Mindfulness
“Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the Self.”
– Bhagavad Gita
Mindfulness is described as nonjudgemental awareness of the present moment. I enjoy walking clients through the process of becoming aware of and understanding emotional states as they arise. Mindfulness in the therapeutic process is important, as we frequently negate how we feel and judge emotional states such as shame, anxiety, and/or sadness. I look forward to assisting you in learning how to manage emotions and accept who you are in the here-and-now through mindfulness.
Here is a wonderful resource website that offers a free 8 week course on a plethora of mindfulness based interventions!
Emotion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
Our emotions are valid, however not always true. Emotionally focused therapy can help you not only identify emotions as the occur but also help you understand your relationship to your emotions.
Therapy that is emotionally-focused and operates from a cognitive behavioral framework can help you identify emotions as they occur, help you regulate your physical reactions to emotions, influence and reframe maladaptive thinking patterns, and influence future decisions. With this form of therapy, I will help you use your emotions skillfully in order to develop alternative, healthy ways of coping with situations.
EMDR
“You are not lazy, unmotivated or stuck. After years of living your life in survival mode, you are exhausted. There is a difference.”
-Nakeia Homer
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.