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When meeting someone for the first time who learns I am a psychotherapist, I typically encounter one of two reactions. The person either a). slightly cowers while hesitantly asking if I am currently psychoanalyzing her or b). utters something to the effect of, I could never do what you do. Don’t you get tired of hearing people’s problems all day long?
My answers to each? a). I am definitely not trying to diagnose you right now. I am happily off-duty and have left my magical mind-reading powers back at the office, no worries. and b). Agreed. If I did spend all day ingesting a litany of complaints, I’m not sure I could do it either.
Thankfully, that’s not what therapy is about. Yes, there are times we need to process our emotions, but complaining is not a necessary component. Therapy is first about self-awareness (which is where mindfulness comes in) — noticing how what we are feeling, thinking, and perceiving affects our behavior and habits. It is also about recognizing, and taking responsibility for, what we do have the ability to change, which is hugely empowering.
My role as a therapist is multi-faceted. I serve as a constructive mirror to my clients so they can observe the incredible, endearing aspects of themselves that are so easily and habitually overlooked. I act as a coach, encouraging small, yet invaluable positive steps towards change and as a spacious container to hold the deep, sad, frightening, or angry emotions, thoughts, losses, and memories that surface. I act as a motivating cheerleader, highlighting clients’ wins while supporting them as they dust themselves off and learn valuable lessons when they fall, while teaching them various ways to cope with the tough stuff that life inevitably throws our way.
A fortuitous byproduct of my working one-on-one with clients is that, in addition to empowering others in recognizing and reaching their full potential, I also grow, learn, and am inspired as well. I have seen people transformed from feeling stuck and unhappy to slowly, incrementally making healthier, more sustainable life choices leading them on a path to contentment.
Similar to therapy, publishing my first book, Breathe, Mama, Breathe has allowed me to teach and empower women in much the same way, but on a much larger scale. I hear daily from moms about how the book has helped them navigate the trenches of parenting little ones, feel more connected to their families, and, perhaps most importantly of all, offer them permission to put their own oxygen masks on first. It has been greatly rewarding to know this has been a life-changing book for some. Heartwarming messages from these moms never get old.
And so I figured I’d keep the positive momentum going…
I am pleased to announce my second book, Breathe, Girlfriend, Breathe: 5-Minute Mindfulness for Busy Women is due out Fall 2019.
A mindfulness-empowered guide for today’s overscheduled, overachieving, overstressed woman, my hope, with this book, is to reach women out there far and wide, blending the benefits of therapy, coaching, and mindfulness in the form of simple, flexible 5-minute calming, empowering, and achieving practices easily incorporated into the midst of busy days.
Stay tuned for more to come…
And for all of you parents out there:
I’m excited to share with you a new FREE parenting resource where you can find all the answers to your daily challenges and how to go about helping your children be the very best they can be, while also developing a loving relationship together. My colleague, Jennifer Stuart, has created an online interview series to help parents discover the answers to so many of their challenges. Peace and Joy Parenting: Empowering parents to joyfully raise balanced, happy kids, and create an amazing relationship with their children. I’m pleased to be one of the top experts in this free series and I’m excited to share it with you! I have a complimentary pass for you to watch the interviews so you can learn all the secrets from passionate parenting experts from all around the world. CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT: https://www.peaceandjoyparenting.com/
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