Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I am delighted to announce that Aarti Mathur is now a Certified AEDP therapist. Aarti brings a lovely, rich balance of heart and mind to her AEDP work: Wisdom, palpable warmheartedness, intellect, intuition, and spacious embodiment — along with a refined ability to track and use patients’ images and metaphors, to powerful effect, while working experientially. She inhabits and exudes the AEDP therapist stance so fully, as though she were metaphorically bathing her patients in recognition, loving care, and respect. Her artful, sensitive work is also informed by left brain/ conceptual understanding of the AEDP model and its theoretical tenets, and maps, which she has clearly articulated in her annotated transcripts. Aarti’s openness and appetite for growth and new learning have added to my pleasure in being her AEDP certification supervisor.
While there is so much more I could say, I invite you, instead, to read how Aarti’s certification reviewers responded to her work:
Reviewer #1
Aarti demonstrates a masterful understanding and practice of the AEDP model. I felt moved by the care, warmth and attunement shown in both pieces of her work, and this powerful therapeutic stance led her clients to have deeply healing experiences in relation to being and feeling seen by her. Aarti did a beautiful job of working with state 1 in her early treatment video, by affirming/ appreciating defenses which in turn reduced shame and helped her client begin to have access to adaptive anger and pain. Right out of the gate, Aarti began weaving in relational interventions to undo her client’s aloneness around a currently painful, if not, traumatic event.
In her second video, Aarti masterfully demonstrates her ability to focus the entire session on experiential work and processing, with little to no “content” or storyline. It was inspiring to see her seize and stay with her target – to help her client have a corrective emotional experience of feeling loved and praised – and how she astutely facilitated deep healing by processing this to completion.
Reviewer #2
Aarti demonstrates a deep and embodied understanding of AEDP theory and practice. She brings this knowledge alive in the room, tracking her patient moment by moment with attunement and care. I felt my own heart warm with excitement as I watched her stay with, nurture, and gently deepen her patient’s Core State. Her strong self-reflective capacity shows how dedicated she is to continually learning and growing on behalf of her patients. Aarti brings a sense of playfulness and genuine delight to her work. Even reading the transcript lifted my heart.
Aarti’s reflections on her AEDP journey:
My journey with the AEDP model started as part of my personal journey with a therapist trained in AEDP among other modalities. As I explored the model, I was drawn to the therapist stance of an attuned, reliable ‘other’, the focus on minimizing hierarchy and amplifying authenticity and explicitness in the relational system. Although I have been trained in different modalities, AEDP has offered me a road map that feels indispensable, deeply grounding and feels like home.
I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Richard Harrison, whose guidance and wisdom has expanded my capacity to hold space for transformation. He held me through the ebb and flow of the certification process with compassion and an attuned presence. It allowed me first hand to experience the healing power of being seen. His nuanced feedback has continually refined my conceptual and clinical skills. I am very thankful to Dr. Kari Gleiser for an opportunity to participate in group supervision with her. Her steady presence and insights have helped integrate intra-relational work with my clients. I am indebted to my clients who continue to be great teachers. The AEDP community at large, the amazing lead assistants, experiential assistants, the courageous co-participants in trainings have shaped my growth, deepened my trust in the model and illuminated the transformative power of relational presence. The visceral impact of the interventions practiced as a participant in trainings was compelling and revelatory of my strengths and areas of growth, personally and professionally. My AEDP therapist has been a consistent, attuned other and has helped me to embody the power of the model in my own practice. I carry the invaluable lessons from my mentors in the therapy room where they guide my clinical interventions and beyond the therapy room where they continue to shape how I move through the world- with greater authenticity, vulnerability and compassion. I am honored to be part of the AEDP community.
Please join me in congratulating Aarti on this significant achievement and well-deserved recognition. You can do so by writing to her directly at: draartimathur@gmail.com
Brava Aarti!
With warmth and joy,
Richard
Richard Harrison, Certification Supervisor
AEDP Institute Faculty