An interview with Dance Movement Psychotherapist and Mental Wellness Consultant, Irene Anggreeni

 

By healing myself, I’m taking care of others. Because now, I am more conscious about not transmitting this sort of negativity.

 

Looking back at my journey, I am grateful for the big milestones in my life. 

When I was younger, I thought academic and career accomplishment was everything. Best student awards, scholarships abroad, completing a PhD – I’m the first in my family to have a doctoral degree. 

 

Depression shook my world and thankfully, also brought me a new, healthier perspective about life. It has opened a unique path that I never would have imagined.

 

Upon recovery, I retrained to become a mental health therapist and launched my wellbeing coaching and consultancy practice. Along the way, I became an international bestselling author.

 

Deep inside, I feel my biggest achievement is that I open myself to the richness that feeds my soul.

 

Setting out on my unique path, becoming my own hero.

Rediscovering my spirituality and interconnectedness with everything.

Navigating life with a whole lot more confidence and being at peace with the past.

Having the privilege to help others on their healing path. 

 

It’s immeasurable. 

 

I remember that small girl that was me – withdrawn, shy, often doubting herself – not in her wildest dream did she imagine that this could be her path now. 

 

This is it. And this is also not it.

I have the feeling that my biggest achievement is yet to come.

 

3. What’s the biggest result you help your clients to achieve?  

 

Imagine having an invisible ball and chain shackled to your ankle. Day by day, going about your life feels challenging. You try to do your best and carry on with dignity. But frustration is there. Anger too. Perhaps even shame, believing that there’s something wrong with you. There’s an invisible force weighing you down, holding you back. Life is in survival mode. 

 

You would want to release yourself from that burden, wouldn’t you?

 

When we are holding on to our emotional wounds, it feels as if we’re stuck with that ball and chain. This emotional trauma, if we are not aware of it, makes us behave unhealthily in our relationships, with ourselves and others.

 

Clients I work with typically have complex trauma. In itself, ‘trauma’ may seem a taboo word that not everyone relates to. But it’s actually more commonplace than one may imagine. Thanks to the work of Gabor Mate, Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine among others, we understand more and more how unresolved trauma can be impacting our daily lives. It can be so subtle that we may not be aware of it!

 

Quite a few of my clients have gone through therapies or coaching. They understand a lot on the intellectual level. They have read books on trauma, personal development, and various other wellbeing topics. And they are looking for ways to cope, and to answer the question “Why am I still feeling stuck?”.

 

To actually create change in their life is the biggest challenge. The big win of my clients is the transformation in their self-beliefs. This is massive. That transformation will create ripples in their lifetime and in the people around them. This shows in how they perceive themselves; how they communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas; how they make choices; how they lead their life.

 

This was the case with one particular client. Before working with me, she had had various therapy, including EMDR. She was dealing with emotional rollercoasters and also anger and shame around her trauma. We had the opportunity to work through this, also in the group setting. From having her emotional wounds seen and acknowledged, we co-developed healthier ways involving the body and creative expression to move through these intense emotions and release the trauma. As a result, she learned to trust herself again! This brought about empowerment – confidence that is authentic. One that includes the courage to be vulnerable at times. Embodying “I exist unapologetically” has been at the core of her transformation. This mind-body shift has strengthened the foundation of her professional identity as a transformational coach and wellness entrepreneur.

Video testimonial from client Emma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3cjNGEj56Y&list=PLbRhNJKcaTWQSL00ZQXicEMNvQhatkwfU&index=3 )

4. What would be your biggest piece of advice for readers who want to achieve the same?  

Start looking deep inside yourself. 

Start listening to your emotions more. 

Get out of your head. Come home into your body.

Our body has so much wisdom.

It remembers our experiences. Our emotions, intuition and creativity are “housed” in the body. We often look for answers outside, but we have all the answers within.

Instead of suppressing, lean in and observe what you feel at this moment. 

If your body could speak, what would it say? What do you need right at this moment?

This is the first step to spark that transformation.

Self-care, kindness, compassion are your friends on the journey.

As you move forward on your path, know that there’s no shame in asking for help.

Be proactive, create and maintain your support system. 

Luana Ribeira

Luana Ribeira is a best selling author, international speaker and host of business Innovators Radio.