Mindful Connections Therapy

09/25/2025

The fall equinox reminds us to turn inward this season and honor the cycles of life. It is a time of harvest and balance. Use this energy to examine where in your life balance is being asked for. It is a time for introspection and connecting with nature to hear what needs to be heard and to feel what needs to be felt. The trees are shedding and perhaps there is a shedding within you that is also necessary. This moment, day, week, season is a NEW one. Choose to come back to YOU- even if it feels shaky and unfamiliar. Begin again.

07/23/2025

We, humans are complex and have a rich inner world with parts of the psyche. Our parts- think the inner critic, rationalizer and perfectionist- are common ones. But they are not YOU. They interfere and take over from time to time which clouds the real YOU. With deep curiosity YOU can begin to build a trusting relationship with these parts who live in you. They are not going anywhere- so why not have a *new* relationship with them. You might begin with an inquiry asking an identified part what their positive intention is for you. This simple inquiry communicated with compassion and curiosity is a *big* step towards greater understanding.

07/09/2025

Does guilt interfere with your ability to experience the FULLNESS of joy, fun, pleasure? DO you have an inner critic part that says you are irresponsible, selfish or wasting time if you do? Healing from trauma not only involves resolving core emotional/physical/spiritual wounds- it also involves reclaiming one’s relationship with positive emotions.

As a child you may have been punished or shames for having too much fun, laughing too loudly or expressing your enthusiasm. If so, this impulse to express joy could have been thwarted. Is it time to reclaim all of you- the pleasurable emotions, laughter, play, joy, feelings of awe and wonder. No need to stay stuck in your head any longer. A somatic therapy approach can be one way to help you return back to your body, feel more ease with these emotions and impulses and expand upon them!

06/20/2025

How can therapy at midlife help you?

Are you in the middle stage of life, aka “midlife”? How ya doing? If you are like many men and women at this stage of life, you may be facing a range of emotions, questions, and thoughts- such as “Is this what I’m suppose to be doing with my life? “Do I really know myself, […]

06/12/2025

We all have shadow parts. Each. One. Of. Us. When do you notice the shadow parts of you show up? For instance, when you are emotionally activated or withdrawn or have a very strong reaction to someone/something. A lot of energy goes into masking the shadow parts of one’s self- though deeply unconscious, it takes up a lot of internal space to repress our authenticity. AND we don’t even know what the shadow consists of….until we get REALLY curious and face the shame that keeps these parts hidden.

Shadow parts can be made up more difficult aspects of the self, such as, rage, greed, selfishness, and envy. While we might rather not examine these shameful behaviors, doing so frees us. On the lighter side, shadow parts can hold disowned aspects, such as, our hidden strengths and gifts.

Revealing the whole of one’s self through doing shadow work exploration leads to reduction in inner conflict and ambivalence, less self-sabotaging and improved relationships (think less projection, less irritability with others). Greater wholeness awaits. Grab that courage.....and enter a new chapter of YOU.

06/06/2025

06/04/2025

Somatic and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy are beautiful adjuncts to deepen the traditional talk therapy process. Both work cohesively to drop down into the body and out of the thinking mind that so very often gets us trapped and stuck. We get stuck in old beliefs and patterns/behaviors that leave us depleted, confused, living inauthentically. Then, we judge ourselves up for not knowing or doing “better”.

The “somatic narrative” includes gestures, posture, non-verbal language, movement, and eye gaze. When processing a stressful situation or event, the body has a language of its own. It has a lifetime of memories stored implicitly- without verbal words. Somatic expressions communicate beyond words and bring a rich meaning to the transformation process. The body’s language is nuanced and can take time to get familiar with this way of being – slow, steady, curious, allowing.

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy works to bypass the Default Mode Network in the brain so one can have an *experience* that is free from the grips of anxiety, trauma, depression. It’s like taking a time out and taking the foot off of the gas pedal. With this bypassing, one can see, feel, and sense with greater clarity what needs to be experienced for one’s unique personal journey of life.

05/30/2025

Are you facing an upcoming stage of life change such as entering into a new commitment in a relationship, retirement, career change, move to a new city, becoming an empty nester? Changes like these, while wanted can still bring with it ambivalence and inner tension. You are leaving part of the “old “behind. What might this mean to you?
Perhaps you are moving in together with your partner and solidifying a commitment, there is part of you that may feel anxious, uncertain and shaky about this decision. Your past will creep in about those previous relationships....and then the self doubt rises up. It is important to digest all your thoughts and feelings. To clear the energy, to enter into the change with ease and flow and grieve what you are leaving behind. Yes, stress and worry may still be in the background….but they are quieter and less intense because you have given all aspects of you time to release and process.

05/12/2025

https://mindfulconnectionstherapy.com/am-i-experiencing-burnout/

You are going through the motions. Another day. Another blah, another meh attitude. You ask yourself questions like “Is this all there is”, “is this normal to feel this way”? You are checking off the boxes on the to do list and yet at the end of the day you feel exhausted instead of accompli...

05/07/2025

Are you entering a Midlife Awakening period? Yep....no "midlife crisis" for YOU! Indeed, an awakening is brewing. It signals you are entering into something special, undefined (yet), and uniquely yours. An awakening to more of you, who you want to be, how you want to show up in the world and where you are being called in this second half of life.

Intention is the name of the game folks. It’s about leaving behind the old stories, messiness, and carried guilt and anxiety that now is ready to be channeled. A deeper trust with yourself is beckoning now. I know you are ready. Support is here.

05/01/2025

Sometimes it feels this way....You are doing the work. Looking inward, making changes, gaining insight and clarity, regulating your nervous system, letting go of false beliefs you have held on to. You ended that unhealthy relationship and are learning to just be with you without distractions. You are meditating, setting limits for yourself, understanding your TRUE wants/needs/desires. Authenticity feels SOOOO freeing.

And then, you make it up the side of the cliff only to find it is not what you thought it would be. You are not alone. It doesn’t mean you did something “wrong” or should go back to what you have known all those years before. What is this next “test” of the human journey for YOU? It becomes very personal.

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) can provide the guiding light to reveal what needs to be revealed, what needs to be experienced in a felt sense way. KAP can be a an adjunct to the spiritual and therapeutic work you are already doing and want to continue to do. Reach out for more information. Support is here.

04/25/2025

Drawn to Somatic Therapy? Worried that you can’t feel anything in your body?
Many people are disconnected from their bodies. We are encouraged to stay in our thinking brain and to become walking heads. Mindfulness of the body AND breath is a practice and like any practice requires training. A mindfulness practice will help you to engage in a Somatic based Therapy in order to process and release unconscious thoughts/feelings and move the stuck flight/fight/freeze energy.

It takes practice to recognize the physical sensations and be open and curious to the felt experience in the here and now. SO MANY DISTRACTIONS. It’s okay, come back to the now….again and again. Release any judgment about not feeling anything in your body or getting swept away by the distractions. Whatever your process, be gentle and patient with yourself.