With a focus on connection in the moment, our work together is a progressive and creative experience. I have developed a “framework” for health, and a unique style of holistic psychotherapy, based on my experience of how to create change in individuals and couples. Complete mental health occurs through a balance of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual integration.
Mindfulness is one key aspect that I employ and teach to create change. Developing internal awareness and a “witness” within lets us observe our thoughts and behaviors. This tool allows us to shift our attachments and perceptions and make changes.
Happiness is most fulfilled when we integrate our mind, our emotions, our spirit and our physical self. Essential to this integration is the integration of the unconscious into consciousness. A very important part of therapy and the process of change is integrating the unconscious with the conscious.
When we first start out, I help you identify unconscious and ingrained negative patterns and beliefs. We need to know what our emotional “triggers” are that lay beneath the surface and control us. I use elements from traditional psycho-dynamic and family systems theories to aid this part of the therapy. Psycho-dynamic theories basically look at early childhood and parental relationship patterns that become embedded in our unconscious and run the emotional /mental show in our lives.
Lasting change can occur when we integrate cognitive/behavioral techniques (changing what we think and how we act) into this knowledge and awareness of how we are formed from our history. What we think and feel determines how we act. We learn our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. Therefore, we can unlearn them.
After my divorce, I was completely at a loss for who I was and what I was doing. I became very depressed and began drinking heavily. I started seeing Josie Kelly for help, and slowly began to recover my self-esteem and confidence, and began to trust myself. I changed my perspective on my life with a lot of practice and support. I feel like a new person.
– Alice R.
