or can simply turn on the radio, music therapy can help
enrich your psychotherapy sessions and lead to new insights, healthier coping and relaxation,
and emotional release and healing.
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If you are interested in exploring this treatment option more, feel free to book a free phone
consultation with me, or send us an email through the “Contact Us”
tab on the website!