Dyslexia & Psychotherapy

A dyslexic’s emotional experience can affect their encounter with others and their world. The world of words becomes alien as they struggle to make sense of it. The knowledge that they are different changes the direction of the projection.

This digestion of the ’alien’ is isolating and ‘belonging’ can be a lifelong quest. Most research into dyslexia is about its source, cure and finding effective ways of teaching dyslexic children. Until now very little attention has been paid to dyslexics’, often secret and unexpressed, emotional struggle in meeting others in the world.

Our natural vitality is inhibited by this constant struggle, it is contained, suppressed and literally withdraws inside ourselves. Working to free and expand our vitality, with and through the body is a language that dyslexics can feel safe with. It does not demand that they have to make sense through words to explain their experience. It can lead to relating our behaviour to our vitality, with the potential for trusting our inner knowing, which in turn, can lead to the acceptance of our real intellect, gifts, skills and limitations.

I am starting a new research group in Brighton in January 2008. If you are dyslexic and would like to join, please contact me. I also have limited number of psychotherapy spaces for dyslexic clients.