Often mental health services, counseling, therapy, or other interventions are sought in times of crisis or when a system or individual has reached their threshold mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. It is difficult to reach out and seek services or assistance during those periods and I appreciate the vulnerability, energy, and courage it takes to arrive to a therapy appointment.
Of course, I am here to welcome clients at any stage in the change process, yet I also feel that it is important to provide options that preempt the moments of crisis. Opportunities to allow individuals to acquire skills and strategies that will assist them in responding to the difficult moments have far reaching benefits. Response vs. reaction is incredibly difficult in the moment. It is for me and it is for most, but we can learn (relearn), practice, and repeat through effort. Emotional regulation takes time, and in my own parenting I have realized that it is sometimes all I can do to model these behaviors in the moment, but am not quite the best person to instruct/teach/or present the skills. It takes a village, and that is why I decided to create an adolescent therapy group that integrates evidenced-based skills and interventions that combine expressive approaches using art and movement. This is a comprehensive and systematic approach that provides individualization and clinical perspective that TicTok, Youtube, or other social media content cannot achieve. The goal is for each client to create an emotional resilience toolkit for holistic wellness which can then be practiced and utilized in the moments of daily living. As for the art, it will allow this age group to have tangible way to process within the group dynamic in a fun, unique, and contained way that is both expressive and safe. I am excited to announce that the first session will begin November 7th, 2023!
