Advanced Integrative Therapy

an approach developed by Asha Clinton a Jungian psychotherapist.

The main assumption of AIT is simple and human: in order to free ourselves from recurring and unwanted difficulties — such as repeated relationship problems, persistent anxiety, unhealthy patterns, psychosomatic symptoms or a sense of being “stuck” — we need to process the emotions connected to the experiences from which those difficulties originated.

An unhealed emotional wound works very much like a physical one.
If a cut still contains a small piece of glass, it cannot heal properly. The body may adapt to it, but the area will remain sensitive and painful — because the glass is still there.
In a similar way, emotional pain caused by a distressing or traumatic experience cannot fully heal if it has never been processed. The mind does its best to adapt, but the “emotional shard” remains, influencing how we feel, react and live.

Working with AIT can be compared to carefully removing that piece of glass from the wound. Once the obstacle is gone, the body and mind are free to use their natural capacity for healing and regulation. With fewer internal blocks, moving forward becomes possible again.

The process, guided by a trained therapist, is gentle and easy to follow. With proper guidance, some elements can later be used independently as a self-help tool, although working initially with an experienced practitioner is strongly recommended revealed in research.

MORE ABOUT AIT

(a few minutes read)

Let me give you a common example.

Someone who has experienced a car accident may feel intense and uncontrollable distress when passing the place where it happened. Another person may be unable to drive at all afterwards. Fear, anxiety or helplessness experienced during the accident can be triggered every time they get into a car.

These reactions are not a lack of willpower or insight. They are involuntary emotional and physical responses to unprocessed trauma. It is as if the memory of the event remains “stored” in the nervous system and the body, not only in conscious thought.

We often try to deal with such reactions by talking, analysing or rationalising them — looking for answers to “why”. This can lead us to statements like:

 

“I know I should feel better now,”
“I know I shouldn’t blame myself,”
“I know I should feel safe again.”

And yet — we don’t.

AIT works on a different level. The tools used in this approach aim to help us actually feel better, not only understand that we should.

A personal example

My first encounter with AIT was in 2009.

At the time, I was working in a child and adolescent mental health service in the UK while completing my training as a systemic family therapist. I was preparing for my final oral exam (viva) — or rather, trying to. In reality, I was mostly procrastinating.

I carried a long-standing belief that I simply could not do well in oral exams. My third-year mock viva had been a disaster. I had barely passed, and the experience left me humiliated and deeply anxious about my future.
“How am I going to pass the real exam if I did so badly in the rehearsal?” — that thought stayed with me.

 

I shared my distress with a colleague who was trained in trauma-focused approaches. She explained the basic principles of AIT in a way similar to what you have just read. Desperate for some relief, I agreed to experience the process myself.

She guided me through a full AIT session.

Afterwards, the belief “I am bound to fail because I failed before” no longer felt convincing — it actually sounded absurd.

Instead, I felt a calm and grounded certainty that I would manage. Access to my own resources, confidence and positive self-belief returned naturally. There was a clear, embodied sense that I was capable.

That feeling proved accurate.
I passed my viva — and received an A grade.

 

 

If you would like to explore whether Advanced Integrative Therapy could support change in your life,
you are welcome to book an initial consultation.

Please contact us by email: