Lavinia Magliocco (she/they)

Dance / Movement Therapy

I incorporate QiGong, a Chinese medical-spiritual practice based on Traditional Chinese Medicine to help clients experience connection with their body in a non-performative, attuned way. Evidence based studies show that Qigong has been successful in alleviating symptoms of PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. QiGong is a gateway to enhancing awareness, mindfulness, and self-regulation. QiGong is in alignment with Polyvagal practice.

Existential

I draw from an existential perspective, guided by the belief that each individual possesses wisdom capable of navigating life's complexities towards greater freedom, connection, and well-being. While we may not have control over many external factors, we hold the power to liberate ourselves from repetitive, unfulfilling patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion.

Psychodynamic 

We notice how you relate with me. This reveals a lot about how you relate to others & the world. We'll use this to examine your patterns of communicating & (dis)connecting. For example, you may not have been able to stand up for yourself in your family of origin. You may have had to please, appease, rage or flee, & you likely will do it with me. Together we'll reflect on our dynamics in the "here and now" to figure out: Is it still working for you, or would another way of responding work better?

Psychodynamic 

We notice how you relate with me. This reveals a lot about how you relate to others & the world. We'll use this to examine your patterns of communicating & (dis)connecting. For example, you may not have been able to stand up for yourself in your family of origin. You may have had to please, appease, rage or flee, & you likely will do it with me. Together we'll reflect on our dynamics in the "here and now" to figure out: Is it still working for you, or would another way of responding work better?

Anxiety

Being human inevitably arouses anxiety, often through trauma-related ruptures early in life. I work more with generalized anxiety disorder that shows up as social anxiety, body dysmorphia, compulsive thoughts and behaviors. through the lens that anxiety is often trying to keep us safe. I work relationally & use somatic interventions to help people learn self & co-regulation skills to connect authentically with Self and Other.

Chronic Pain or Illness

People with chronic illness often come from difficult family of origin dynamics. I bring somatic, trauma-informed lens to working with chronic illness, pain, disability. As someone with Crohn's disease, I have personal experience with financial, sexual, career, and relational sequelae of chronic illness. I use an integral lens that includes mindfulness practices for symptom relief as well as practical skills to manage ADL's.

Depression

Physical illness & depression often accompany each other. Even without a diagnosable illness, depression lives in the body as a kind of heaviness, an inability to find satisfaction or joy, a sense o hopelessness that pervades all aspects of life. I use a somatic, trauma-informed lens with practices to help clients integrate skills that are not just cognitive. Although thoughts contribute to depression. I include mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual interventions.

Historical Trauma

I'm first generation Italian-American, my Jewish grandmother was part of an extensive diaspora, & I'm also Sicilian. Our ancestors' lives inform us through patterns that live in our very cells. Whether through war, genocide, dispossession, abuse, violence, loss, and (im)migration, having a place to uncover stories, explore family dynamics, and make choices based on your preferences rather than constraints is crucial for personal recovery as well as healthy relationships.