Transformation and Healing...

About Pauline Wakeham, LCSW

Pauline is a skillful psychotherapist and dance teacher. Her special qualities of compassionate and non-judgemental presence enable her clients to complete the healing process and find their own voice, their own innate intelligence and go on to live life more fully, have greater personal satisfaction, careers and relationships. "Become your own best friend making healthy decisions moment by moment, with kindness and the ability and committment to follow through"

Pauline's story: from surviving to thriving 

From a very young age I knew that "life was not all roses". Several hospital stays including a spell in isolation gave me my grounding in personal trauma. Those experiences and a deep desire to want to know why bad things happened to people, led me to seek out a career in the helping and healing professions.  I've always wanted to ease the suffering in the world and have worked in crisis teams, community mental health and aging services, always wanting to make a difference.

I began my career in social work in Worlds End, London and have since helped hundreds of people from 4 years old to 107. I worked in a children's psychiatric unit, a creative therapy unit, ran a community mental health group work center in Exeter, England for 8 years, and trained as a drama therapist, family therapist and did two foundation years of group analysis. During this time dance discovered me as a tool through which to heal and Gabrielle Roth, an inspired and catalytic dance teacher nurtured the birth of my movement healing ability. 20 years later I am still deeply nourished by the 5 Rhythms® dance practice and have continued  to lead others in their dance of becoming more fully alive, more fully themselves.

12 years ago I was to encounter my own deep healing and an opportunity to revisit the hospital. This time I brought love and forgiveness in place of fear and blame. I was able to turn what seemed  life threatening into life enhancing. I went from over worked, stressed and isolating to self accepting, grateful, humble  and connected.

Emigrating to the US represented my bid for a new life. There is an empowered vulnerability to be mined when following the emigration trail. Starting again I have reaped the benefits of the bay area with its abundance of opportunity. I trained in massage therapy at Esalen in 1996  when I first arrived in the US, adding the sensitivity of therapeutic touch to my skills. I have done my own personal work in therapy to heal from trauma, freeing my system from excess survival energy and regaining my capacity to self regulate. I  have trained in several trauma healing practices and so am able to offer a flexible and sensitive response to enable healing in others.

I am committed to helping others heal from trauma and find inner peace and vibrant health; to helping couples have healthy relationships and to contribute to the community, helping to create a world where we are not just survivors but thrivers, where hope, creatvity and change are alive and well. 

" There was a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was  more painful than the risk it took to blossom" Anais Nin

I am a trained 5 Rhythms dance teacher and been teaching for 20+ years. I am trained in drama therapy, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Esalen massage and am a licensed therapist. I have a background in shamanism and mindfulness practice.

I regularly attend conferences and day long events: recent events include the Couples Conference, San Jose, the Somatic Experiencing Conference, Berkeley, Bodynamics: Resource oriented skills training. I consult with other practitoners, am taught and train others. Part of my responsibility as a psychotherapist is to remain current in my field. I am licensed: LCS # 19528

Pauline Wakeham, LCSW is a member of : NASW (National Association of Social Workers), CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists), EBCAMFT (East Bay CAMFT) United States Association for Body Psychotherapy >>>TOP

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