We all go through stressful events in life, and when our response to stress gets out of control, it can contribute to health problems. In fact, statistics show that 75-90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related conditions. So if you are currently feeling overwhelmed and stressed out with aspects of your life, you are not alone. I can help you to learn simple, effective ways to relax and re-energize your body, calm your emotions and focus your mind, so that you will be able to function more effectively in your life.
Stress is a normal part of life and is a reaction to both positive and negative experiences. Our bodies and brains let us know when we are safe to relax and enjoy our excitement in response to a positive stressor, like getting married or competing in a tri-athalon. Because we are wired for survival, our bodies and brains also tell us when our lives are in danger, which immediately triggers our response to fight, to flee or to freeze. We are designed to react to any life-threatening stressors when we need to, then rest and recharge before the next dangerous threat comes along. However, if our stress alarm system is automatically and needlessly activated too often in our daily lives, our bodies can become exhausted by having to respond to these frequent "false alarms." Then we are more susceptible to both minor and major illnesses of all kinds, including anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, chronic fatigue, weight gain and obesity, high blood pressure and cardiac conditions, cancer and immune disorders, respiratory illness, diabetes, arthritis, back pain and other forms of chronic pain. Sometimes we try to relieve our feelings of stress through emotional eating, or by using tobacco, or abusing alcohol or drugs, which will then contribute to even more health problems.
In our sessions you will learn how to use your conscious awareness to identify when and how to mobilize a "smart" response to non-life-threatening stress, through the practice of stress reduction skills. By learning how to relax and restore your body with these tools, you will feel better and have more energy, and your overall health will improve. Here are some of the key tools that I offer to clients to help reduce the negative effects of stress and to help re-establish physical, mental, emotional and spiritual equilibrium:
Body Awareness: Learning to notice what is going on in your body in the present moment. This includes areas of ease and comfort, as well as muscle tension and pain, and any associated thoughts or feelings.
Breathing Practices: Smooth, steady breathing reduces anxiety and panic reactions, calms emotions, improves mental clarity and renews your energy. By learning to breathe more deeply, you also increase lung capacity and oxygenation of the blood and tissues.
Yoga and Movement: Learning to release muscle tension through yoga and gentle movements lowers anxiety and pain, improves posture and blood circulation, and increases flexibility and strength. With increased awareness and practice, clients find that they are able to release the physical build-up of stress from the body in an ongoing way.
Guided Imagery: By imagining a consciously chosen daydream or mental journey, you can help your mind and body to relax. I will guide you in learning many forms of guided imagery, as well as finding the unique imagery that originates within you.
Deep Relaxation: I will help you to learn how to let go of muscle tightness and tension, by effortlessly directing your awareness to comfortable sensations flowing through your body, from your feet to your head.
Meditation and Mindfulness: Meditation is a state of restful alertness, allowing a deeper connection within yourself. I teach clients various ways of meditating, so that you can find the type of meditation that works best for you. These meditations may include focusing on the breath, movement, sound, an inner image, an external object, a word or phrase, or a personal quality you'd like to strengthen. Mindfulness practice teaches you to calmly observe your present inner and outer experience of mind and body.
Somatic Psychotherapy: I help clients to become aware of emotions, thoughts and beliefs that are stored in the body. By focusing on these through breathing, gentle movement and various body/mind processes, you can release any obstacles that may be in the way of connecting more deeply to your internal experience and external environment. Through practice, you can notice and choose how you want to respond to whatever is happening in the present moment.
EMDR: If you have a stressful experience that causes a difficult emotional response, EMDR may be helpful. EMDR utilizes the natural trauma-healing mechanisms of the brain through a scientifically proven protocol. Although EMDR originally started by using bilateral (right-left) eye movements, research has found that bilateral tactile or auditory impulses are equally effective. My clients like the specially designed Audio-Tac device that I use, which gives you a choice of holding gentle pulsars in your hands or listening to alternating tones through headphones. In the EMDR protocol, after we identify and strengthen your personal positive resources, we then introduce key elements of the stressful memory, including mental pictures, thoughts, feelings and body sensations. As I guide you through the process, your inner positive resources introduce new thoughts and images that create a transformational healing experience. After EMDR, events no longer activate difficult emotional and physical responses, allowing you to put stressful memories clearly into the past, and to focus your awareness fully in the present moment. Since EMDR helps to clear past memories and limiting beliefs, it can empower your personal growth in creating and achieving future goals.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): By tapping on acupressure meridian points, you can calm your mind and body. These techniques can be helpful for stress, trauma, fears, anxiety, and to help motivate yourself for change. Towards the end of each session, I often help a client to create an intention statement that incorporates the thoughts and feelings they have been releasing, along with what they are strengthening in themselves. In between sessions, clients use EFT Tapping with their personalized intention statements to calm and focus themselves, and to incorporate what they have learned from the counseling session into their day-to-day lives.