Develop capacities to empower your core Self and transform your life.
Transform trauma, anxiety, and grief; and improve relationships with skilled therapy for yourself or your child(ren).
Meet Pamela J. Clements, LMFT
I believe that healing and growth are innate human capacities which can become overwhelmed by powerful and/or chronic stressors. My priorities for our healing relationship are to ensure a sense of safety and authentic empowerment for you in the therapy process. Developmental Mindfulness promotes robust mental health via somatic, emotional, and cognitive levels of human experience through an integration of a variety of treatment modalities on each level. This is my synthesis of what I have learned in workshops with Peter A. Levine (Author of Waking the Tiger, and creator of Somatic Experiencing), Janina Fisher (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, based on the work of Pat Ogden, co-author of the book Trauma and the Body), and Dick Schwarz (Internal Family Systems), with a few of my own creations added to the mix. I have also been authorized to teach the foundations of qigong, by Dale Strawhacker, LicA and Master of qigong and taijichuan, trained in China.
The Process of Developmental Mindfulness Therapy
mindfulness
The term "mindfulness" means a variety of things, including the following; the capacity to be abundantly aware of Self, others, and the world around us; the capacity to be fully present with Self, others, and our surroundings; the capacity to track our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and the behaviors that stem from these; and a lifestyle practice of sustaining awareness and presence. A robust capacity for mindful awareness allows us to respond to our life experiences proactively, before situations become conflicts or risks to life or limb, rather than waiting until problems or crises develop and being left to react as the only option. The latter cultivates victimization, whereas the former cultivates empowerment.
somatic Mindfulness
The root of the word somatic is soma, which is Greek for "body" and all that this encompasses. Somatic mindfulness practices enable us to learn the language of our body, which sends messages constantly to our brain about the state of our physical and emotional health. When pain and emotions become intense, it is common to try to avoid, mask, or run from them. Unfortunately, what we avoid controls us; and fortunately, what we face frees us. When uncomfortable emotions become particularly intense, the brain's alarm bell, the amygdala, sets in motion our survival mechanisms, known as flight/fight. This is fabulous when we face an actual threat to life or limb; however, the amygdala can get triggered by sensory perceptions and memories when there is no actual threat present.
In my practice, I teach strategies that enable you to convey to the amygdala that there is no actual threat present in the moment so that it will stand down and you can enjoy neurological and emotional stability and calm again. By practicing these daily, it is possible to train the brain to sustain an ongoing state of stability and calm, as well as to utilize the strategies in the face of painful memories, anxiety, distressing thoughts, and other challenges. Of course, if we ever are faced with a real threat to life or limb, flight/fight will take over to save our life, if possible. This is the essence of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and the other levels described below take us much further, leading to freedom and healthy empowerment, which can be a transformational experience.
emotional mindfulness
You are probably starting to get the idea here. When it comes to emotions, there is no "bad" or "negative" emotion. All are healthy and good. The difference lies solely in the intensity. As you learned above, when emotions get too intense, the amygdala interprets this as a signal of danger, and sets off the flight/fight survival mechanisms. One feature of this system is to dull down or shut off one's rational thinking capacities, known as executive functions. You surely have observed that highly angry people become irrational, and may have noticed it in yourself. When our thinking becomes irrational, we are vulnerable to acting out, potentially hurting ourselves, others, our relationships, and threatening our jobs. The intense emotion and the amygdala control us. This is what we fear in anger, not so much the anger itself. We all have a threshold of emotional intensity. This is the highest level of emotional intensity that a person can experience without setting off the amygdala. When emotions stay within our threshold, it is said that we can "feel and think at the same time." This leads to freedom, because we can get curious about what is activating the emotion that we feel, and we can utilize its energy to act effectively to resolve issues.
In my practice, I teach clients to understand the somatic sensations indicative of their different emotional states, leading to Emotional Intelligence. I help clients to recognize when the intensity of different emotions approaches their threshold so that they may self-regulate, and thus feel and think at the same time - i.e., freedom and healthy empowerment.
cognitive mindfulness
Once we have a healthy relationship with the physical sensations of our bodies and with our emotions, we have begun to experience healthy empowerment and know the difference between power and aggression (which is a loss of control triggered by fear). We are now ready to dive into examining our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and the stories that we have developed over the course of our lives about ourselves, others, and the world - to understand how our thoughts and beliefs influence our emotions and then our decision-making. We are able to feel curiosity about these, and anticipate the greater degree of healthy personal empowerment that this work will bring. We are ready to enter this stage with courage and a certain enthusiasm. This is the stage at which therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative Therapy, Alchemical Psychology, and more help us to make sense of our past, rewrite the self-limiting stories, gain perspective and insight, and transform our relationships with self, others, and the world. We can navigate the waters, irrespective of the waves we encounter.
therapy for minors, with Parenting Support
I have been working with children and families for 46 years, as a teacher, mother, and psychotherapist. I work with minors, from two to seventeen years old. With very young children, depending on their developmental maturity and specific therapeutic needs, I ask that the parent who requests the therapy participate along with the child, as the process will involve guiding the parent in responding, as much as it will involve my interactions with the child. With children who are ready to engage with me independently, I share all of the somatic mindfulness strategies described above with them, as well as engaging them in Play Therapy utilizing Sand Tray, Bibliotherapy (sharing therapeutic stories), Art Therapy, Drama Therapy, board games, physically active games, and other developmentally appropriate activities to address the presenting problems.
Over the course of these careers, I have compiled a collection of highly effective positive parenting strategies that I share with the parents of minor clients in collateral sessions.
Healthy Relationships
I have many relational skills to share with individuals and low-conflict couples who wish to improve their relationships, and have been highly successful in guiding these folks in achieving satisfaction. Some of the skills that I share are derived from Attachment theories, along with techniques from the Gottmans and Ellyn Bader, I have also created a game and a few exercies for learning and practicing active listening, empathy, and highly effective communication skills.
Take a virtual tour of my office
The door
I have created an office suite in the back of my house. If you arrive a few minutes early and need to use the restroom, you are welcome to do that. Please wait until your appointment time to enter the office, and if you see this door closed, it means that I am working on confidential material, so please do not enter until it is open. I will open it at your appointment time.
comfort
This comfy sofa give you a view not only of the rest of the office, but of the back garden, as well. On very lovely days, the sliding glass door will be open. The back porch and yard are part of my private space, however, so please refrain from stepping outside.
Sand tray and play therapy
Sand tray and play therapy
Here you can see my extensive collection of sand tray figurines, as well as the doll house and other materials.
Art and games
Sand tray and play therapy
This cabinet holds materials for art and play therapy, including classic board games that have great therapeutic value with adults, as well. The sand tray is on the left.
restroom available
restroom available
This restroom is available for your use as needed. The shoji screen marks this end of the office suite.
The Intake Interview
This is an opportunity for us to find out if we are a good therapeutic match. I like to start the conversation off by reviewing a number of points that could be deal-breakers before asking potential clients to open up about what's motivating the decision to engage in psychotherapy, as it's not fair to let someone get excited about a therapist and get vulnerable, only to find out at the end of the conversation that there's a deal-breaker. If none of thde information below represents a deal-breaker, then we'll go forward with talking about you and about scheduling. It's also worth bearing in mind that it's important to share what your needs are while refraining from getting into stories and/or much detail. This important information will be valuable during the assessment process, whereas we will hang up and you will be left to manage whatever emotions arise. An intake interview is very different from an actual session.
Financial
I am not on any insurance panels. I am a contracted provider for the Central California Alliance for Health Medical plan, as well as Victim Assistance. My private pay rate is $170/50-min. therapy hour, and I do have a sliding scale.
In-person or telehealth?
I work primarily in person, as it offers considerably greater therapeutic benefit than telehealth; however, I will use telehealth as a back-up on rare occasion - e.g., if you wake up feeling too ill to drive to my office and do not want to share the bugs yet do want to talk; if you are out of town within the State of California, and have access to a private space with a secure wifi connection. If you have an unusual circumstance that makes it hard to attend in person, let me know, and we can discuss it.
COVID VACCINATIONS
Because I am in a high-risk group (officially an "elder." I ask that all clients received at least the basic vaccination against COVID-19. While I appreciate it when someone has gotten a booster, I do not expect the latter.
I have a home office IN SCOTTS VALLEY
A home office is a distinct kind of office situation that carries unique circumstances. What I ask is that clients have an impeccable respect for my privacy, my property, my neighbors, and the mobile home park where I live. In the spirit of transparency and clarity, during the informed consent process, I will present an Addendum that specifies exactly what "impeccable respect" means to me. This will not be an arbitrary mystery. Nor will it be negotiable.
I HAVE A RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK DOG
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are known for being calm and friendly, as well as deeply loyal and protective. They do not tolerate being separated from their owners well. My dog will be a constant presence in the consultation room. If you have any allergies to or fears of dogs, this situation will not be a good fit for us. You will be expected to treat her with kindness and respect and to follow any instructions I may give in relation to your interactions with her. That said, she will bark briefly when you come, initially, then want to be petted. She'll then curl. up on her bed and sleep. Hers is a soothing, grounding presence. Over the long haul, she will give lots of love.
SCENTS
I have a bronchial issue that makes me highly sensitive to all forms of chemical perfumes, whether on the skin or in laundry detergent. I expect clients to refrain form attending sessions wearing any form of chemical-based scents. Truly pure essential oils are welcome, and most are very wonderful. Thank you.
STAIRS
The entrance to my office suite involves a set of six narrow stairs, with a gait at the top that opens outwards, further narrowing the top portion of the staircase. This makes my office non-ADA accessible. People of many sizes easily navigate these stairs; however, it is inadvisable for anyone with any kind of mobility issue (however temporary), both in terms of a person's comfort level in climbing the staircase, as well as the liability issue that their doing so represents for me.
THREE PHASES OF THERAPY
Additionally, regarding your ability to understand what to expect when working with me, I follow a classic model of three phases of therapy: assessment, treatment, and termination. I conduct a thorough assessment in order to gain a level of understanding of you and your history, health, and other important information that are crucial in arriving at the most accurate diagnosis possible. The diagnosis, along with your wishes for what you want to achieve, drive the treatment plan. Once this is approved by us both, and signed, the treatment phase begins. Ideally, we will arrive at the point at which we both agree that you have achieved very satisfactory progress. We will then negotiate what the termination phase will look like. At a minimum, I ask for three final sessions to conduct three very special (and also very empowering) termination activities. I have heard from numerous clients that one day, their therapist (or psychiatrist) announced, "Congratulations. You have achieved all of your goals. Today is your last day." I will never do this. It is highly unethical, as many people experience this as a shock and form of abandonment.
No deal-breakers? Great! I look forward to speaking to you about how I may be of help to you. Call 831-431-7248 to schedule an intake interview. In the meantime, take good care.