When It May Be Time for Couples Therapy…

July 13, 2014 by
couple beach

"Love is like a butterfly. Hold it too loose and it will fly away. Hold it too tight and it will crush." ~ Midnight Train "Don't smother each other.  No one can grow in the shade." ~ Leo Buscaglia Relationships are challenging.  When the conflicts outweigh the joy, connection feels like just a memory, or the tension impacts the children in more and more unhealthy ways....it may be time to consider couples therapy.  On the flip side, many couples decide to seek pre-marital counseling from a preventative standpoint to prepare for a life-long union and build a healthy, supportive, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Couples Connection, Mental Wellness

Healing in the Sand

July 13, 2014 by
sand tray

"Often the hands know how to solve a riddle with which the intellect has wrestled in vain."  ~ Carl Jung One form of play therapy  is sand tray.  This is a safe way for clients of all ages to find some control over their lives in a healthy way.   Sand tray, or sand play as some models refer to it, allows a safe and contained space for the builder to create a world in the sand by selecting and placing different images representing real or imaginary people, places, or concepts in the sand.     Clients can choose from any of the miniatures representing the real and imaginary world in which … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adult Mental Health, Child/Teen Mental Health, Expressive Arts, Grief/Loss, Integrative Wellness, Mental Wellness, Trauma

What is Play Therapy?

July 13, 2014 by
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"It is in the playing and only in playing that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, it is only in being creative that the individual discovers Self."  ~ D.W. Winnicott In essence, play therapy relies on the child’s natural language of play to communicate and facilitate healing.  It is much easier for children to express themselves through play rather than sitting on a couch and talking as an adult.  Rather than just playing, trained play therapists utilize resources such as carefully selected toys, art, puppets, dolls, play-doh, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Child/Teen Mental Health, Expressive Arts, Integrative Wellness, Mental Wellness

Mindfulness Meditation in Practice: The Neurobiology of Mindfulness

July 13, 2014 by
calm beach

Mindfulness, mindfulness meditation, or even meditation are all terms that are thrown around a lot in the media. But what is mindfulness meditation? Mindfulness meditation describes a concept that involves concentration, being aware of the present moment, and an overall transformation in how we use our minds. Mindfulness meditation practices are being incorporated into all aspects of life. Schools, chronic pain treatment programs, even the military is utilizing mindfulness meditation as a way of calming the body, decreasing stress, and strengthening the brain. Mindfulness techniques like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Attention/Focus, Integrative Wellness, Mental Wellness, Mindfulness, Neuroscience, Spiritual Health, Stress/Anxiety, Trauma