Shelley tanenbaum, Holistic Psychotherapist

Shelley Tanenbaum, Psy.D.

Clinical Psychologist and Creator of Intuitive Life Movement

Longmont and Boulder Colorado

Throughout my adult life I’ve been exploring the complexities, challenges and joys of being human –  body, mind and heart.  My inner journey has been expressed outwardly as a teacher, psychotherapist, wife, mother, friend, artist and creator of Intuitive Life Movement.

Good health, loving relationships, and authentic expression serve as my compass settings on a daily basis. The up, down, and in-between times have taught me to live with ever-greater awareness, spontaneity and appreciation. I’ve learned that the more love and compassion I have for myself, the more satisfied, creative and effective I am overall.

During my lifetime, I have really had to confront the inherent difficulties of being true to myself. I’ve discovered that being fully authentic means taking the risk to be misunderstood, being painfully vulnerable at times, letting go of having all the answers in advance, accepting that some relationships will fall away, and recognizing that old habits die hard. I’ve also learned that sometimes we have to sacrifice things we want in order to have the one thing we want the most.

My life experiences and desire for Self knowledge have inspired and informed my work as a psychotherapist and as a teacher of Intuitive Life Movement. I see the strengths in my clients and students and take great joy participating in their process of self-realization. The heart of my work is making it safe for people to take that journey.

Shelley is both a gifted healer and a visionary. In her work, I found needed tools that have helped me to become a more effective instrument for healing both myself and the communities with which I am involved.    Dr. David Stern, clinical psychologist

Professional Life: Highlights

I’m sometimes asked about the link between psychotherapy and Intuitive Life Movement. In short, they are two different pathways to the same goal – helping people experience the freedom to be in life and relationships with honesty and integrity to their most essential self.

Psychotherapist

Over more than thirty years, I’ve worked with adults and children experiencing the effects of life-altering events, anxiety and depression, relationship problems, difficult life transitions, developmental disabilities and spiritual emergence. In order to access each person’s innate wisdom, I use a wide range of mainstream and alternative techniques including: mindfulness, Hakomi, parts-work, Brainspotting, communication skills, relaxation and behavioral strategies. My familiarity with different ways of knowing helps bridge the gap between new and former ways of being. Learn more about psychotherapy…

I did my post-doctoral work with Harvard psychiatrist, Dr. John Mack at PEER (the Program for Extraordinary Experience Research) and have continued to address the gifts and challenges that occur when we step outside of the dominant world-view.

Intuitive Life Mover

My relationship to what I call Intuitive Life Movement® began when I was 21.  I experienced a period of spontaneous spiritual awakening that involved physical and emotional healing through precise, not-consciously-directed movements that lasted for months and changed my life. The original impetus was my need to reconnect with what was real within me.  Decades later, I am still discovering the depth of this process.

In contrast to psychotherapy, Intuitive Life Movement is the practice of radical presence, i.e. the direct experience and expression of one’s innate truth, right now. Originally, my focus was on teaching people how to embody their essential Self by accessing their own intuitive, body-based movement. The past few years, I’ve been exploring ILM as a way of being in life and relationship without having to rely on physical movement. As ILM continues to challenge, inspire and teach me, I remain committed to finding more effective ways to share it with those who are also seeking the freedom of an authentic life.  Learn more about ILM…

Shelley’s boundless curiosity regarding the nature of Being inspires me to journey on this path. Her energy is infectious.    Jeanne Bent, librarian

Yogi

In 1979 I became the co-founder and co-director of a yoga center in New England. Our vision was to bring yoga to the mainstream –a radical concept at the time! For the next 20 years, I had the privilege to develop and teach programs in yoga, meditation and holistic therapies while deepening my own practices. Our students included adults and children with regular and special needs. My yoga training was most influenced by Swami Satchidanda of Integral Yoga, and later by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and BKS Iyengar, both of whom I studied with in India. Currently, I integrate yoga techniques into psychotherapy where appropriate, to reduce stress and pain symptoms and increase conscious awareness of one’s essential Self.

Every life is a kind of hero’s journey. Being human takes courage! Now you know a bit about my journey. If you’d like to explore how I can support yours, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Shelley

Your teaching was penetrating and absolutely kind at once, and you just led us “in” so effortlessly. . . I certainly re-connected with some authentic parts of myself that I’ve been trained to keep suppressed.    Nicole R., poet, visual artist