Health = Integration
In his classic book Mindsight, Dr. Dan Siegel notes that a cornerstone of his model of healing is the concept of integration. For Siegel, integration means linking differentiated parts into a functional whole. This linking can involve your inner experience—mind and body—as well as your outer experience, including relationships, environment, and culture.
When integration is present, healthy systems (at any level) tend to demonstrate qualities such as:
Flexibility
Adaptability
Coherence
Energy
Stability
However, when integration is impaired, systems often drift toward extremes like:
Chaos (overwhelm, emotional flooding, impulsivity)
Rigidity (numbing, compulsivity, emotional shutdown)
The takeaway is this: if you find yourself—or your family system—swinging toward extremes, that’s often a sign the system is lacking integration. Healing, then, is about restoring integration.
There are many ways to work on this, but here are a few simple practices that can help:
Name it to tame it: Learn to put language to what’s happening in your mind and body in real time: “I’m noticing tightness in my chest,” or “A part of me is feeling fearful.” When we can name our experience, we’re able to relate to it differently instead of being run by it.
Mindfulness practices: Slow down and pay attention to your breath and body. This might look like yoga, breathwork, walking meditation, contemplative prayer—there are many ways to do this. The goal isn’t perfection, just presence.
Other-awareness: Get curious about other people, especially those who trigger you. Ask yourself what might be going on for them. Consider their experience and perspective. Practice empathy and understanding. Being integrated means we can hold our perspective while also recognizing that other perspectives exist—without shutting down or getting flooded.
Here’s to restoring integration - inside and out.
Happy to be in your corner,
Tom Page, LCPC
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