Healthy Living

Healthy living is based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. First your basic needs for food, water, shelter, rest, security and safety must be met before you can move to the next level. The next level is psychological needs for intimate relationships,prestige and feelings of accomplishment. Self-fulfillment needs are: reaching one’s full potential including creative activities which is the highest level of human needs according to Abraham Maslow.

At Innovative Counseling I work through all stages with the goal of reaching your highest potential.

Compassionate Inquiry to Heal Trauma

Published May 28, 2020 | By Jean

Compassionate inquiry is an inquiry method to help people connect to the truth within themselves in the present moment. This technique allows people to become free from self-generated suffering as well as gain insight, clarity, and choice in their behavior.

Addiction, anxiety, depression, and ADHD can be traced to childhood trauma and a sense of disconnect from yourself. Inner child work is very effective in healing the wounded child and to completely integrate all parts of yourself.

In my practice, I have incorporated Dr. Gabor Mate’s method of compassionate inquiry to focus on compassionately listening and targeting past wounds… Continue reading →

Posted in Counseling, Creative Living, Healthy Living, Life Coaching / Time Management, Mindful Psychology, Online Therapy and Coaching | Leave a comment

Treatment for Addictive Eating

Published January 14, 2020 | By Jean

Many people feel conflict around the topic of overeating. Unless addressed in therapy, and most effectively with EMDR therapy, this conflict can continue to spin and remain unresolved because conflict is a tug of war. Treatment for Addictive Eating

For example, while eating do you ever feel shame or negative about your body image? Many times, people argue within themselves when tempted to eat unhealthy foods in excess with rationalizations such as:

I deserve to reward myself.
I had a stressful day.
It’s genetic.
What does it matter? I’ll never lose the weight anyway.

At the same time, other parts… Continue reading →

Posted in EMDR Therapy, Healthy Living, Online Therapy and Coaching | Leave a comment

Want to Reach Your Goals Faster?

Published October 1, 2019 | By Jean

Want to Reach Your Goals Faster? Try Adopting a “Journey Mindset”

It’s not easy to change the way you look at goal attainment, but moving away from a “destination mindset” can boost your odds of success.

By Rebecca Muller, Assistant Editor at Thrive Global

It’s incredibly gratifying to achieve a goal you’ve set for yourself, but the real challenge often begins after you hit your target, when you have to maintain the practices you have begun in order to see prolonged success. According to a new Stanford study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, individuals are more… Continue reading →

Posted in Counseling, Creative Living, Healthy Living, Life Coaching, Life Coaching / Time Management, Online Therapy and Coaching

Our Five Love Languages

Published April 18, 2019 | By Jean

According to Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the Five Love Languages Series, we all speak with one of five love languages: quality time, physical touch, gift giving, acts of service, and words of affirmation.

For example, your partner may reflect his love through physical touch when you’re craving quality time. Or, you may shower your significant other with gifts while he or she is in need of words of affirmation.

In my practice, I see couples that are struggling in a variety of ways to connect and communicate. This can range from feeling disconnected, not spending enough creative… Continue reading →

Posted in Counseling, Healthy Living, Marital and Couples Counseling, Relationship Advice, The Role of a Therapist | Tagged communication, Dr. Gary Chapman, relationships | Leave a comment

Thought Field Therapy for Treating Anxiety

Published March 20, 2019 | By Jean

Many people are experiencing anxiety which can be experienced as restlessness, worry, insomnia and/or somatic symptoms such as heart palpitations, abdominal tightness and headaches. Stress is a word used often by people to describe anxiety.

There are many ways to cope with and reduce symptoms of anxiety with deep breathing and guided meditation ( if you can slow your mind down enough to participate). Massage can also relieve muscle tension that many times accompanies anxiety. Cognitive Restructuring is also an effective method to reduce anxiety. The concept is if you become aware of your negative thought patterns and change them… Continue reading →

Posted in Counseling, Healthy Living | Tagged anxiety, change, Cognitive Restructuring, symptoms | Leave a comment