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NARM is a new therapeutic method - as the name suggests - combining the latest neuroscientific research on self-regulation with a developmental- psychodynamic background. Founder Laurence Heller has been a trainer in Somatic Experiencing (SE) and long time associate of Peter Levine, before developing his own approach, NARM, as an extension of Somatic Experiencing. What makes NARM so unique? • NARM combines the bottom-up approach of SE and body therapy with the top-down approach of Psychotherapy. In other words, it combines techniques of body therapy and talk therapy and brings the two directions together. • NARM is resource-oriented rather than symptom-oriented. • NARM promotes autonomy and self- regulation rather than regression. • NARM focuses (like Gestalt therapy) on the Here and Now, the therapeutic relationship, keeping the relevant developmental perspective in sight. In other words, NARM combines elements of Gestalt therapy with elements of the psychoanalytical theory. • NARM focuses on inner conflicts and relational issues (such as psychoanalytic therapy) and combines it with a body centered approach (bottom-up). • NARM builds on the fundamental insights of Peter Levine on the regulation of the nervous system. The patient learns to regulate his nervous system himself. Which methods have influenced NARM? NARM did not reinvent the wheel but has brought together aspects of the following therapeutic methods: • "Somatic Experiencing" (bottom-up-approach, “felt sense”, sensory awareness, techniques for self-regulation) • Psychoanalytic therapy (Psychoanalytic understanding of inner conflicts, interpersonal dynamic, transference) • Body therapies (Developmental phases, resp. character typology by Reich, Lowen) • Gestalt therapy (Phenomenology, Focus on the Here & Now) • Cognitive Behavioral therapy /CBT (cognitive bias, top-down-approach) • Affective Neurosciences (Polyvagal theory: Porges) • Esoteric approaches (Vipassana meditation technique, Eckhart Tolle, and others) NARM in action • NARM is a subtle approach, where the patient determines direction, pace and depth of what is happening. • Mindfulness plays a central role in NARM. • NARM focuses on learning self-regulation techniques. The therapist will be mirroring visible changes of your nervous system to you. This will help you to develop a better sense of your own system’s reactions. Basic assumptions of NARM • The approach is a humanistic one: the needs of the client are central. The therapist does not want anything except supporting the patient in attaining his goals. • Strong focus on resources: Once you have access to his own strength, your symptoms will disappear on their own. This is a key difference to most other therapies that focus on symptoms and how to eliminate them. • NARM, on the other hand, focuses on the positive, the life force, the energy. Explanation of terms • Bottom-up: From the bottom up, or from the experience to the concept. Typical procedure in body therapies. • Top-down: From top to bottom, or from the concept to the body. Preferred approach in talking therapies. • Regressive approach: the client is going back in time and re-living feelings of his early chilhood, in order to gain new experiences. • Anti-regressive approach (as practiced in NARM): The client retains control and perspective of the current adult self, looking at the past from a safe distance. • The Polyvagal theory by Stephen Porges  explores the relationship between social behavior and the nervous system. • Developmental trauma: unfortunately a confusing term, because it does not refer to a trauma in the traditional sense (not a PTSD). Instead, it characterizes all learned childhood adjustment patterns, whether pathological or not. The term developmental trauma is also not a recognized diagnosis. Five developmental themes NARM uses five basic needs we have as small children, to define five developmental themes we encounter as adults. The less one of those needs has been nurtured in childhood, the more it will still be capturing us as adults: Contact. We feel like we belong to this world. We are in contact with our body and our emotions and are capable of sustaining meaningful relationships with others. Attunement. We know what we need and are able to approach others when we need their support and proximity. We are able to enjoy the qualities of life. Trust. We have an inherent self-confidence and trust others. We feel secure enough to allow and rely on healthy depending relationships. Autonomy. We are able to say “No” and set clear boundaries towards others. We are capable to express our thouhgts without feeling guilty or afraid. Love. Our heart is open and our nervous system in balance, which supports loving relationships and healthy sexuality. As long as these five basic needs are met, we remain in flow and in good contact with ourselves. We encounter our environment with a sense of security and confidence. We feel centered and experience a certain extension. To the extent that these basic needs are not taken care of, we develop certain survival or compensational strategies to cope with the lack of contact and with the the disrupted regulation. Links and literature on NARM • Laurence Heller: “Healing devlopmental trauma - How Early Trauma Affects Self- Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship” Order first edition   Revised & extended edition • Introduction from founder Dr. Laurence Heller