The Power of Choice

In the therapeutic world, allowing a client agency enhances their engagement in sessions and empowers them to embrace interoception and the feeling of self-awareness. By choosing anything, from a seat in the room to the starting exercise, a client becomes more directly invested in the work. I sincerely believe that therapy is a partnership and progress is an outcome mutually met. In every session, I allow space for choice and pause throughout to allow for rest, reflection and if needed, redirection. I’m encouraging my clients to take stock of their own body cues. 

Breaking down choice a bit, we look at the interplay of reason and emotion in our brains. Decision-making and problem solving are housed in the prefrontal cortex, while the limbic system draws in emotional drivers like pleasure and reward. When we choose, we’re taking a conscious leap. Several factors influence choice, with a feeling of safety and self-preservation being among the primary drivers.

For those that experience inertia and indecision, defensive reflexes may be responsible. Fear paralysis and Moro reflexes, when not fully integrated, create mental barriers and a feeling of being ‘stuck’ that often prevents confident decision making.  Independence, self-initiative and a sensation of safety in exploration all develop with the integration of our earliest reflexes. The neurological connections that strengthen with those reflexes, especially in our prefrontal cortex, reinforce the ability to choose confidently. 

When we employ RMTi, we’re reinforcing that integration through movement while allowing for a more present, participating self. Our upcoming workshops not only model exercises that support our reflexes but also the purposeful role of choice in therapy.