Are you feeling burned out from parenting or another job?
Are you experiencing relationship problems that keep you up at night?
Are you feeling overwhelmed, depressed or anxious and can’t seem to find relief?
Are you grieving the loss of a loved one or a different kind of loss, such as the loss of a carefree childhood?
If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, I’m glad you found me.
Feelings can be so dark and scary that, sometimes, the immediate response is to either fight against them or run away from them. Neither approach is effective; to the contrary, uncomfortable feelings become more intense and less manageable when invalidated or ignored. Instead, I encourage you to yield to the seemingly intolerable feelings, or as Rumi, the 13th-century Persian poet, wrote so eloquently ~ “These pains you feel are messengers. Listen to them”.
The experience of overwhelming feelings is similar to being caught in a riptide; if you panic, you have the urge to swim straight back to shore – don’t! The strong current wears swimmers out and causes them to drown. The way back to safety, even though counterintuitive, is to remain calm in the midst of the current, float, and let it take you even farther away from shore into deeper waters. I know it takes blind faith, courage, and vulnerability to put more, not less, distance between yourself and the security of a safe haven. But, eventually the current will subside and allow you to swim back to shore where you belong.
The process of integrating intense feelings resembles that of surviving rip currents. To fully absorb what is going on, you need to slow down and be present. Once you come to an understanding and acceptance of yourself and what is happening around you, you have the potential for this insight to guide you towards your healing. Because with newly gained awareness, you are better able to implement effective interventions and coping skills, which in turn, can help you return to a state of emotional and mental well-being.
Together, in the comfort and stillness of my therapy room, whether in-person or virtually, we practice calming techniques, such as conscious breathing, to restore the body’s nervous system. We then lean into the painful feelings and let gravity pull us where it needs to go. We spend some time in this emotional space and, when the tide is right, process the underlying issues as well as create a meaningful story – one that allows you to be at peace with yourself and the world.
You don’t have to go through this journey alone. I’m here and, with a mindfulness approach, I may be able to help you to:
- turn fear into love – tolerate uncertainties – take risks – reach your full potential
- focus more on “being” & less on “doing” – slow down – be mindful – find balance – be vulnerable & connect
- recognize when to hold on or let go – identify what you can & cannot control
- keep room for love, light & laughter!
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~ Quote by Anais Nin