Vanessa Bokanowski
Psychologist in Brussels
“There is no profound and lasting change if one ignores their unconscious. I
fundamentally believe in any therapeutic method that starts from the roots
of the symptoms and treats them in a thorough manner. Otherwise, they
continue insidiously invading all areas of your life”.
Every symptom carries a story, and this story is partly unconscious. Symptoms form when external reality becomes too difficult, as a way to
protect us, but paradoxically they also become a source of suffering. As Gabor Maté says “The attempt to escape from pain is what creates more
pain”.
Regardless of their form (depression, anxiety, addictions, eating disorders, burnout, relationship problems, etc.), symptoms will only lose their grip on
us if we return to their origin. This is where psychotherapy is necessary; the
work of making meaning allows us to break free from the repetition to
which they condemn us.
I am a clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist.
My approach is resolutely modern and takes into account scientific advances, new psychological theories, and patient needs.
It is an approach that is more interactive and of shorter duration than those
offered by more traditional approaches.
I work with all types of patients, from those who want to start personal
work to get to know themselves better, to those carrying heavier issues.
In addition to my training as a psychotherapist, I have continued to educate
myself in modern psychoanalytic psychotherapy, as well as in
transgenerational psychology, narcissistic pathologies, and particularly
trauma.
The latest advancements in mental health place the body at the center of
the debate. It is seen as carrying traces of our past suffering, trapped in the
form of muscular tensions. As a result, I have also trained in Conscious
Connected Breathwork, a method that allows access to altered states of
consciousness and allowing a true letting go.
That is why a holistic approach, freeing both psychological and physical
burdens, seems most suitable for fully liberating oneself from the past.
Rediscovering a true sense of authenticity, acknowledging emotional needs,
being able to be fully oneself, and living in alignment with one’s values and
aspirations.
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”
Nelson Mandela
