therapy

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise – July

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Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

July’s journal exercise:

For five minutes, try to write without stopping.  Only stop if your hand hurts, or if you find yourself becoming emotionally overwhelmed.  Write about where you draw your energy from in day to day life and where you draw your energy from when facing stress and adversity.  This is not meant to be a polished piece of writing but rather a stream of consciousness from continuous writing.

July’s Mindfulness Exercise

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Mindfulness is something that everyone can incorporate into daily life.  Mindfulness involves observing and accepting the things around and within us, without judgment.  In therapy, Johanna may involve mindfulness skills to build awareness of various issues and to develop coping strategies.  In August, she will be starting up a 6-week Mindfulness Group.  This exercise is not individualized to your needs as it may be in therapy, but is rather intended as a general exercise that you may find useful.

July’s Mindfulness Exercise:

We will start with an easy one.  Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.  Take a deep breath in and out, and notice which hand goes up and down.  Try breathing more into your upper chest, and then try taking a breath into your belly.  Notice how you feel with each breath.

 

NOTE: This is not intended to replace therapy.  Please contact Johanna at (585)406-3012 if you are interested in individual or group therapy.

Perspectives Monthly Journal Exercise

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

Journaling can be a therapeutic exercise.  In therapy, Johanna may encourage you to journal or keep a diary in a specific way, to raise awareness of specific activities, thoughts, or feelings.  This monthly journal exercise is in no way individually prescribed, but meant to offer food for thought that may be useful for anyone.

June’s monthly journal exercise:

For a week, write down one thing every day for which you are grateful.  Pick a time of day – maybe even set an alarm to remind yourself – and jot down either a sentence or just a word to describe your gratitude.  This can be something big (ie. my family) or something very small (ie. the smell of a new flower in bloom).  Try to get in the habit of doing this every day for a week, and take a moment at the end of the week to notice how you feel when you do this exercise.

Welcome to Perspectives Mental Health Counseling!

~ JB ~ Leave a comment

I invite you to bring your old strengths into a new perspective, and to share in a conversation that is both challenging and supportive.  At Perspectives, you really are welcome.  You may come to gain a viewpoint outside of your current network of friends, family, co-workers, teammates, and to take a look at your own perspective as well. 

By gaining new insight, you will find ways to make positive change in your life and cope with whatever it is you carry with you through the door.  Together we can, through talk therapy, work towards discovering and helping you to become the healthiest you.

Look around the website and please feel free to contact me with further questions.

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