Sisu Balanced Healing

09/26/2024

Oh, hi! I'm still here... again, just terrible at anything social media related.

I am excited to announce that I will be accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans very soon!

I also accept most plans under Aetna, Cigna, and Optum! Please keep in mind that not all plans cover mental health services or are considered in network with me. It's easy to find out what your copay would be or if it's covered though!

09/26/2024

We have signs!!! I am obsessed with how they turned out.

Shout out to Ascending Alignment for getting these ordered and putting them up!

05/03/2024

I have been having a plant moment and taking full advantage of the huge windows in my office. 🪴

04/25/2024

Pssst.... do you feel "crazy" around your period (like legit question everything and maybe even feel some suicidal ideation)? Birth control ruined your emotional life? Or maybe you are to the stage of life where you are trying to figure out if it's your period or this is just how you are now (perimenopause/menopause).

Hormones are ridiculous and carry SO much weight on them.

Fluctuations in hormones happen all of the time and can leave us completely hopeless with symptoms we can't quite explain (rage, irritability, depression, severe anxiety, walking around in a fog feeling...).

There is even research showing some psychotropic medications aren't quite as effective during hormone fluctuations (disclaimer - I'm no doctor, but I do read research and have hormones and can confirm this feels accurate).

It's also very tough to find medical providers who will test hormone levels on younger women or sometimes even consider that an imbalance might be causing some of their mental health symptoms.

What can you do?

- If you are seeking therapy, find someone familiar with the symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances.

- ADVOCATE for yourself with your medical team! If they won't listen, find a provider who will (with help if you need it).

- Know the symptoms and know your symptoms. Journal your symptoms to keep track (the Flo app is amazing for this).

04/18/2024

Spring hit me a season late … I had some extra time today so I decided to re-arrange my office!

03/25/2024

Professional boundaries. This is a foreign concept to most of us in a helping profession, especially within the agency setting.

Self-care is so important and something we've all heard of. But it's almost a mythical creature of sorts.

What exactly is self-care? - I think a lot of us see it as being something specific like meditating, doing yoga, journaling, etc. The thing is - a lot of us don't really enjoy doing this type of suggested stuff because it's out of our comfort zone and knowledge base. (I mean, I'm sitting in silence on the floor with a candle and my brain is going 1,000 miles an hour...this is meditating, right?)

The fact is - self-care is whatever makes you feel good and not think about your stressors. Lunch with friends? Yes. Doing your favorite exercise in your favorite place? Yes. Going for a drive with the music blaring? Absolutely. Random dance party with the kids? Yes! It's whatever you want it to be and chances are you do it more than you give yourself credit for.

Self-care when done with intention and ongoing not only helps social workers through particularly stressful moments in their career but also adds to their wellness overall—in times of low and high stress. Read the Social Work Advocates article, https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Advocates/2024-Winter-Issue/Beyond-the-Gimmick-Aware-of-the-Importance-of-Self-Care-Social-Workers-Struggle-to-Practice-It

03/23/2024

I haven't posted in a while because ....

I'm just not great at social media!

But, Spring is FINALLY here and I couldn't be more excited!

Even though our winter was fairly mild, it seems like the weather shifting back and forth caused a lot of problems with emotional regulation for a lot of us. How could it not? One day it was beautiful and everything was great and the next day it was snowy and cold and we were all having an existential crisis. Hopefully we have exited this pattern.

BUT - have you been feeling a little down again even though the weather is leveling out? This seems pretty normal to me. It's almost like we're not sure what to do with the left over feelings we'd been storing or battling with during winter.

Give your brain some time to adjust. Always keep in mind - as I am borrowing from my friends in 12 step programs - feelings aren't facts.

If you can't seem to adjust, find a trusted friend or think about seeking out some extra support from a professional.

02/12/2024

Anyone else wake up this morning and feel this in their bones?

These shifts in the weather are ROUGH.

02/06/2024

We are SO excited about the warm weather. We are also so excited that our office is so close to the Greenway!

01/23/2024

Therapy? On ... like ... Skype?

It's a weird concept but is one of the best things that came out of Covid! We are now allowed to provide therapy via telehealth throughout the state of our licensure! That means more options of therapists that are a good fit for you!

But, it can feel a bit different than traditional in person therapy.

What should you expect?
💻 It might feel a little weird at first...generally speaking, rapport building takes a bit more time (in my experience anyway).
💻 You might feel more "anonymous" which could be good - or may not be your preference.
💻 You will use a HIPAA compliant telehealth app - this might be a version of Skype or could be related to the practice managing software your clinician uses. ALWAYS make sure they are using something like this...it will be free for you to use.
💻 Make sure your device is on a silent mode so you don't get distracted.
💻 Make sure you have privacy wherever you are...it helps ease some of those anxious feelings to not have to worry about someone listening.
💻 Give yourself a few sessions to decide if you like it or not. Again, virtual feels different but is just as effective.
💻 Over communicate what you are experiencing in sessions. We can't see your body language so we rely on good communication.

Check for the following in the clinician you choose -
💻 They are familiar with virtual sessions.
💻 They are OPEN to having virtual sessions.
💻 They use a HIPAA compliant telehealth system that is FREE for you to use.
💻 They practice whatever modality you're seeking virtually (example - EMDR) and they have experience practicing it.
💻 They have strong rapport building skills - this, to me, is essential as virtual will be lacking in the body language area.
💻 Where are they doing sessions? Do they have privacy as well?

Tried virtual sessions and didn't like them? There is nothing wrong with going in person or telling your clinician you'd like to find someone local to see in person.

01/18/2024

01/18/2024

The trickiest question to answer, especially if you've never been in therapy is - "How do I find the right therapist?"

Not all therapists are the same. Each of us have our own quirks, styles, and work from our professional and personal experiences.
If you've never been in therapy before it's a good idea to list what you are expecting from those sessions and set up consultations with a few different ones before choosing.

Some questions you might ask yourself are -
🖋Do I prefer a more casual atmosphere or a more traditional atmosphere?
-Some therapists are super casual and that can be very comforting. Others might work from an angle of what we think of when we think of therapy. This can also be very comforting for some people!
🖋 What gender of therapist am I most comfortable with?
-Same with every medical provider, sometimes we are more comfortable with a specific gender or gender identity.
🖋 What modalities do they use?
-I LOVE this question on a consult call. Ask upfront how they approach issues and what theoretical basis they use to address them! Chances are they have a ton of different ones and use whatever is best suited for who they're working with! If you are looking for a specific modality just be upfront about it and ask what their knowledge base is.
🖋 Do we have shared life experience?
-To some people this is VERY important. Sometimes we want to talk to someone who truly gets it on a cellular level. For others this isn't as important as wondering if they have experience with what is bringing you in.
🖋 What are their credentials and how long have they been in practice?
-To simplify things a bit - your options are typically LCSW or LPC (and of course the provisionally licensed versions of these which are LMSW and PLPC). Do you want someone with years of experience or are you okay with someone newer?
🖋 Do I want to use insurance?
-It's hard to find private practice therapists who take insurance, but we do exist! Therapy is an investment of time and money. If you find a great fit who doesn't take it consider asking about a sliding scale.
🖋 Do I want virtual or in person?
-One of the advancements we saw through Covid was the ability to provide telehealth! Which means you aren't limited to your area. Virtual is a wonderful option but there are lots of separate questions to consider in choosing someone that way (we'll explore in another post). However, perhaps this shows my age, in person is usually preferable. Especially for the really heavy stuff you might need to process.

*USE THE FREE CONSULTATION CALL* Interview who you are considering working with. I promise no question is weird or insulting. We want to make sure we are just as good of a fit for you because this is your healing. Do NOT feel obligated to book with us because we had the consult call. You can usually tell even by just a quick conversation if you are going to click with someone.