Holistic Case Study 1 : 44 year old depressed man

To help people understand what an holistic framework might look like, I’ve put together articles with a Case Study based on real life sessions.

What does working with Hollie look like?

All names and identifying information have been removed to protect clients.

John is a 44 year old Tradie who lives on a small property with his wife, three kids and their dog. He’s been feeling “more and more down” since around his 40th birthday, which was “no big deal” but now it appears to be affecting his sleep, work and family relationships.John gets agitated by loud noises, driving long distance and going shopping, which has meant that he is not helping out with the home and child raising tasks he used to contribute to. Driving anywhere outside the local area for work causes days of stress, and his children avoid him when he’s home because he’s not “very fun to be around,” and noticed he’s becoming stuck in his ways.On weekends he doesn’t want to do work around the property because he’s Already been working all week. He doesn’t attend the children’s soccer games because “the noise put me on edge.” He constantly feels sad, as if something is missing but he doesn’t know what. John is tired all the time. He’s put on 23kg over the last two years and he has ongoing knee and lower back pain that has meant he has to shorten the work day.John’s wife told him he had to get help. John says he feels like he’s stuck on the edge of a road and everyone else is whizzing last but he just can’t get back on the highway. He doesn’t really know what could be different, he just knows anything “has to be better than this.”

Holistic Case Study Session 1 :

John comes to see Hollie with a diagnosis of depression from his GP. They spend most of the first session talking about John’s current concerns, family history, significant life events and what he wants his life to look like. John takes home an ABFE blend and a bottle of Blue Ice Capsules and agrees to return next week with a journal of the food and sleep he’s had.

John doesn’t know why, but he does feel a little better for talking to someone about how he’s been feeling, and he’s looking forward to coming back.

Session 2 :

John has kept a journal of his sleep but he forgot to write down all the things he ate in the week. Hollie says that’s okay because even the things he doesn’t do gives her information to work with. The session starts with an audit of the types of food John has included in his journal, and Hollie gives him information on inflammatory foods that could be contributing to his back pain. John will take this info home to talk with his wife too.

Hollie performs a 5 point muscle test on John, finding the best place to start in the SCW protocol for John’s unique case. The result is the Flow element, and a further test results in attention to the lymphatic system. Hollie explains the function of the lymph and how a weakness in the system could be contributing to John’s sensation of being stuck in the sadness and unable to get back on the highway. Hollie shows John movements he can do at home to support his body in creating a new Flow.

Session 3 :

John returns feeling particularly despondent and anxious. His in-laws are visiting this weekend and he doesn’t know how he will get through three days of the extra noise and niceties. After talking briefly about the Autonomic Nervous System, Hollie suggests trying some Brain Spotting, and although staring at a dot in the room seems weird, John actually finds the session released much of the anxiety he was feeling. To end the session Hollie teaches John some mindfulness techniques and they discuss helpful strategies for keeping calm if tension arises over the weekend.

Session 4 :

John’s back is particularly sore this week, so after some discussion on what might be triggering the increase in pain, they do another Brain Spotting session, which John reports takes the pain from an 8 to a 2. They revisit the inflammatory foods information and John decides he will try a week without soft drink as an experiment. Hollie starts John on the SSP, to be used remotely from home.

Session 5 :

John did not do a single day without soft drink last week. He uses words like, stupid, pathetic, always going to be stuck like this, fat and old... Hollie asks John to notice the negative way he’s talking about himself and suggests there are other ways to come at an issue before deciding that you’re a failure. They talk about Truths and Shoulds in the form of Thoughtwork and Hollie teaches John a technique for keeping his negative thoughts in check. They move to the wall for some mobility work, and John learns how to use myofascial release as a tool for managing his back pain. He goes home with a new ABFE blend and an invigorated sense of possibility.

Holistic Case Study next few sessions :

John continues to work with Hollie in this integrative way, noticing the highs and lows (because no therapy has a constant upward motion) and adjusting the tools where necessary. They continue working through SSP remotely, and do the 'talk-therapy' and somatic work in session. They uncover themes in John’s thinking that result in his belief that he’s “Over the hill with nothing to show for it.” The life 44yo John has is not the life 21yo John thought he would have, and through the sessions they work to identify the kind of life 44yo John wants to have now.

John talks to his wife about his aha-moments in therapy, and together they come up with a plan for John to adjust his work schedule to make time for the things he’d like to do. They plan to build a specialty food van and travel the coast, surfing and selling gourmet hot dogs to tourists.

John continues to use the natural movement progressions at home because “it seems to keep the pain away.”

With the new schedule, John has time to help at kids soccer and as his back becomes stronger he is more confident to get amongst it. He now attends every game as the first aid volunteer.

Holistic Case Study Later Sessions:

Their sessions shift from once per week, to every few weeks as John gains more control over his emotional life. He no longer feels down all the time, and he is optimistic about the next phase of life. Eventually, John visits Hollie once every second month for what he calls a “check-up for my head,” where they discuss John’s plans for the future, his movement practice, and his dietary status. Every couple of months John gets another dose of ABFE because “I don’t know what it does but I always feel different when I finish the bottle.”

Eight months after John first attended therapy with Hollie, he proudly announced he is almost back to his pre-40 weight and is 36 days soft drink free! John's wife has been making Kombucha as an alternative and everyone in the family is enjoying the new options.

 This is a case study example of holistic therapy with Hollie, based on previous client cases.If you'd like to book your own Session with Hollie, check out the Session Program or phone 0482 955 340.