My Philosophy of Health

I believe that within every individual is the inherent capacity for health under the right circumstances.  Clients seek help because they are stuck in a pattern of unhealthy choices or experiences.  Pain and hopelessness arise from prolonged imbalance:

• too much work, not enough play

• too much stress, not enough rest

• caring more for others than you care for yourself

• relying only on doctors and pills, and not enough on your innate healing ability

• living in the PAST (grief) or the FUTURE (worry) rather than the PRESENT

• too much food, not enough exercise

• seeing all of your weaknesses and none of your strengths

 

My Philosophy of Treatment

As a trauma therapist, I believe it is crucial that I provide a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere where you can resolve uncomfortable memories or issues.  Together, at your pace and comfort level, we gently explore and move past memories and old stuck patterns of behavior so you can get on with your life.  

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Inevitably, you will develop self-acceptance and inner peace, qualities that are paramount to emotional and physical well-being.

 

My View on Laughter

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Recently on Spiritual Cinema Circle I watched an interview with the Russian comedian, Yakov Smirnoff.  After coming to America with his parents, not speaking a word of English, he became a stand-up comic and later earned a Masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology.  His area of study, of course, was laughter.  He believes the amount of laughter in a relationship is an accurate gauge of the health of that relationship.  I think he's absolutely right.  If two people cannot share a laugh, then life is too serious and those two people have what psychologists would call a dysfunctional relationship.  

    

According to Yakov, if you can't laugh you might as well be dead.  The implications are a little extreme, for sure, but he researched laughter and learned a very concerning fact:  Children on average laugh roughly 300 times a day; Adults, on the other hand, only laugh an average of 5 times a day.  Could it be that as we age we lose our sense of humor?  As life becomes more serious and stressful, is it that we just don't have time to laugh?  Whatever the case, these statistics are cause for concern.  Smiling and laughter cause the release of endorphins, our body's natural pain-reducing chemicals.  This is why it feels so good to laugh.                                                                                                                                                                Within reason, and only when it is appropriate, I make sure humor is a part of my therapy sessions.  That's how I know that we're connected, that life doesn't have to be so serious, and at the very least, that we are alive.  After all, laughter is the best medicine.

In the interview, Smirnoff couldn't resist sharing a one-liner:  "The ad in the paper said, 'Big Sale.  Last Week'.  Why advertise?  I already missed it.  They're just rubbing it in."              

     

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