Mindfulness-based Therapy

I have received specialized training in mindfulness and have received a certificate in mindfulness. I use mindfulness in my daily practice. I also incorporate ACT, CBT and DBT.

I believe a connection between the body and the mind is integral to promoting overall wellness. I incorporate mindfulness-based therapeutic techniques throughout session to assist connecting the body and mind together and create more regulation within the nervous system (while learning about and understanding the biological fight/flight responses).

With mindfulness-based therapy, I can teach you skills to alleviate emotional pain. Incorporating mindfulness in your life can help maintain emotional health and wellness.

I have extensive training in mindfulness meditation going back 20 years when I worked one-on-one with the Spiritual Advisor to the Six Nations near Buffalo, NY, where I grew up. These practices can help center and ground our energy, find clarity in confusion as well as understand intergenerational trauma and reintegrate lost parts of ourselves after trauma.

I have been practicing meditation for about 10 years, and I can personally attest to the benefits of a mindfulness-based practice. I have also studied and taken various mindfulness and meditation courses and seminars, as well as received certificates for its application. I typically utilize mindfulness-based therapy with clients who are experiencing anxiety symptoms. There are, however, a few misconceptions. You do not need to meditate to have a mindfulness-based practice. If you do meditate. You will think. A lot. It's normal. It means you're alive. If you fall asleep, it's ok. You can be mindful while you eat, walk, or sit on the beach. There's no set time limit. And mindfulness is not a cure all. I have found that it has been beneficial with clients suffering with anxiety (not trauma related), ADHD, and grief. I'm excited to continue to following research and taking classes to increase my knowledge and in turn better help my clients.

I integrate mindfulness into everything I do, particularly the concepts of being present in the moment and observing feelings without judging them. For many people, the idea of creating a mindfulness routine or meditation practice seems overwhelming, so I support folks in finding small ways of weaving mindfulness into their daily lives.

From graduate school to the present, my training and work is focused on making sure that you are able to respond well in the "here-and-now". Mindfulness therapy is all about that. It's easy to think that you have to be an experienced meditator to be "mindful". This is not true! In my therapy, I teach you how to get the benefits of mindfulness in your everyday life, in practical, usable ways, so that you have the tools whenever you need them.

With Mindfulness therapy I used workbooks and assign homework to the client to learn how to control themself self to relax and become calm by using imagery, breathing, and touching techniques.

My personal experiences and training have afforded me the opportunity to see individuals progress with this therapy. Individuals learned how to become aware and connect with themselves to regulate their nervous system.

Learn coping skills to reduce suffering while understanding the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Using this modality, you can break away from negative thought patterns and habits. Mindfulness is becoming aware of the present moment without judgement. Using mindfulness techniques like grounding skills, breathing techniques, yoga, and guided meditations in session you can learn to observe the world around you and within you with less judgement and more compassion.

Talk therapy is incredibly useful, but I find immense value in connecting to the present moment through mindfulness exercises. Connecting to the present allows us to not only connect to ourselves and the world around us on a deeper level, but promotes internal balance and harmony as the nervous system becomes more regulated and relaxed.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines cognitive behavioral techniques with mindfulness strategies in order to help individuals better understand and manage their thoughts and emotions in order to achieve relief from feelings of distress. Though originally developed to address recurrent depression, MBCT may be beneficial to people seeking treatment for a wide range of mental health concerns.

Mind Body Medicine tools are available to tap your wisdom and growth through a variety of experiences that I have participated in as a member and through workshops with Dr. James Gordon. Guided imagery, creative writing, drawing, looking inward and various types of meditation and mindful practices are available.

As a teacher and student of yoga and meditation, I have found it to be incredibly supportive for clients in reducing stress, increasing their awareness, and inducing compassion for one's self. I encourage noticing how one feels within their body, witnessing what thoughts and emotions arise, and a focus on the present moment when things feel challenging. I'm happy to offer meditations to client in sessions, as well.

Awareness of the automatic habits of your mind is central to any process of psychological change, and mindfulness-based approaches are the quickest way to build this skill. My approach to mindfulness comes from both professional training, personal study, and a daily mindfulness meditation practice that I have kept for the past four years.

Mindfulness is the opposite of mindlessness. Throughout history, mindfulness practices have been used to enhance wellbeing. Science now shows us the amazing benefits of mindfulness, some of which are: • Improved physical health including decreased pain, better sleep, and lowered blood pressure • Improved mental health including lowered stress, increased self-awareness, increased attention span, and improved memory • Actual physical changes in the brain which allow us to manage stress and anxiety

Mindfulness-based therapy is a technique that uses focus, grounding, and present-moment awareness to calm anxiety, increase concentration, and allow you to develop skills to manage distress, anxiety, boredom, irritability, and other irritating emotions. Mindfulness doesn't just mean meditation. I use several techniques to help find the mindfulness skills that work best for you.