Mindful Path Counseling
Self-esteem, life satisfaction, and body image have been impacted by the culture of social media and the expectations of perfection, busyness, and focusing on the future rather than being in the moment and simply enjoying life. We've come to expect we'll be successful, constantly productive, live in the perfect body, be in committed relationships, and generally have life figured out. That's a whole lot of pressure.
Therapy should help us accept ourselves AND provide coping skills for a happier, fulfilling life. I am an integrative person-centered skills-based therapist, seamlessly blending CBT, DBT and ACT to support my clients in living a more balanced, mindful life. I utilize mindfulness, guided meditation, collaborate with my clients to build healthy coping skills, and integrate a variety of creative techniques that teach clients how to adapt to life’s challenges.
Focus
Anxiety
Have you ever had trouble focusing or felt "carried away" or "spinning out" by worry? Anxiety can affect anyone and can interfere with your daily life and make it difficult to work, go to school, or enjoy your relationships. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including worry, nervousness, restlessness, and physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, and muscle tension. There are things you can do to help manage your anxiety on your own, such as joyful movement, relaxation techniques, and stress management. Therapy can help change the way you think, help you to shift your focus, and change negative self talk.
CBT, DBT, ACT
Depression
Depression can steal your energy, impact work, and change your relationships; symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include: Feeling sad or having a low mood; Loss of interest or struggling to enjoy activities that have been part of your life; Changes in your appetite; Changes to your sleep; Loss of energy or feeling fatigued; Feeling foggy, unable to concentrate, or having a hard time making decisions; Restlessness or feeling slowed down; Feeling worthless or guilty; Even thoughts of death or thinking about killing yourself.* Therapy can help you understand your depression, develop effective coping mechanisms, and make healthy changes in your life. There are many things you can do to help manage your depression on your own, such as movement, regular sleep, fueling your body, avoiding drugs and alcohol, spending time with supportive people, doing things you enjoy, changing negative self talk, and using relaxation techniques. *If you are having suicidal thoughts, thinking of hurting yourself, or just need someone to talk to, Dial 911, go to your nearest Emergency Department, or Call/Text 988 for immediate support.
Body Neutral Approach
Body neutrality is focusing on your life and viewing your body as a vessel, an instrument, with which you move about the world. Your body just is; focusing on the things your body can do, rather than how it looks or what size you wear. Taking a body neutral perspective can be a first step to improve your body image and self-esteem. Therapy can help you focus on the things your body can do, rather than how it looks; therapy can help you identify the things your body is good at. Body neutrality is just a part of your journey, and it takes time to develop a healthy body image. With the help of therapy, you can learn to accept your body and love yourself for who you are. Here are some additional tips for practicing body neutrality: Be patient with yourself. It takes time to change the way you think about your body. Be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up if you have a negative thought about your body. Just acknowledge the thought and move on. Focus on the positive. Make a list of the things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with how much you weigh or what you look like. Challenge your negative thoughts. When you have a negative thought about your body, ask yourself if it's really true. Practice self-compassion. Forgive yourself for your mistakes and give yourself the same love and support you would give to a friend. Body Neutrality can help you move toward accepting your body as it is, without judgment. If you're struggling with negative thoughts about your body, therapy can help you learn to accept your body and love yourself for who you are.
Introduction to Polyvagal Theory
The Science of Feeling Safe
Safe and Sound Protocol
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be powerful tools for change. CBT can help identify and challenge unhelpful thinking styles. DBT focuses more on emotional regulation skills to manage extreme emotion, and ACT prioritizes acceptance of thoughts and feelings without judgment while living in alignment with your values. Some of the techniques I use include: Mindfulness, the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Acceptance teaches people to accept their thoughts and feelings, and to focus on taking action towards the things that are important to them. Values help you to make decisions about your life, and they can help you to stay motivated. Commitment to making a decision and then following through with it.
Developed by world-renowned researcher and Unyte’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory focuses on what is happening in the body and the nervous system, and explains how our sense of safety, danger or life-threat can impact our behavior. Understanding Polyvagal Theory gives us a scientific framework that can be applied through physiological, or “bottom-up” therapies, to help change and improve how we feel, think and connect with others.
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidence-based listening therapy designed to reduce sound sensitivities and improve auditory processing, behavioral state regulation, and social engagement behaviors through filtered music. As a practical application of Polyvagal Theory, the SSP acts as a non-invasive, acoustic vagal nerve stimulator, helping to retune the nervous system to better support connection, collaboration and resilience. The SSP involves listening to specially filtered music through headphones alongside a provider in person or remotely. Suitable for children and adults, the SSP has demonstrated benefits for individuals with trauma, anxiety, sensory processing differences and more. For more information, check out this video: https://vimeo.com/unyte/ssp
