Performance enhancement through EMDR therapy →

Athletes are faced with various mental challenges like: staying focused on the next task and not being distracted by outside circumstances, being able to calm themselves down when upset or frustrated, performing on point at important times, etc. All of these challenges can cause high stress and at times freeze athletes who become unable to perform skills they once were able to do without a problem. If this sounds familiar to you then you might be interested in reading more about EMDR-PEP which is a psychological technique geared to help decreasing performance anxiety and increasing mental sports performance.

I am a trained EMDR therapist and able to support you in overcoming these challenges and reaching mental toughness.

Here is an article which provides more information about the EMDR protocol:

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Free Mindfulness, Relaxation and Guided Imagery →

Interventions and exercises used in therapy and counseling of anxiety, depression, trauma as well as sports mental health areas are mindfulness, relaxation and guided imagery. These interventions help a person to calm the restless mind, offer moments of relief from whatever is going on and allow a targeted focus of attention. The following 2 links provide websites which offer various free auditory and visual tools to help you sleep better, decrease your anxiety levels, help you ground yourself or just give you a break from a stressful day. Try it out and feel free to leave some feedback to let me know if this was helpful. 

Calm

Relaxation downloads

The wonder drugs to treat mental and physical illness! →

There are two magical remedies for mental as well as physical health problems. The problem with these remedies is they are not in pill form so patients and clients are not as motivated to try them because they include work and behavioral changes. So, whoever is able to turn these two antidotes into pills will be a very wealthy person since every doctor is going to prescribe them. The remedies I am talking about are EXERCISE and HUMOR. To start the weekend off with some laughter I decided to have Will Ferrell take the lead in this video clip.

The evidence on EMDR in PTSD treatment →

Have you heard about EMDR as treatment option for people suffering from PTSD and other trauma related anxiety disorders? EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It has shown to produce quick improvements for clients suffering from symptoms like flashbacks, hyperarousal, triggers that cause intense feelings of fear related to a traumatic event, etc. This article discusses some questions of controversy regrading EMDR answered by its founder Francine Shapiro herself. For more information feel free to visit my website.

How to bounce back from a sports injury →

Being an athlete comes with a lot of sacrifices and blessings but one of the toughest things to overcome are injuries. Injuries don't just mean we have to take a break from the sport. They also mean a change of our daily routine, social interactions, a possible change of athletic goals, which often is accompanied by feelings of anxiety and some level of depression plus uncertainty about the future. While non-athletes in most cases know how to rest and give their body time to recover, athletes are a different breed. Often athletes do not not know how to take a break after an injury. Their brains, which are trained from a young age to ignore pain, play tricks on them by directing inner self-talk towards "I can play through this.", "It is not as bad.", "I have played through worse.". This mentality leads them to ignore the body's pain signals to stop and as a result causes more severe injuries. 

I am guilty of training and playing through certain pains and injuries myself which resulted in a dislocation of my shoulder and various ankle sprains. Yes, I am one of those crazy athletes who competed with a broken bone justifying it through the irrational thought of "my team needs me to win". But, now being somehow wiser through experience, I appreciate this article which gives general guidelines on how to overcome injuries the healthy way. I wish I had more coaches, counselors, therapists, etc. who had taught me a balance between pushing oneself and listening to my body's signals. 

What is the cure for exceptional suffering? →

This article discusses how understanding grief and loss as a universal experience, which is inevitable, and therefore, can lead to acceptance and some type of inner peace. The author incorporates a symbolic story to show how emotional suffering is part of the human existence. Accepting of this existence and possible finding meaning in life may allow a person to move on after a tragic loss.

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What does a Marriage and Family Therapist do? →

More than ones I have been asked what is a MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist)? How is it different from a Psychologist and Social worker? And what does a MFT do? I believe that this YouTube clip by Eli Karam, does a great job in answering all of these questions and more. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists are not only able to help couples. We are trained in various different mental health issues and equipped to see children, individuals plus families in addition to couples. When listening to clients’ concerns we integrate the family dynamics and always keep the relationship aspect in mind. 

Tips to help your marriage or couples therapy be fruitful. →

Have you ever met with a marriage and family counselor? Were you satisfied with the outcome of therapy? This article written by an expert in the field gives simple tips on what to expect and do when seeking marriage and couples counseling. There is no quick and easy cure for whatever has caused you to seek help. It takes commitment and an honest look at oneself to strengthen the bond again and reach a more fulfilling relationship.

How anxiety influences your health →

This article has been published in the Huffington post and describes the body's reactions to experiencing prolonged feeling of anxiety. I love the simple illustration which helps to understand why people with anxiety often have so many other physical and psychological complaints.