No Escape Hatch: How I Face What’s Still Alive Inside Me
Published about 1 month ago • 4 min read
October Newsletter
No Escape Hatch: How I Face What’s Still Alive Inside Me
Hi friends~
Since returning home from my Somatic IFS Step 1 training, people keep asking me, “How was it?”
It’s a simple question—but the answer isn’t.
In therapy trainings, we’re not passive learners. We don’t sit at the edge of the work. We become the work. We step into the client role and meet whatever’s ready to surface. And what surfaced for me?
Memories. The ones I thought I’d already “dealt with.”The ones I’m honestly tired of revisiting. And the ones I wish would just go the f*ck away.
Of course, I know better. There’s no escape hatch in the corner of my mind where I can drop them like forgotten files. I can’t muscle them into silence. So instead, I listen.
I turn toward ritual. I journal. I cue up the playlists I’ve been curating for our November 1st retreat. I let the paper become not a logbook, but a mirror.
A place to surrender to what’s still alive inside me. To ask my parts what they need. To re-write the memories into something more whole.
That’s why I’m revisiting a tool I often recommend to clients. One that creates just enough space to respond instead of react. It's not fancy. It’s just real. And it works. I hope you check out the S.T.O.P. method for Anger Management below.
Both are beginner-friendly, restorative, and crafted with so much care. Whether you join one or both, you’ll walk away lighter, clearer, and more grounded.
Featured Articles
Anger Management Spotlight: S.T.O.P. Method
It’s hard to believe this post originally went live in 2017—but more than half a decade later, the S.T.O.P. method for anger management still holds powerful relevance. In fact, in today’s world—when we’re increasingly stressed, distracted, and triggered—having a simple, structured tool to pause and respond (rather than react) can be more valuable than ever.
Since this article was first published:
Many of us are navigating higher stress levels, unpredictable routines, and greater emotional volatility.
Digital life accelerates reactivity (social media, constant connectivity), which makes slowing down an intentional act of self-care.
In therapy, clients still report that despite all the new modalities and tools, foundational techniques like pause → think → objectify → plan remain remarkably effective when practiced.
So before diving into the original insights below, I invite you to view this post not as a relic—but as a timeless practice updated for a time that demands presence. Let’s revisit the S.T.O.P. method because pausing is not passive-it’s presence.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a groundbreaking approach to mental health treatment that combines the unique properties of ketamine with the guidance of a skilled therapist. While commonly known as an anesthetic, ketamine has shown remarkable promise in treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
At the right dose, ketamine gently guides you into a psychedelic experience, affecting your perceptions and sensations. You might feel a sense of floating, deep relaxation, a shift in negative emotions, or enter dream-like states. This temporary change in consciousness, combined with therapy, creates a powerful opportunity for healing.
Think of it as a guided journey into your inner world. KAP allows you to safely process difficult emotions and memories that may be contributing to your mental health challenges. With Dr. Silvestri’s expert support, you can gain valuable insights from these experiences, understand their impact on your life, and develop strategies for lasting change.
Hypnosis and Sound Healing is tonight! Some spots still available. I can’t wait to guide you through an IFS-Focused Hypnotherapy journey supported by live sound healing. This is a space to meet your inner parts with curiosity, release stuck protective energy, and rest deeply into sound.
Come join us if you feel ready for emotional healing, deep rest, and reconnection.
November 1 - Release & Renew, an IFS Hypnosis + Sound + Writing Day
This is an invitation to pause the doing, drop into deeper rest, and reconnect with the parts of you that long for clarity, peace, and insight.
When: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
📍 Where: Woodlake, VA (Swift Creek Reservoir) — exact address shared with registered participants
💵 Investment: $250
⏳ Duration: 3 hr 30 min
👥 Group size: Intimate & limited spots
This half-day retreat is a curated blend of hypnotherapy, sound healing, gentle movement, and writing—all designed to help you reset, soften, and release what’s ready to let go. Book Your Spot Now
2025 Virginia Counselors Association Convention
I’m so excited to share that I’ll be presenting at the 2025 Virginia Counselors Association Convention in Norfolk this November!
My session, “The Power of Narrative: Using Expressive Writing to Foster Emotional Healing and Client Connection,” explores how storytelling and writing can deepen the therapeutic process, for both clients and clinicians.
Join me November 13–15, 2025, at the Marriott Norfolk Waterside for an inspiring few days of learning and connection.
One small change: I’ll be switching from monthly to weekly emails. Rather than cramming everything into one long update, I’d rather send shorter, more focused notes that your (and my) nervous system can actually absorb. More steady touchpoints, less overwhelm :) Hi friend, Take a moment and ask yourself, “How does my anger materialize? Does it show up in small ways like… 😠 Snapping at coworkers?😖 Unfounded frustration at your partner?😞 Emotional shutdown because you’re just too overwhelmed?...
Your Fall Reset Fall Reset + a Touch of Magic 🌀 Hypno/Soundbath + Waterfront Retreat Somatic IFS retreat. Walking the labyrinth Hi friends~ As the season shifts, it’s a powerful time to pause, reflect, and realign. This fall, I’ve been leaning into deeper practices that support nervous system healing and heart-centered connection, both personally and professionally. Just returned from a beautiful somatic IFS retreat. Deep work, sacred space, and soul-centered community (photo above 💫) Feeling...
September Newsletter What a Baby Shark Taught Me About Letting Go Hi friends~ On my very first fishing trip, I expected to catch something small, maybe a flounder. Instead, I reeled in a baby shark. 🦈 Tradition says you kiss the shark before tossing it back—kind of a sailor’s blessing. So I kissed it hard, partly for luck and partly to make sure it wouldn’t come back to nip me while I was in the water. A wild little rite of passage—sealed with salt, laughter, and a kiss. 🌊✨ Since then, I’ve...
