Spring Greetings To You All
It’s Canadian Mental Health Week. Mental health is extremely important to me. It is personal to me and my family and I am passionate about working in the mental health field. I have dealt with anxiety since my teens. I overcame drug addiction in my twenties and my oldest daughter manages mental health issues. I know first hand what it is like to suffer and I am fiercely committed to finding ways to support well-being. Here is a zinger wisdom quote from one of my teachers, Thich Nhat Hahn:
“When you learn how to suffer, you suffer less.”
When suffering comes to visit, most of us want to turn away – this is natural. Instead, we need to learn how to be in relationship with our suffering. I believe that mental health issues are not your fault AND it is your responsibility to cope and manage as best you can. This often means that we need to ask for help and support. One of my main areas of interest in mental health is trauma. Research in this area highlights that healing and recovery are possible when we feel that we are safe and when we feel seen and understood by a caring, trusted other.
These are the conditions that I strive to facilitate in my individual sessions with clients, specifically cultivating a sense of safety and connection so that together we can explore challenges and difficulties. Over time, clients come away with new experiences and beliefs that shift and dissolve old patterns.
My healing work is comprised of three pillars:
Compassionate mindfulness
Psychotherapy
Body/mind/spirit explorations eg., somatic exercises, yoga, breath work and meditation
Ask yourself, how am I doing? In this pandemic, we can assume that all of our nervous systems are affected. In the time of COVID-19 we are all likely in a state of threat – some of us more than others. Some of us will cope better based on what happened in our early development as children, existing challenges, our support network, resources, privilege, and our unique temperament and perspective.
Our nervous systems are trying to deal with mixed messages. We are expected to quarantine and, yet, as mammals we are hard wired for connection. We co-regulate physiologically and psychologically with others. Research indicates that our need to connect socially is as basic and primal as our need for shelter and food. So, how do we mitigate this stress? We want to be proactive and responsive so that stress does not become chronic as this can initiate a cascade of other health problems.
It’s Okay To Need Help
If you feel like you are struggling right now, send me an e-mail and we can discuss working together. Some signs that may indicate that you are struggling include: lashing out at others, ongoing muscle tension, numbing out through excessive TV watching, food and/or alcohol/drugs, difficulty sleeping, ruminating, exhaustion, finding it hard to concentrate, self harming.
Currently I am seeing clients online and have been mostly delighted with the connection that can be established. Some clients even prefer working online.
Compassionate Mindfulness Meditation and Breathing
– Online Evening Sessions!
I offer Wednesday evening Zoom meditation and breathing classes.
No experience is necessary.
These classes are a wonderful way to wind down your day. If you struggle with sleep, these classes will pave the way towards relaxation and help your nervous system relax.
Send me an e-mail to express interest and I will send you the zoom link.
Dates: Wednesdays, until further notice
Time: 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Platform: Zoom Video Conferencing
Cost: PWYC! Suggested contribution of $5 - $10 per session (or pay in total if more convenient). E-transfer to lisamitchell@mac.com. If you can’t contribute right now, don’t let that stop you from participating.
With compassion,
