Getting Started

What makes therapy holistic? Therapy helps reveal ways in which our biological drive towards survival, our adaptions of social and family norms and ways of thinking and feeling about oneself and others, ways in which past or ongoing trauma affects our view of ourselves keep us stuck tells us what emotions we are allowed to feel what we are allowed to be and when we can bring shine a light on ways in which these assumptions no longer serve us or are even there, we can learn to manage our mind. Many people think that their brain is reporting subjective information to them. However, the opposite is true. Due to biology socialization and past trauma, is influencing our thoughts and emotions. Therapy is not about getting rid of emotions. It's quite the opposite actually. It's about Learning to influence your self-talk or thoughts in a more positive or neutral way, questioning assumptions that you have about yourself that hinder decision-making, self-confidence, people pleasing. We almost always ask ourselves, what is wrong with me that I need therapy and cannot just deal with it on my own. This is also messaging from society that has us socialized to Think we should be able to do it all, and on our own. Often times, we accept things as just how it is and therapy helps your become aware of patterns that keeps from living our authentic life Connect to your wisdom, empowers you to make life decisions that feel right for you. 

Basically the goal is to learn to love yourself, have your own back, be your own best friend. 

Do you get a blueprint for how life works, from your family of origin. How relationships work, how you were supposed to regulate yourself, you will carry this blueprint for the rest of your life

Templates for past relationships and ways of thinking influence your current relationships and perception. The way you attached to your primary caregiver as an infant is going to influence way you approach relationships later in life.. The template for how relationships work how people are there for you or not influence your assumptions later in life.

When you come to therapy and develop a relationship with a therapist, you will find that your therapist acts much different than your caregiver and you will the opportunity to learn a new template, develop a new template that is more adaptive.

Many of the struggles we have are in our unconscious mind. Factors outside of your awareness are influencing your emotions and behaviors. / psycho pathology

Not just focusing on the issue that you come into therapy for, take the whole person into perspective including strengths and vulnerabilities. How does this mental health issue serve you?

Flexibility mental flexibility opening up to your feelings and thoughts , ecological and flexibility and experiential avoidance. Sense of possibility and play.

Instead of getting rid of feelings, learn to make contact with those difficult  feelings.. Become more sensitive to emotions that come up .

Learn to Open to your experience so that the experience does not control you. You remain firmly seated in the driver seat. Develop awareness so that we can actively choose to change our blueprint. Open aware and engaged Open to our experiences aware of how they influence us and engaged in choosing how to response.

Learn to Provide your own emotional safety

You don’t need fixing

In my work with couples I often help couples identify ways that they are making the other persons feelings about themselves or telling themselves a story based on the other person's emotions. I hope couples be more mindful of their emotion and more accepting of themselves during conflict, changing their conflict to be more constructive and more compassionate and aligned with their values. Mindful of the amour we put on for battle. Couples often have sex drive discrepancy. Affairs. 

Stress and unmanaged anxiety. We all experience stress. It is a normal human emotion and is essential for our survival.  When it starts to affect the quality of your life or holds you back from being your best self, your natural instinct may be to get rid of it by using substances, food, to mask the emotion. In therapy, we will look at the source of distress be at an unconscious emotion, limiting belief, pain or body sensation , examine the purpose of your body stress response, identify ways that we may be making anxiety worse, new way of relating to and influencing anxiety. 

Overtime, we try to distance ourselves from memories, negative thoughts about ourselves,. We push these thoughts and emotions like shame we're feeling unworthy or unovable away and detach from them. This detachment from authentic parts of ourselves leads symptoms of depression. And therapy, we explore, identify, and become ok with all parts of ourselves. Its 10 difficult to identify a path when you have become detached from your emotions. We explore your values and together walk the path that aligns with your values. Being mindful of the gift of emotion to assure that we are living aligned with our values.

That feeling of dread, fear, uneasiness. While normal and even helpful in certain situations, anxiety may escalate to the point where it starts to impede your functioning. Too much anxiety may disrupt your focus, sleep, present as physical symptoms and impact your ability to relate to others. You may also find it difficult to move past your worried thoughts and feel relaxed. Anxiety impacts our lives in the following ways: 

• Feeling like your mind can’t stop thinking about something but it doesn’t lead to you finding a solution
• You can’t turn your mind off at night to sleep
• Excessive concerns about safety and control
• Irritability
  
• Tightness or tension in your body (chest, neck, forehead, back, jaw), Rapid heart rate, Shortness of breath, or upset stomach
• Feeling restless or agitated in your body
• Engaging in avoidance as a means to reduce your anxiety
• Noticing that your life has become smaller as a result of your anxiety

We all have things in our lives that contribute to feeling fearful and anxious. This is a normal part of being human. In small doses, anxiety can be motivating and keep us on our toes. However, problems develop when your anxiety causes you to avoid experiences rather than engage in life’s challenges. Anxiety often develops from worrying about the future and wanting to avoid or control specific outcomes. When you become preoccupied with anxiety, your life feels smaller and less rewarding as a result. 



I’m glad you are researching my practice and seeking support at this time. If you choose to work with HeartMind Psychotherapy, I will collaborate with you to cultivate self-compassion and self-awareness in order to change your relationship with anxiety. 

My approach to treatment is integrative: I don’t have a “one size fits all” philosophy. 

I use a variety of treatment methods to treat your anxiety, including Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness Meditation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Somatic Experiencing. I may also recommend lifestyle and health changes that may reduce your experience of anxiety. 

What remains constant is my commitment to your care. I collaborate with you to develop the skills needed to reduce and relate to anxiety in healthier ways. 

• Meet the challenges of life with calmness and confidence
• Relationship with yourself or your partner
• Cultivate self compassion.
• Friendly, warm, accepting of all parts of you. 

Therapy can help you manage life's varied challenges and live a more fulfilled life. It can help you understand what you're feeling, why and how to cope. 

experienced a stressful or traumatic life event excessive fear and worry, hopelessness, depressed mood, periods of transition, self discovery and self improvement. Counseling is a good opportunity for people to reflect on their past experiences and explore their feelings and values. This can improve their sense of self and help them feel more complete and satisfied in their lives.

Avoiding negative feelings, rather than spending time getting curious about them and what they may be telling us. 



to stop issues from getting bigger, learn good communication skills, learn how to create a fulfilling relationship, and prevent themselves from creating unhealthy patterns in their relationship