Tag: yoga therapy

Inviting curiosity and compassion as you explore your inner world

Trauma, depression, anxiety and life challenges can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself, overwhelmed, dysregulated, out of rhythm and without a sense of true meaning or purpose. Life events can imprint certain unhelpful ways of thinking upon you, which you may find difficult to escape, or even to identify. Your intuition may feel like a luxury you cannot afford, or access.

You may fear your feelings, believing they are too much for you to contain. You may feel that you are too much for others or too little. You may be in battle with your body, misunderstanding it’s language and unsure of how to re-connect with it. You may feel betrayed by yourself, by your body.

You may doubt yourself, doubt whether you are capable, doubt whether you can love and be loved. Your beliefs about yourself and the world may be unfounded, and unhelpful. You may wonder who you are, whether you can know yourself in any meaningful way. Your life, your decisions, your view of yourself, may be dominated by events, people, traumas of the past. You may feel stuck and unable to move past such things.

Your behaviours may be contrary to what you truly desire for yourself; you may feel you have no control over them. You may get stuck in a loop of damaging, unhelpful ways of acting in relationships. You may secretly long for more in life. You may desperately want to understand yourself. You may need to turn inward and accept the call to return home to your true self.

Therapy sessions are adapted to your needs. I work on a continuum from verbal therapy to body-based techniques. This holistic approach to therapy is suited to various mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar and personality challenges, as well as life transitions or spiritual searching. The work is trauma-informed and consciously focused on reducing power dynamics. I work out of a beautiful practice in Vredehoek, Cape Town, where we have the space to move between verbal and body-based work.

To enquire about therapy or book a session, contact Melissa: Whatsapp 0834129768 or email info@melissamcwalter.co.za

Small trauma-informed yoga groups: spaces available

Hi everyone 🙂

Because there has been such a keen interest in my trauma-informed yoga (TIY) classes, both individual and group, I am opening another small TIY group. The group is almost full, if you would like to reserve a place, please contact me directly.

The group will only facilitate a maximum of four people. Location is 3 Belsay Road, Kenilworth.

If the group is full by the time you contact me, I will waitlist you for the next group which should be opening soon.

Please note that because of the sensitive nature of this work, anyone joining a TIY group must have 1-3 individual assessment sessions with me first. Individual sessions can continue until the person is ready to join the group.

There are no strength, flexibility or fitness requirements. The classes are at your own pace. The TIY groups can be seen as a body-based version of group talk therapy. While we do not spend much – or any – time talking, we are learning to be with one another, to synchronise with our own bodies and the bodies of others, and to eventually feel more supported and calm in the presence of others. All this while exploring important aspects of ourselves in and through our bodies.

Cost:

Individual session: R790, hour long.

Group session: R350, hour long. (Group sessions can be discounted if paid upfront for the month. The cost for a month is R1000, one class per week, if paid upfront. However, I encourage each person to try a few classes until they feel ready to commit to the monthly payment.)

Contact by clicking here or Whatsapp 0834129768

A Brief Rationale for an Integrative Approach

Music therapist integrative therapy Cape Town Melissa Ellse
Integrative Therapy in Cape Town with Melissa Ellse

We are all unique 🌟

An integrative therapeutic approach draws thoughtfully from various theories, methods and techniques based on the individual’s strengths, needs and concerns.


There is no one-size-fits-all. It simply does not exist. Every single encounter we have with one another is both meaningful and unique. This is because we are human and beautifully complex.


I’ve learned this first hand in my own therapeutic processes, which is why I strive to be integrative, intuitive and informed in my approach. And my approach will probably not work for everyone, because we are all unique 🌟 and that is truly wonderful.

To find out more, click here.