Research behind the Wilder Method™
The foundations of the Wilder Method:
The Wilder Method is the reconceptualization of the work of founders of the field of psychology (Carl Jung & Sigmund Freud) in a more concrete, experiential and engaging manner. The basic premise of this approach is based on people needing to explore and integrate their animal nature (Freud notion of the “Id”) and the dark side of forgotten self (Jung notion of the “Shadow”) into their lives so they can become balanced and healthy people. This approach believes that 85% of our brain and mind is largely unconscious and holds the secret for true transformation and so in alignment with the psychoanalytic tradition with less emphasis on focusing on the story of the past the Wilder Method seeks to create an experience to taps into the non-verbal and animalistic part of our psyche as the missing link in traditional psychotherapy.
Bill Wilder did extensive training in the most popular integrative method of psychotherapy today called Internal Family Systems which is essentially an attempt to integrate classical psychoanalytic, humanistic and family systems therapy. Bill has been an avid seeker of wisdom across different traditions of knowledge including philosopy, history, anthropology, mythology and religion. When Bill is a visual learner and learned how to concretize different disciplines into visual and experiential exercises to help himself and others to have a simple and practical tools to make actual changes in their life. When in graduate school Bill came across a quote that changed the direction of his study from a theologian named Emil Brunner, “Our anthropology (origin of mankind) shapes all of our psychology and theology.” This quote caused Bill to focus on first getting clear on the nature and origin of people in order to actually be able to help people. Traditional Approaches to helping are based on incomplete and half baked understandings of people which creates a ill suited theoretical approach to actually help people.
The Journey of humanity through history became the foundation of his approach and it is the starting point for the assessment and becomes the blue print for creating a game plan for change. For 99 percent of human history the most dominant worldview that guided humans to survive has been primitive/instinctual intelligence and this is the very intelligence we have most lost touch with in today’s world which is why we see the largest mental health crisis in the history of mankind. Modern day approches do not even address this as a foundational intelligence or value that needs to be strengthened and modern day psychology dismisses the theoretical approach of Freud and Jung. This imbalanced anthropology has had. a tragic impact upon the field and caused it to become so focused on the emotions and thoughts of people and ends up reinforcing victimhood based narratives based on what has happened to people. No doubt our past has impacted up and our trauma is real there is a limited return on investment with having our feelings and thoughts be the main focus of treatment. The Wilder Method seeks to help people unlock their anciest primordial intelligence as the foundation for regulating your emotions and disordered thinking.
Learning how to properly use your lungs and get oxygen into the body is the first step to learning to be the owner of your mind and this is the beginning of integrating the head knowledge into your body.
One of the primary breathing techniques utilized is based Wim Hof technique. Deep Breathing is a front line mental health treatment.
Here are a few of the physiological and psychological benefits:
-Improved concentration
-increasing willpower
-increasing energy
-increasing confidence
-relieving symptoms of depression
-lessening symptoms of anxiety
-improving mental well-being
-increases internal locus of control
-Releases natural opioids and cannabinoids in the brain
-Ability to influence your autonomic nervous system and immune system
-increase in confidence and rooting into our lost primitive instincts
-decreases propensities toward addictive behavior
-helps release trauma stuck in the body
Result: Learning to tap into the primitive brain that is one of the greatest resources for overcoming mental and emotional distress.
An emerging field of Scientific research is called Brain over Body research. This research is currently being conducted at large Universities and will soon become standard treatment for therapy.
Cold + Hot Hydrotherapy
The Cold + Hot Hydrotherapy is a powerful intervention that has a variety of physical, spiritual and emotional benefits. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, was the originator of what the Greek’s called the ‘Water cure’ which utilizes cold and hot water to treat emotional and spiritual distress. The field of modern day psychology is around 120 years old, while the use of cold and hot water for mental distress was first used around 400 BCE. Cold and Hot water has been used as part of initiation rituals across many cultures and unlocking natural healing and resourcefulness from within for thousands of years.
Physical Benefits:
-Polyvagal Nerve gets activated resulting in a quick ‘System Reset’
-strengthened immune system
-weight loss and brown fat activation
-Release of serotoin, dopamine and endorphins
-decrease of inflammation
-improved circulation and blood flow
Emotional & Spiritual Benefits:
-Releasing trauma locked in body through shaking response
-Mindfulness training
-Distress tolerance
-Fosters mastery and self control
-Relaxation of body training
-decrease in depression and anxiety as gain interior locus of control
-increase in happiness, calmness, alive
-resiliency and confidence to be tolerant of toward discomfort
-awaken the ‘primitive brain’ as antidote to mental distress
-Improved decision making skills
-release toxic stress and relax our fight/flight/freeze system that is overly activated causing mental breakdown
-release of adrenaline which is needed for us to make changes
-gives us positive stress which makes us more adaptable and healthy
In The Media
Yahoo! Finance Bill was featured in the top 10 coaches to follow on Social media list for 2021 in this article.
If you are interested in learning more or having Bill Wilder on a podcasts or any sort of media interview you can reach Bill at intake@wilderwellnesscenter.com
In a matter of hours, you will achieve a more powerful transformation than you would in years of traditional psychotherapy or coaching.