SSP ASSOCIATE’S NAME & DISCIPLINE: Stephan Konrad Niederwieser
NAME OF ORGANIZATION: Stephan Konrad Niederwieser, Psychotherapist
CLIENT PSEUDONYM and AGE: Gunter, 29
CLINICAL HISTORY BEFORE SSP: ADHS as a child Chronic over-eating and being overweight until two years prior to SSP application.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SSP:
The SSP was implemented in my private practice with me present the entire time. Client listened to SSP 5 days in a row and was able to listen the full hour each day without interruption.” Other interventions: Being trained in Hakomi, NARM and Somatic Experiencing (amongst other therapies) I always inquire about changes, I deepen the experiences and reflect on shifts before, during and after each session of SSP.
RESPONSE TO SSP:
Day 1
Already during the first session he is taking very deep breaths consistently. The state change (expansion, relaxation) is very visible to me. Afterward listening he reports that a deeply held knot in his stomach relaxed. Obvious to me is that his voice dropped and now has a profound resonance, which he also hears and recognizes.
Day 2
He reports a deep sense of happiness for no reason. He used public transportation, which was a small triumph for him. He made spontaneous conversation with strangers, and asked somebody to take a picture of him, which he says he would have never done before. He notices a change in vision. He seems very alive and thrilled about all the changes.”
Day 3
He analyzes and feels permission to feel anger and other negative feelings brought up by memories of familial interactions. Tension in back and shoulders subside even more. He can breathe deeply and feels comfortable in his body. After listening he reports that he was able to understand the lyrics, which he was never able before and was even able to remember some of the lines.
Day 4
He feels even more free to talk to people and connect to them. The excitement of being in a big city continues. No fears, less insecurity, more self-confidence, no more bad feelings in connection to others, enjoys being in his body. Received positive feedback from friends. He becomes aware that he is directing his aggression against himself.
Day 5
Has a deep sense of happiness and reports that he cut his cigarette intake to 50% without effort. Reduces volume further down to 22. Leaves my practice happy and feeling much lighter.
5-weeks post intervention check-in:
For about the week following SSP, he had lots of memories come back which carried formerly difficult emotions, mostly sadness. He feels confident in processing these emotions and allowing himself to feel them until they pass, instead of evading.
He feels that his ability to relax stayed stable after the protocol. His constant stress, formerly at a self-described 4, is now at a 2. He is more confident taking cues from his body and listening to himself. He is eating more regularly instead of starving himself then overindulging, finding balance and control with this. He says he feels good and that’s what matters. He has continued to smoke less and has considered stopping altogether. He feels like he will be able to accomplish this if he wishes, which shows a renewed sense of confidence.
He suffered ADHD as a child and carried some of the behavior into adulthood. For example, he either pulled back from the world completely or was constantly out and about, he reports. Now, things have leveled out for him in terms of energy and expression. He mourns this loss in a content way, saying it’s almost like losing a friend. The fear of other people never returned. To the contrary he feels that he has access to boundaries now. Where he was talking to colleagues before, not knowing if they even want to hear what he had to say or if they are willing to spend time with him, he is more in touch now with what is appropriate. Neither does he feel the need to create distance, nor does he look for approval any longer. He feels good in his body and much more comfortable around others, although it is not perfect.