Here Valerie shares her insights on creativity, addiction, recovery, healing and psychodrama.
Breaking Through Emotional Blocks
“I’m an actor who believes we all have triggers to any stage of emotion. It’s not always easy to find but it’s still there.”
– Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman’s quote alludes to the fact that the actor has to access all of his or her emotions in order to deliver an authentic performance.
Taking a Leap of Faith
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
– Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Research shows that those with strong faith of some kind recover from illnesses more quickly and are better adjusted individuals. Believing in a power greater than ourselves seems to make us feel better.
The Most Important Role for Actors…Themselves
Stella Adler said, “growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous.”
I have always noticed the parallels between my work as a therapist and the work of an actor preparing for a role. We both study human behavior. We both look at underlying character motivations. We both study the expression of emotion. We both strive to get the best performances, either out of ourselves or another. While the destination of the work is different, the journey to get there is often the same.
How We Let Go of Trauma…for Real
Decades ago, the founder of psychodrama, JL Moreno said, “the body remembers what the mind forgets.” Moreno was speaking about how trauma gets stored in our bodies on a cellular level. Recent research is validating Moreno’s earlier statement.
Existing clients may use Valerie’s sheduler to make and update your therapy appointments.
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