Benilda Formoso, MTA, MSW, RSW Psychotherapist

Wishing you all a lovely, warm Christmas. From our hearts to yours. https://youtu.be/8MoSwBzqYYg

my heroes are my clients... and anyone who has lived through abuse, trauma or otherwise painful circumstances who at their very core... KNOW that they are deserving of love and life. Those that are courageous enough to face (and even embrace) their inner demons, and do the work that it takes to live the life that they are deserving of. See more

When we talk about being regulated, we’re really talking about being able to bring ourselves back into a state of balance, peace, presence, or calm. You can regulate with others - through interaction - seeking out things you can do with others, such as reaching out for support, hugging someone you love, sharing a smile with someone else, or going for a walk with someone. You can self-regulate - by doing things on your own, such as paying attention to yo...ur breath, journalling, moving your body in order to release energy or gain energy, or simply placing your hands on your heart. We need both. We have nervous systems that seek safety and connection - both within ourselves and with others. Try making two lists. One entitled, Things I Can Do With Others, and the other entitled, Things I Can Do On My Own. Your lists will be unique to your own nervous system. Keep it as a reminder for when you are noticing challenges throughout the week. . . . . . #DebDana#SomaticExperiencing#PolyvagalTheory#PolyvagalLadder#StephenPorges#AutonomicNervousSystem#SomaticPractice#SomaticEducation#NervousSystemRegulation#StillnessThroughMovement #PolyvagalInformedTherapy #PolyvagalTheoryInTherapy #RhythmOfRegulation #Mindfulness #MindfulnessPractice #SelfRegulation #CoRegulation #AutonomicNervousSystem #Trauma #TraumaRecovery #TraumaHealing #Psychotherapy #MentalHealthMatters #Depression #Anxiety # See more

Sharing this beautiful program for anyone that is interested in registering their child. I plan to register my daughter. See info below.

Are we not the cutest people ever? After so many years since graduation, I had the privilege of being mini-interviewed by Stephen Williams, our beloved Director of #MusicTherapy at #CapilanoUniversity on the very tender topic of #woundedness. . After a rather disappointing literature search for an upcoming conference presentation, Stephen decided to do a human literature search on emotional wounds, therapist identify & the resilience that can come from awareness of, & ge...tting acquainted with, one’s core psychological woundedness. . . One very important theme that came out for me during this conversation was the value of befriending our wounds and the tendency and/or capacity for our woundedness to serve as gifts that we bring into this world. . . . . #therapy #TherapyIsCool #psychotherapy #psychotherapist #mentalhealth #traumainformedpractice #trauma #traumarecovery #traumahealing #traumainformed #traumasurvivor #traumatherapy #traumaresponse #woundedhealer #woundedhealers See more

I have been raised by the most wonderful parents. My parents have done nothing but support us. I do not have parents that say things to make me feel bad about my decisions, all they do is share our joys, love us, teach us how to be kind, encourage us to be generous human beings. They taught us to be giving to the poor, to value travel and adventure, to be slow-moving and thoughtful, to laugh, to learn, to build community, to love music, to be humble, to love plants, to observ...e, to pray, to meditate, to have compassion, to enjoy eating, to be silly, to be connected, to be free of shame, to embrace tears, to feel our emotions, and because of this, I #lovemyself. In the therapy world, we often talk about bad parenting, and everything parents did to mess us up. And understandably, many are working hard in therapy to #reparent themselves with unconditional love. Today, I’d like to celebrate #goodparenting. My parents did not have perfect parents, but my parents consciously gave us all we needed in life - love, safety and connection. For that, I am grateful. . . . #positiveparenting #parenting #parentslove #parentsupport #reparenting #unconditionallove #unconditionallove #therapists #goodparenting #goodparents #goodparentingskills #lovingparents See more

Everything I learned about being a therapist came from my Bachelor of #MusicTherapy degree from @capilanou (College) 2007. With the recent passing of one of the pioneers Fran Herman, and then reconnecting with some of the best people ever, I pulled out the ol’ Capilano hoodie to pay tribute to this time of my life. . . Practicing Music Therapy taught me how to hold space, how to connect, how to listen, how to co-create, how to listen beyond words, and how to respect the arts ...and the capacity that art has in healing people. . . There are many ways we can use #music to express our story. Today pick one song that expresses where you came from, another one for where you are now, and another one for where you are headed. Listen to your soundtrack and see what you notice. . See more

Welcome to my humble little therapy room. This is where I hold your space. Evening appointments / Will re-open my virtual door to new clients in 2021