Sexuality in all its forms is so important to life and relationships that it often becomes a central focus of psychotherapy—thus transforming the work into “sex therapy.” Integrally Informed sex therapy—orienting from quadrants, lines, levels, states, and types—involves therapists attuning to clients’ sexuality from multiple perspectives to resolve problems, enhance intimacy, and increase erotic fulfillment.

In America, sex therapy hit the mainstream when William Masters and Virginia Johnson scientifically researched and openly discussed sexual anatomy, physiology, problems, and solutions in the 1960’s. Masters’ and Johnson’s language of dysfunction and function led to 70’s and 80’s models emphasizing education, conflict resolution, and differentiation. All these approaches have been increasingly informed and aided by tantric practices which have migrated from Eastern wisdom traditions to become progressively more mainstream in the West. An Integrally informed model adds to this rich mix a balanced consideration of universal drives, themes, and relationships, existing on genetic, physiological, social, interpersonal, yogic, and spiritual levels.

We each express masculine and feminine aspects and essence—embodied in different combinations—at work, within relationships, and erotically. Lovers generate intersubjective fields which morph and change depending on levels of conditioning, states of consciousness, relationship, and culture. In therapy, common problems like diminished arousal, infidelity, and sexual shame, are often gateways to the deeper waters of personal and relational development.

Our nature is to love, and yearn for love. We suffer when not true to our authentic nature. We have all ached for erotic fulfillment—yearned to embody erotic transformational bliss. These dimensions include and transcend traditional sex therapy goals such as keeping an erection ten minutes longer or having an extra orgasm. An Integrally informed approach embraces myriad conditions and alternatives, collectively reaching for intimacy and unity through the pleasures and demands of sexuality.

Join Dr. Witt in exploring sexual nature, expression, fulfillment, distress, and healing.

Dr. Keith Witt (www.kwwitt.com): Author of, The Gift of Shame, The Attuned Family, Waking Up, and Sessions, offers 37 years experience as a therapist, lecturer, and teacher. He has conducted over fifty thousand therapy sessions in Santa Barbara with individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life including the film and music industries, corporate management, information technologies, engineering, academia, the law, and a full spectrum of other cultures.

Friday, Dec. 4th at 7pm

BI Members $10 (standard $15) (checks and cash preferred)

Psychotherapy in the 21st century is interdisciplinary in unprecedented ways. Healing systems from all quadrants and zones weave together in infinite constellations, each depending upon the unique alchemy of therapist, client, and the present moment.

Integrally informed psychotherapy considers healing from any direction, and cultivates compassion and depth of consciousness to support healthy perspectives and actions.

It further involves co-creating cultures in which the client and the client’s universe are cherished, each moment is experienced as a gift and an opportunity, and healthy beliefs and actions are considered beautiful, good, and true.

Integrally informed therapists cultivate second—and third—tier functioning by discerning states of healthy response to the present moment and defensive states, disidentifying from defenses, and identifying with states of healthy response. Healthy states tend to flow from interior and interpersonal attunements and are experienced in multifaceted ways including accepting curiosity, compassion, pure presence, Big Mind, Big Heart, or grateful joy.

Reaching for these states while consciously attuning to self and client from AQAL perspectives distinguishes Integrally Informed Psychotherapy from other forms, many of which implicitly attune from AQAL perspectives.

Integrally Informed therapists develop inner authority to perceive reality from a shifting landscape. They develop Natural Healing Styles blending their most authentic selves, their passions, and their deepest gifts, while being open to instantly change direction if the moment calls for it, even at high velocities.

Dr. Witt will explore these principles, related practices, and demonstrate clinical techniques in this lecture.

BIO: Dr Keith Witt (www.kwwitt.com): Author of, The Gift of Shame, The Attuned Family, Sessions, and Waking Up—a textbook on Integrally Informed therapy that Ken Wilber says he “very much likes”—offers 36 years of experience as a therapist, lecturer, and teacher. His article, Developmental Engagement Field Theory, can be found in the summer, 2009 edition of the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice. He has conducted over fifty thousand therapy sessions in Santa Barbara with individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life including the film and music industries, corporate management, information technologies, engineering, academia, the law, and a full spectrum of other cultures.

Dr. Witt is a licensed psychologist and marriage family therapist who has taught and practiced psychotherapy in Santa Barbara since 1973. He received his BA in psychology with honors from UCSB in 1973, his MA in Counseling Psychology from UCSB in 1975, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Fielding Institute in 1982. His dissertation exploring somatic psychotherapy was entitled an investigation of the effectiveness of talking plus touching in enhancing health.

In the last decade Keith has been synthesizing and applying Integral psychology, various teachings about the masculine and feminine, ascending and descending spiritual practices, developmental neurobiology, manifestation systems, and attachment research. This work has yielded classes, workshops, books, and clinical training organized around the principle that therapists best serve by discerning and enhancing their natural healing styles.

Presentation and Q & A with Dr. Keith Witt

Friday, 6/12 @ 7pm (doors open 6:30pm)

$15 (Boulder Integral Members $10)

Evolution is relational. Atoms relating to other atoms relating to molecules relating to life relating to other life spirals upward into greater complexity and deeper consciousness. Human evolution is each one of us relating to ourselves, others, and spirit. When we are in intimate harmony with ourselves, others, and spirit, we optimize our personal evolution which contributes to the wave of development that started with the big bang and extends outward and inward to who knows where.

Mammals learn from social approval and disapproval. When disapproved of by significant others, mammalian nervous systems have shame reactions that evoke change. The gift of self-aware consciousness gives humans the capacity to approve or disapprove of others or ourselves in the past, present, and future. Disapproval can result in shame emotions like guilt, embarrassment, chagrin, or humiliation, which pressure us to seek relief by neurotically avoiding the feeling or growing toward compassionate caring for others and deeper consciousness. Such shame driven growth is central to individual and collective evolution.

This talk will explore the psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, and interrelatedness of shame, development, and transcendence. We will learn practical applications of transmuting shame into positive change, deeper wisdom, and radiant love.

Dr. Keith Witt (www.kwwitt.com): Author of, The Gift of Shame, The Attuned Family, Waking Up, and Sessions, offers 35 years experience as a therapist, lecturer, and teacher.  He has conducted fifty thousand therapy sessions in Santa Barbara with individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life including the film and music industries, corporate management, information technologies, engineering, academia, the law, and a full spectrum of other cultures. He is a professor at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.

April 17, 7pm – 9:30pm

$15 ($10 for members)

Erotic polarity is created by masculine and feminine energy sources in proximity and sparks both of them. It fascinates us and is the heart of love affairs.  This spark that is being talked about here has nothing to do with gender or your sexual orientation.  It is a lot more delicious that that!

Erotic polarity ebbs and flows in relationships depending on safety, depth of consciousness, development, emotional states, hormonal balances, stressors, and the mysteries of human intimacy.

The archetypes of the masculine as warrior and man of wisdom, and the feminine as fountain of love and divine feminine knowing arise from all cultures and all worldviews, and always exist in energetic interplay with each other. They are embraced and enhanced or circumscribed and distorted depending on mostly unconscious cultural factors. As we deepen we can access these mythic forces to benefit ourselves, our lovers, and human kind.

Lovers first meet and their complementary dreams and wounds interweave with their masculine and feminine aspects to form attractions, repulsions, and erotic charges. As intimacy deepens, the neurochemistry of romantic infatuation transforms into intimate bonding where family of origin defenses and associations intrude into the relationship, often compromising erotic polarity. All these processes involve more or less conscious awareness, and can be enhanced by mindful loving, which in turn can be hugely informed and optimized using perspectives and techniques sourced in quadrants, lines, levels, states, and types.

During this talk we’ll discuss concepts, listen to music, and observe enactments of core principles. It will be informative, transformative, and fun.  You will certainly take something back home to your current Beloved or the one that is waiting to find you in the near future…

Dr. Keith Witt (www.kwwitt.com): Author of, The Gift of Shame, The Attuned Family, Waking Up, and Sessions, offers 35 years experience as a therapist, lecturer, and teacher.  He has conducted fifty thousand therapy sessions in Santa Barbara with individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life including the film and music industries, corporate management, information technologies, engineering, academia, the law, and a full spectrum of other cultures. He is a professor at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.

Wednesday, January 21st, at 6:30pm

$15 (Free to members)

Attunement is feeling into ourselves and others with caring intent. Secure attachment is necessary for satisfying relationships and involves lovers, friends, and family members feeling consistently known, accepted, and protected. All these relationships can appear different at progressive developmental stages while including the same principles and neurobiological processes.

Using music, exercises, and current research, Dr. Witt will demonstrate how simple principles like a attunement can access complex knowledge areas in therapy and other relationships.

Dr. Keith Witt (www.kwwitt.com): Author of, The Gift of Shame, The Attuned Family, Waking Up, and Sessions, offers 35 years experience as a therapist, lecturer, and teacher. He has conducted fifty thousand therapy sessions in Santa Barbara with individuals, couples, and families from all walks of life including the film and music industries, corporate management, information technologies, engineering, academia, the law, and a full spectrum of other cultures. He is a professor at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.