Theoretical Foundations

The theoretical origins of AAIT™

AAIT™ is the result of decades of practice, deep dive inquiry into nondual philosophy and study with supremely skilled therapists. It was formed in the confluence of five streams of knowledge.

Ericksonian Hypnosis

Ericksonian Hypnosis intrigued McGhee when she was introduced to the work of Milton Erickson in graduate school. Cory Hammond, Ph.D. mentored McGhee early in her career, enriching her understanding of how to infuse the principles and practice of Ericksonian hypnosis into every therapy session. In fact, it was so woven like a fine thread throughout her work, it took the alert awareness of McGhee’s students to bring it to her attention.

Redecision Therapy

Redecision Therapy, developed by Bob and Mary Goulding, grounded McGhee’s work in the importance of recognizing the influence of early decisions alongside a solid understanding of how to make the most of therapeutic time collaborating with clients for a clear change contract.

The Gouldings approached their work with such freedom and delight, it revealed the possibilities of having a life-long joy-filled career. This is no small thing for a healing arts professional.

Self Acceptance Training

Self Acceptance Training (SAT) introduced McGhee to the abiding power of acceptance. In 1988, she accepted Dick Olney’s invitation to join his training group in Berkeley, CA. No easy decision for a young mother of two living in Salt Lake City, UT, she jumped in with the support of her husband, David A. Patterson. Continuing her study with Olney until his death.

Dick Olney developed SAT as the practice of experiencing yourself in any given moment without the inhibition of self-criticism, self-evaluation and self-judgment. The heart of SAT is to practice experiencing your life as it is unfolding without resistance to what is.

There’s a freedom in this acceptance that is both alluring and familiar. The more you experience it, the more you want to learn to cultivate the peace that comes with self acceptance. With SAT as a grounding principle of AAIT™, we aim to release pain at its source AND shift identification from the self image to the essence of being that is the real self, the true sovereign self.

Nondual Philosophy

Nondual philosophy illuminates the potential to be aware in a state of undifferentiated consciousness, to experience the such-ness of life. Introduced to these ideas by Dick Olney and the writing of Alan Watts, McGhee has engaged in a four decades long daily exploration of the teachings and practices of Kashmir Shaivism and Vedanta.

Non-dual philosophy can be found interlaced in writings across cultures and religions. Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Christianity and other western traditions all include non-dual teachings.

What does all this have to do with helping people?! We live in a world of duality, day and night, man and woman, inside and outside. We have the same thing going on psychologically. Anger and calm, fear and security, joy and sorrow are a few examples.

When we are able to integrate psycho-emotional opposites, the charged pain tends to be neutralized. In that neutral space, free of reactive charge, we can access a wider perspective of options. The space between stimulus and response opens up.

Prime Energy Activation and Transcendence (PEAT)

Prime Energy Activation and Transcendence (PEAT), alongside other spiritual technologies were developed by McGhee’s mentor, Zivorad Slavinski. Slavinski’s work comprises methods that reliably lead to deeper and more meaningful experiences of healing and wholeness.

PEAT, Prime Energy Activation and Transcendence, strategically activates the four fundamental elements of human experience that makes for access to extremely effective tools for de-potentiating and neutralizing emotional charge. One of Slavinski’s fundamental tenets is that when an individual is able to simultaneously experience two opposing states, the problem built upon those states has a tendency to vanish.

The processes developed by Slavinski integrate psycho-emotional opposites that keep us trapped in the experience of duality, the pain of attraction and aversion rather than the harmony of Oneness and ease of being.
PEAT and other forms of Spiritual Technology open a path to healing and higher states of consciousness. Alongside reliable problem resolution and significant decreases in reactivity, such work results in notable expansions in compassion, awareness of self and others, non-attachment and present focused attention.

If Self Acceptance Training is the heart of Acceptance and Integration Training, PEAT would be the soul. It was developed by McGhee’s mentor, Serbian psychologist and mystic, Zivorad Slavinski. After training with Slavinski for a number of years, and with his encouragement, she developed and began to teach Acceptance and Integration Training®.

Experience the satisfaction of watching your clients get lasting relief in almost every session with a FRESH approach change rooted in resilience and freedom.

Enroll now

Testimonials

AAIT has refreshed my love for clinical work. It’s given me confidence to help with the various forms of trauma individuals come to therapy with. It’s also another way I connect with my clients when I can relate to the feelings they experience as a result of an integration- like when they feel amazed by the change and I can honestly say, “Yeah! I know that feeling!”

Amy Lepore, L.C.S.W.

Not only has AAIT significantly helped my clients, but it is so much more applicable than any other training I have done. And I have gotten to meet some incredible people along the way!

Kara Logan, L.P.C.

I took the foundations training quite a while ago. I was hesitant to use the techniques and spent (wasted) a lot of time just questioning myself and my ability to use them effectively with my clients. A couple months ago I let go of that and have been integrating the techniques into almost every session with my clients. I have seen my clients shed traumas that have been with them for years, and I’ve watched my clients flourish when I use AAIT. I have been on pins and needles and so excited for the fellowship in January! I have been telling my clients “just wait I’ll have so much more to share with you next year!” They are excited too!

Aubrey Vick, MFT

Learned, practiced and witnessed a technique which unlodges trauma out of fight, flight, or freeze that immediately made an impact in treating trauma with clients.
Learned to identify and gained clarity about TIES – thoughts, images, emotions and (body) sensations that can keep us bound and negatively charged to an experience.

Carla Vines Winchester, L.C.S.W.