About Elizabeth, et al

Last updated 2/16/09

Elizabeth Lehmann, MA, MSW, LCSW

I intentionally refer to myself as "the co-creator" of "Restoring Connection: Experiencing True Joy" for a few reasons. “Restoring Connection” organically emerged from within an ongoing experiential study group of psychotherapists that I lead in New York City. The group consists of: Mary Celeste Howard, LCSW; Kate Lawton, MS, CA, SAC; Melissa Maxwell, LCSW, Virginia Parker, LCSW and Kate Waldron, PhD, RN. Without this original "Restoring Connection" group there would be no model. (My 4/19/07 blog entry "More About 'Restoring Connection'" further describes the birth of the model within the group.)

Years of training in various healing modalities as well as my experience is undoubtedly brought to the group and to the model. Yet everyone in the group wholeheartedly agrees there's a very strong sense of something much bigger than us at work here.

"Restoring Connection" with its carefully chosen, well developed components, and how they've come to be woven together, forming an exquisite tapestry, has felt truly inspired. More than once has something spontaneously occurred within an experiential process that we didn't understand at the time, to later encounter an article or book speaking directly to what happened. We're clearly tapping into a larger knowingness. So it feels only right to also acknowledge the "something much bigger than us" in the word "co-creator".

In addition to bringing "Restoring Connection" to others, I'm a licensed psychotherapist and a seasoned group facilitator, known for creating a warm and safe environment. As well as leading experiential groups via teleclasses and in person, I maintain a private practice in NYC. My office is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Focusing, originally developed by Eugene Gendlin, Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, is an essential underpinning for this model and everything I do. While forever grateful for what Focusing brings to me personally and professionally, I consider myself to be an integrationist, greatly appreciating the "Focusing and ..." perspective held by Gene and others within the Focusing community.

As well as Focusing, I also have post-graduate training in psychodynamically-based (family of origin) psychotherapy, EMDR, hypnotherapy, Reiki, Somatic Experiencing, and other modalities. The "Restoring Connection" model reflects not only my training in these healing modalities, but also my connection to Spirit and heart-centered spiritual practices.

No one modality alone has proven powerful enough to effect the kind of transformation I've been seeking personally and professionally. It's through the specific integration of modalities and the revelations that continue to occur that I feel most empowered and best able to help others. This is a burgeoning continuously unfolding process that becomes richer and richer each day. What a time to be alive, to be experiencing this with others and to be able to share it with you!

Through the Focusing Institute I've had the privilege of teaching these workshops: “Introduction to Focusing”, “Expanding Your Focusing Experience”, “Focusing As An Underpinning for EMDR” and “Introduction to Focusing-Oriented Therapy”. It was at the International Focusing Conference last year that I had the pleasure of first presenting the "Restoring Connection" model. (My 7/31/08 blog entry describes this amazing experience.)