Highland Village Counseling's state of the art Somatic Experiencing® inspired Somatic Wellness Center, located in Cross Roads, TX, offers a variety of guided and self-guided,non-invasive, somatic therapies in a private, safe, and supportive environment. The Somatic Wellness Center allows you to focus on mastering the inseparable brain-body continuum through:

Toning the Vagus Nerve – resulting in a more calm, relaxed, and socially engaged nervous system state and the ability to recover more quickly and efficiently after periods of high stress or trauma.

Boosting Alpha Waves in the Brain – resulting in balanced neurochemicals in the brain like serotonin, enhanced sleep mood, and cognitive function, and lowered anxiety and depression.

Achieving heart coherence - Heart Coherence is a state of cooperative alignment between the heart, mind, emotions and physical systems resulting in increased resilience, emotional balance, and sharper mental focus

Optimizing Physical Well-Being – Eases sore, strained, and tense muscles, improves circulation, reduces joint stiffness, strengthens the immune system, improves gut function, and alleviates insomnia. 

Therapies include:

Individualized Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy - with Certified Yoga Therapist

Safe and Sound Protocol™ developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. SSP is a non-invasive listening therapy that engages the ventral vagal complex and shifts nervous system into safety. SSP utilizes algorithmically altered music that filters out frequencies that do not fall within the frequency range of the human voice. This moves the nervous system out of a defense (fight, flight, freeze) state and activates the socially engaged (ventral vagal) state.

BIoMat ® Therapy – The BioMat is a US FDA 510k registered medical device used daily in the Somatic Wellness Center. The BioMat’s unique medical and therapeutic properties are based on Nobel prize-winning research into ionic channels, the same infrared technology that NASA identified as the safest and most beneficial type of light wave, and the superconductive healing properties of pure amethyst for a deep healing and soothing experience effective in treating a wide range of health issues including:

• Anxiety
  
• Insomnia
  
• Strains and sprains
  
• Post-surgical healing and scar reduction
  
• Muscle soreness
  
• Chronic neck and backpain
  
• Inflammation
  
• Heavy metal toxicity
  
• Arthritis
  
• Circulatory issues
  

HeartMath ® – HeartMath is a biofeedback device and participatory learning tool that teaches mastery over one’s physiology and supports a balanced nervous system. It trains you to gain voluntary control over breathing patterns, attention, focus, and energy. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the clearest window we have into the Autonomic Nervous system, emotional state, level of inner balance, and emotional state. HeartMath allows you to observe your HRV, use scientifically validated HeartMath techniques to change your heart rhythm pattern to create physiological coherence; a scientifically measurable state characterized by increased order and harmony in our mind, emotions, and body. Real-time feedback confirms when you have made the shift to coherence and trains you to sustain it.

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) – CES delivers a low level microcurrent, via small clips worn on the earlobes. This gentle current stimulates the production of alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves are the building blocks of resiliency and allow for calm focus. Alpha waves can enhance sleep and cognitive function while alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression. CES helps regulate the following functions: 

• Reduced heart rate
  
• Reduced blood pressure
  
• Improved digestive function
  
• Relaxed muscles
  
• Increased oxygen and blood flow to the brain
  

Chi Machine – The Chi machine creates a figure 8 type movement in the body while relaxing in a reclined position, with your ankles in the ankle cradles. This figure 8 type movement provides maximum oxygenation benefits to the heart and lungs. The figure 8 motion also creates a lateral flexion on the spine which stimulates and relaxes the sympathetic nervous system and creates an alpha wave state like CES, Tai Chi, meditation, and yoga allowing you to relax. This relaxation causes the bronchi and alveoli to also relax and expand passing more oxygen from your lungs into your circulatory system. Once in your circulatory system, the blood carries the oxygen to all the cells in your body. The Chi machine increases lymph flow helping to cleanse and remove harmful substances from our tissues and support immune function.