Mindfulness. Self-Compassion Course.

Cricket, Christy and I are having so much fun teaching our Self-Compassion & Mindfulness Course. A teaser from Kristin Neff's book - So, why is self-compassion a more effective motivator than self-criticism? Because its driving force is love not fear. Love allows us to feel confident and secure (in part by pumping up our oxytocin), while fear makes us feel insecure and jittery (sending our amygdala into overdrive and flooding our systems with cortisol).

Cricket has such a loving heart. It reminds me of another quote in our Dr. Neff's book: When you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched, you begin to discover that it's bottomless, that it doesn't have any resolution, that this heart is huge, vast, and limitless. You begin to discover how much warmth and gentleness is there, as well as how much space. Pema Chodron, Start Where you Are
 
Our next course will begin Thursday, October 6th, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM at Resilient Solutions, Inc. in Bountiful.  Call Becky at 801.259.3883 or Christy at 801.243.4959 for more information. 

Sudden Death & Trauma Loss

Lisa Bradford, LCSW (801.660.8441), Trisha Jensen, LCSW (801.541.4944), Melanie Jackson, LCSW (801.721.1013) and Becky Andrews had the chance to attend Dr. Alan Wolfelt's conference in SLC: Exploring "Complicated" Mourning:  Sudden Death and Trauma Loss. 

His presentation was so validating on the difficult grief journey.  He stated our journey rocks our complete foundation.  We can experience the impact of grief in five realms:  Physically - drained, exhausted.  Emotionally - intense, overwhelmed, Cognitively - Short-term memory difficulty, Socially - no relationship energy, Spiritually - question meaning & purpose.  We also heal in these five realms.

Grief means we've been able to open our heart and love. 

The grief and loss groups at Resilient Center for Grieving Families incorporate Dr. Wolfelt's book and work in our discussions to create a safe environment.  Dr. Wolfelt states:    When we feel safe, we have the capacity to mourn.   For more information about our upcoming grief and loss groups, contact Becky Andrews at 801.259.3883.  If you'd like a therapist to companion you through your grief journey, one of the therapists in our office.

Compassion for Self & Others

Self-compassion is a personality trait, like optimism or extroversion, but it's also a trainiable mental skill with big benefits.  According to numerous psychological studies, research subjects who entertained self-compassion thoughts experienced greater emotional resiliency and psychological well-being.  They were measurably happier, wiser, more capable, and curious.  They felt greater life satisfaction and social connectedness, and they took more personal initiative and responsibility.  On the flip side, they were generally less depressed and anxious.  They ruminated less, though fewer self-critical thoughts, and were less afraid of failure.  Jean Fain, The Self-Compassion Diet

At the end of our session with a client who is going through a difficult experience, I invited him to simply write a compassionate note to himself.  What? 
Is that really okay to do?  Simply write as if you are a friend.  It was difficult but felt so good he indicated a few moments later. 

Becky Andrews, LPC, and Christy Cox, LCSW are excited to begin their Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Course this Wednesday.  Join us if you can.  Contact Becky at 8012593883 or Christy at 8012434959 to register.

Teen Girls Anxiety Group.

We will begin our next teen group on Monday, September 26th at 4:00 pm.  8-week group, $190 or $25/group session.  We will learn both prevention and intervention techniques to help manage your anxiety. 

Contact Becky at 801.259.3883 to register. 

Mindfulness Course.

Emotional suffering comes in all shapes and sizes. We might worry about the future, be angry or sad, feel guilty or ashamed, get upset about physical pain, or just feel bored or stressed. Sometimes it's pretty subtle - we 'don't feel great; or are 'out of sorts'. Other times we can get so taken over by anxiety, depression, addictions, pain, or stress-related symptoms that it's hard to even function. A remarkable amount of the time, being human isn't easy.

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD The mindfulness solution

Join Becky and Christy for an 8-week course on Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to begin the week of September 11th.  (8-week group course - class size is limited to 8, $295, insurance may be billed).  Classes begin Wed September 14th, 4:45 - 6:00 or Thu September 29th 11:45 - 1:00.  To register contact Becky at 801.259.3883 or Christy at 801.243.4959.