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Although we may be physically present in a given situation, it is possible to do many things in a “mindless” state. For instance, how many times have you driven home on autopilot, feeling like you have little recollection of the actual journey home? Or responded to a loved one impatiently or in haste, without putting much thought into the words we use? It happens to everyone, and understandably so. Most of us are busy, and constantly feeling the demands of day-to-day life. It’s easy for our mind to wander, following threads into the past or focusing on the future, causing us to miss what might be right in front of us. Luckily, there is a way to reduce our tendency to function on autopilot – it’s called mindfulness.

The idea of mindfulness has become increasingly popular in the Western world – it’s difficult to find someone who’s never heard of it. For many, the word “mindfulness” conjures up images of serene, happy people sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat. However, the truth is that mindfulness in practice can often be messy, frustrating, and even overwhelming – especially at the beginning of our journey with it. When we slow down and hone in on our moment by moment experience, it’s possibly to uncover sensations or experiences we would rather not notice. It has happened to me on a number of occasions. On the other hand, mindfulness is wonderful in that it can be practiced anywhere, by anyone, and has demonstrated benefits in a variety of areas, including stress management, reducing anxiety and helping us cope with pain, to name a few (Brown & Ryan, 2003). Regular mindfulness practice has also been associated with positive changes in brain and immune system functioning (Davidson, Kabat-Zinn, Schumacher, Rosenkranz, Muller, Santorelli, Urbanowski, Harrington, Bonus & Sheridan, 2003).

But what exactly is mindfulness? Essentially, it is a state of conscious awareness. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present with our thoughts, emotions and sensations as they arise while not being reactive to them. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”

In graduate school, I took a course on mindfulness in which I got into the habit of doing daily meditations. This morning as I sat on my cushion, I noticed tension in my shoulders as I thought about all I had to do today, but I also noticed excitement about what this day would bring. I noticed a lot of emotions associated with expectations I needed to meet, but also fears about failing to meet those expectations I’ve set for myself. Our emerging thoughts and feelings have a natural ebb and flow to them, some pleasant, some less so, but all equally a part of the web of experience.

In practice, mindfulness can take on many forms. For instance, it can refer to the use of guided meditations that instruct you to focus on your breath or some sort of visual, or it could involve music that allows you to clear your mind for a few minutes. Some people find that they prefer to practice silent mindfulness meditation. Others practice mindfulness during daily activities – such as focusing on the thoughts and sensations that arise for you while you do a routine task, like eating, washing the dishes, or walking the dog. There isn’t a “right” way to be mindful. In other words, there isn’t some ultimate “goal” we are trying to achieve or a destination we are heading toward – mindfulness is more about cultivating a deeper awareness and presence in our lives. It allows us to become friends with our inner worlds.

So, mindfulness isn’t about changing our experience itself, but rather to change the relationship we have with our experience.  Regardless of whether certain thoughts or feelings never “go away” or change, if we can be present with those experiences with compassion and acceptance, the effect they have on us will shift and they will no longer grip us.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about mindfulness and its applications to everyday life, contact us to learn more about our mindfulness services.

Jessica Escobar, LMFT

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References for articles mentioned above:

1. Brown, K.W. and Ryan, R.M. (2003). The Benefits of Being Present: Mindfulness and its Role in Psychological Well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848.

2. Davidson, R.J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, SF., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K. and Sheridan, J.F. (2003). Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564-570.

4 Tips for Successful Family Blending

Although blended families are becoming more and more common, the unique difficulties around forming a new family continue to be a challenges experience for all involved.

Some common concerns from the parents include: How do you validate your new partner and your children without alienating the other? How do you create a bond with these new children? And for the children, how do they begin to cope with this new adult in their life while still trying to process the divorce? And… who are these new kids living in their house?

Here are some tips to support blending your family in a healthy and supportive way.

1. New Couple’s Bond is the glue!

The complex set of challenges ahead in blending a family requires a strong, united front. Ensure communication remains, open, respectful and safe between you and your partner. The commitment to maintaining a strong, healthy connection will support the both of you in addressing whatever problems that show up along the way.

Anxiety & Yoga Therapy

Are you a Pinball Wizard? Racing and bouncing daily between destination points: home, work, carpooling kids, grocery store, last-minute errands. Factor in groan-inducing hurdles like traffic, unexpected deadlines, a miscommunication with someone special, maybe a lost night’s sleep worrying about juggling details or staring at your phone checking emails…

Where does your self-care fit into the list?

We become conditioned to think a Netflix-binge or tunneling into social media allows an escape, but afterward did you find that true calm and grounding you were seeking? Still waiting to catch your breath?

Living in a culture dominated by multi-tasking, material distractions and compulsive screen time, it is easy to feel disconnected and overwhelmed. Many of us have lost the ability to sit in peaceful stillness and feel centered within in our body, mind, and breath.

Consistent and excessive stressors cause anxiety, which can affect the ability to pilot daily living. Forty million adults in the United States are affected by anxiety. Anxiety and stress take a toll on an individual’s ability to navigate the tightrope associated with maintaining life-work balance. Individuals with ongoing anxiety experience symptoms manifesting as restlessness, sleep disturbance, irritability, chronic headaches, muscle tension, gastrointestinal difficulties, depression, decreased receptiveness to new experiences, disconnection from social support systems, and/or a diminished sense of fulfillment.

With nearly one-fifth of the American population experiencing anxiety and related symptoms, the challenge of maintaining self-care practices and life balance is a very real experience.

Living with chronic anxiety, one’s mind and body struggle excessively to counterbalance stressors. Unable to claim grounding, the stress-response perpetuates. Chronic anxiety creates dysfunction in the body’s stress-response system preventing the mind and body from effectively returning to a state of calm. This imbalance in the nervous system has far-reaching effects on emotional regulation, cognitive function, and social relationships, as well as with proper functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and immunological systems.

Yoga therapy can help. Research shows the yogic elements of breath, meditation/visualization, and mindful movement can address the ramifications of chronic anxiety. Benefits include re-balancing the nervous system’s stress-response cycle, neuroplasticity to retrain the brain how to respond in stressful moments, neuromuscular re-education to teach the body how to be strong yet flexible, and improving a sense of connectedness to self and social networks.

With practice, one can begin to recognize and reduce the symptoms associated with anxiety. Learn how to reset the mind, breath, and body to more calmly and intentionally respond in any given moment.

 

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

The International Association of Yoga Therapists (2016). Contemporary Definitions of Yoga Therapy. http://www.iayt.org/?page=ContemporaryDefiniti

Khalsa, S. B. S., Cohen, L., McCall, T., & Telles, S. (2016). The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care. Edinburgh, UK: Handspring Publishing Limited.

Locke, A. B., Kirst, N. and Shultz, C. G. (2015). Diagnosis and Management of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder in Adults. American Family Physician, May 1;91(9):617-624. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2015/0501/p617.html

Schmalzl, L., Powers, C., & Henje Blom, E. (2015). Neurophysiological and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of yoga-based practices: towards a comprehensive theoretical framework. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00235

Wisneski, L. A., and Anderson L., (2009). The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

 

Yoga Class:

In western culture, public yoga classes are generally viewed as a system of exercise – opportunities to develop, deepen, or finesse a physical practice with like-minded individuals. More often than not, the class focus remains primarily on the physical body. While this approach can instill moments of peace and playful challenge that may offer a therapeutic effect, it does not always allow for caution or adaptations or self-advocacy to ensure your injuries or chronic conditions are taken into account.

Yoga Therapy:

Yoga therapy is an integrative mind-body therapeutic modality that adapts the yogic elements of breathing techniques, mindful movement, guided imagery, and meditation/visualization to address the disconnection and dis-ease in breath, body, and mind.

For individual work with a client, a treatment approach begins with an initial consultation to build an understanding of the client’s situation, environment, history and desired goals, and to perform musculoskeletal assessments. Additional sessions allow deeper exploration and continued refinement of how mind, body, and breath align. A client’s collaborative input is integral to creating a specialized, realistic, and sustainable plan of care that respects time allowance, interests, healthy challenge, and which progresses toward identified goals. Consistency and commitment are key.​

Plans of care are developed from scientific research and evidence-based practices proven to relieve suffering and/or illness symptoms; improve functioning across physical, energetic and mental-emotional layers; and, empower individuals through the process of self-reflection, healing, education, and personal evolution. Each approach is uniquely adapted to the needs of the individual client.

One does not need prior knowledge or experience with yoga to benefit from yoga therapy. Everything will be customized to meet you exactly as you are.

 

Discernment counseling is an approach tailored to specifically work with couples in the process of considering the future of their relationship.   Approximately 30% of couples who enter into couples therapy are qualified as ‘mixed agenda’ couples, meaning there is one partner ‘leaning out’ of the relationship, con

Nook – Fairfax, Mosaic

sidering moving forward with separation or divorce; the other ‘leaning in,’ meaning they are hoping to save and strengthen their relationship.   Of couples that are already proceeding forward with the divorce process, approximately 40% are deemed ‘mixed agenda’ couples.  This creates a difficult starting point for couples therapy and can often mean that couples counseling falls flat before it can get to the root cause of the problems between partners.

The average legal cost for divorce is $15,000.  Paired with emotional distress, impact on children, financial constraints, and the social implications, it is important to make an informed choice about this important relationship.  The goal of discernment counseling is to provide a structured, brief approach to ‘mixed agenda couples’, in which partners gain clarity and confidence on which path to choose.  Partners utilize sessions to explore their relationship history, emotional injuries, whether they believe their problems are solvable, the impacts on their life and children, their role in getting to this place in their marriage and their emotional needs.  The role of the therapist is as a facilitator and processor, utilizing a nonjudgmental stance in the room, and working with each partner to explore their own longings, needs, roles, and injuries in the relationships.  

We support clients to gain confidence in their decision to either move forward with couples therapy, divorce, or remain in the marriage.   Discernment Counseling can also be a helpful starting point for couples that are unsure if they want to commit to couples therapy.  Couples and therapists can often struggle to gain traction in session f they are feeling protective, ambivalent or lack clear goals.  Once a couple feels their issues are solvable and they want to make the transition to couple’s therapy, we provide referrals to couple’s therapists that are trained and skilled in your particular areas of need.

Separation and divorce are a huge transition for all parties involved.  Individual therapy offers support with: grieving the loss of the relationship and future plans; coping with distress, anger, depression, anxiety, financial constraints, and exploring the impact on how you view your self.  

If couples decide to divorce, the focus shifts to providing support to the children.  Parents can utilize services to transition from a couple to co-parenting individuals.  We provide Co-Parenting and Family Therapy services to facilitate secure and stable family connections going forward. Research shows that children’s ability to cope with divorce tends to reflect and follow the parents’ ability to cope. Children look to their primary secure attachment figures in their life for guidance through distress.  Family Therapy can be an  important tool in providing a safe space for partners as well as for children to explore their difficulties with navigating this new world. 

Blaisure, K. R., Ph.D. & Geasler, M. J. Ph.D., (n.d.). Children and Divorce. Retrieved July 14, 2016, from https://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/Content/Consumer_Updates/Children_and_Divorce.aspx

Bozzo, A. (2012, May 7). The Cost of Divorce and Marriage. Retrieved July 14, 2016, from http://www.cnbc.com/id/46806960

How much Divorce Cost in the USA. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2016, from http://www.divorcestatistics.info/how-much-does-divorce-cost-in-the-usa.html

Kruk, E., Ph.D. (2012, November 20). Family Therapy and Parenting Coordination to reduce conflict. Retrieved July 14, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/co-parenting-after-divorce/201211/family-therapy-and-parenting-coordination-reduce-conflict

 

CCHC is a brand new practice in Woodbridge, opening in May 2015. Our treatment approach values connection, emotional responsiveness and mind-body wellness. We hope to offer experiences of growth, healing and transformation so that clients can create a life that is satisfying and peaceful, whatever this means to them.

We pride ourselves on recruiting therapists that are passionate, skilled and well-trained. We invest heavily in our staff team, offering ongoing professional development in their areas of clinical interest. Our clinicians are not generalists, they choose to work with specific clients and specific issues so they can develop their specialty. When you visit the Center, you will be matched with a therapist who works specifically with the issue you want support with.

Our space was designed as a beautiful sanctuary. Clients and therapists alike describe CCHC as a peaceful and welcoming place. Each of our rooms have been decorated and designed for our different clients. The rooms that focus on couple and family work are large and airy with lots of comfortable seating. We also have rooms that are specifically designed for children and teens, with plenty of Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy resources.

If you are interested in one of our services, you will find our Intake Coordination process to be friendly and efficient. We take time to get to know your needs so we can get you connected with the right therapist. We look forward to working with you.