What is Lifespan Integration?

Lifespan Integration is a new therapy which was developed during the first decade of the 21st century.

Lifespan Integration (LI) relies on the innate ability of the body-mind to heal itself.  There are many different LI protocols. Some protocols heal birth trauma and or pre-verbal trauma, and others heal attachment deficits which may have occurred during specific stages of development. All protocols include repetitions of a Time Line of memories and images. Viewing repetitions of one’s ‘life review’ both integrates past experience and proves to the client’s body-mind system that time has passed. This ‘proof’ occurs at a deeper level than is possible with commonly used cognitive behavioral [talk therapy] methods.

If a client’s present problem is caused or informed by a past experience, the LI standard protocol can be used to guide the client to imaginally re-visit the past experience, bringing into the past whatever is needed to resolve the memory. After the memory is resolved, the therapist leads the client repeatedly through time to the present using a Time Line of visual images of scenes from the client’s life.

During Lifespan Integration clients produce and watch ‘movies’ of their lives.

In Lifespan Integration therapy, clients’ movement forward in time is done visually in such a way that clients watch multiple ‘movies’ of their lives. Each movie is a different rendition of the same life story.  Different themes emerge which are often accompanied by new insights. These ‘movies’ are spontaneously generated by clients’ unconscious minds. Through watching repeated ‘movies’ of their life stories, clients see how the past continues to impact their behavior and choices in the present. Each repetition of the protocol shows the client a slightly different ‘moving picture show’. LI works well even with people who have trouble remembering their pasts. During Lifespan Integration therapy, clients who began with memory gaps are eventually able to connect the pieces of their lives into a coherent whole.

Lifespan Integration therapy heals deeply and completely without re-traumatizing.

Lifespan Integration is a very gentle method which works on a deep neural level to change patterned responses and outmoded defensive strategies. LI therapy helps people connect unpleasant feelings and dysfunctional patterns with the memories of the past events from which these feelings and strategies originated. Making these connections at a deep level of the body-mind ‘re-sets’ the neural system so that it is more in line with the current life situation. This ‘re-setting’ happens very rapidly for most people. After LI therapy, people find themselves spontaneously reacting to current stressors in more age appropriate ways. After several sessions of LI, clients have reported that they feel better about life, are more self-accepting, and are better able to enjoy their intimate relationships.