Somatic Experiencing with Psychologist Dr. Chris Lawrence, Ph.D.

Dr. Chris Lawrence is a mom, partner, knitter, camper, hiker, licensed clinical psychologist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis on children and families. She has extensive experience working with children, adolescents and adults. Her training in Psychology focused on “mental illness”, “diagnosis” and “cognitive treatment” for all manner of symptoms. However, in 2016 Chris began studying somatic interventions for anxiety, trauma and depression. From the beginning of training, she recognized that she had been looking for a very different perspective than she was originally taught. She leans into the belief that mental health and “dis-ease” are the result of context, environment and culture. She now looks at symptoms as expressions of distress that are a result of an environment that feels unsafe. These environments can be prenatal, familial, neighborhood, work or societal. Unsafe environments may lead to nervous system dysregulation that results in overwhelm or shut down – resulting in what we know as “symptoms”. Treating these “symptoms” involves a reorientation towards our resources - nature, pets, supportive others, movement, to name just a few, and a slow unwinding of our nervous system to allow it to return to our natural state. She has also trained with Kathy Kain and Dr. Stephen Terrell to use therapeutic touch in the treatment of developmental trauma. Dr. Lawrence is an ongoing learner in the area of nervous system regulation, resilience, and the impact of traumatic stress on our bodies. Her newest passion is helping parents and babies work through birth trauma. She founded Chris Lawrence & Associates, LLC (formerly Lawrence, Oliver and Associates, LLC) – a mental health private practice that employs over 20 clinicians. She works directly with clients and provides supervision to students and developing clinicians. She is also the founder and Director of HeartSpace Clinic, a nonprofit organization that offers a wide variety of services focused on building resilience in the face of traumatic stress through interventions that target the nervous system, including the Safe and Sound Protocol developed by Stephen Porges. She offers workshops and training on these topics to a wide variety of groups and organizations. Dr. Lawrence regulates her own nervous system by spending as much time as possible camping and hiking with her partner, knitting, practicing Pilates and cuddling with her chiweenie Ruby. 

Connect with Chris and Learn more about  The HeartSpace clinic below:
http://www.heartspaceclinic.org