Molina Davis Counseling

A new article in the NY Times discusses how mindfulness meditation may provide great health benefits including:

• reduced anxiety and stress (less gray matter in the amygdala)
• improved learning and memory (by increased gray matter in the hippocampus)
• improved/increased empathy
• longer attention span
• more energy
• possibly reduced blood pressure

The idea behind mindfulness meditation is to allow your brain to focus on the ‘here and now’ rather than letting your thoughts drift elsewhere.  Here and now areas of focus can include your breath, how the floor or chair feels, temperature, an object, or imagery.

The ability to relax is important in effectively managing stress and anxiety. When we feel stressed, our bodies react with what is called the “fight or flight” response. Our muscles become tense, our heart and respiration rates increase, and with too much exposure to stressful situations, our normal physiological stress systems become exhausted.  You may have heard the phrase “adrenal fatigue“, which may be a result of chronic stress.

Without the ability to relax, chronic stress or anxiety can lead to burnout, anger, irritability, depression, medical problems, lost time from work, relationship issues, and more.  Allowing yourself to deeply relax is the exact opposite of the “fight or flight” response. It allows your body the ability to experience a decrease in heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and oxygen consumption.

There is much research already done to support the claim that meditation benefits ones health, but there is much more needed to confirm just how meditation and relaxation techniques directly affect the brain’s health over time.

Last week, I heard a health tip on NPR about mobile apps that can help you track your mood, sleep, and other health experiences.  Some can even provide behavior modification tips and relaxation techniques.  The full article can be read here. Tracking your own patterns and experiences can serve as a way to obtain more accurate insight into how you are feeling, and how often.  For example, someone who is depressed may say “i always feel bad”, but if the moods and experiences are tracked, the person may find there are exceptions to feeling bad – moments when something felt positive.  This can be a valuable resource for between-session support and homework.  Some examples of how these apps may be useful include:

• Bipolar and depression mood tracking
• Smoking behavior for cessation
• Relaxation techniques for anxiety or schizophrenia
• Thought stopping messages or distraction reminders for depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia
• Diabetes blood sugar and insulin monitoring
• Sleep, food, and energy levels – for any type of mental or physical health concern

Those who are used to carrying a paper journal or calendar, or who can’t buy a fancy phone, may prefer to write down their feelings and behaviors.  For example, someone with depression may write down his/her mood on a scale from 1-10, three times per day, and include activities related to the mood changes.  However, so many adults and teenagers would probably use these apps, as they are quick, fun to look at, and the results can be saved/printed.

I actually could not easily find downloads for apps mentioned in the NPR article, like “Mobile Therapy”, “CBT MobilWork”, or “Therapist In Your Pocket”.  However, some other apps to check out are listed below.  I have not tried these, so those interested would need to research the best options.

• Mood Journal
• Moody Me
• Optimism Online
• iTunes Health Tracker apps

I spend part of my time at the YWCA of Greater Austin, where I train/supervise counselor-interns and provide counseling. One of our staff wrote this great article on 1) identifying stress in the body and 2) tips to relieve stress, during this holiday season. Check it out here!

Are you tired of having obsessions or ruminations? If you have anxiety, depression, or have been diagnosed with OCD, you and many other people may have these thoughts, and there are many “tricks” to stop or reduce them. I came across this great posting, here, which describes 15 ways to take control of these bothersome thoughts.
Many of my clients have found some of these ideas described in the article useful. It can help to talk with a counselor to discover your specific fears, and to try unique strategies that work for you.

The following poem, as simple as it reads, says a lot about how depression, addictions, and poor habits can be perpetuated.  Recognizing a behavior pattern that no longer works for you may be easy, but making the change could benefit from the help of others. Read the rest of this entry »

When did you stop playing?  Did you stop?  If you play now, how has it changed since childhood?  If you play, how do you keep it balanced with work?  Or are they synonymous for you?  Read the rest of this entry »

The attached New York Times article provides a pretty good summary about depression, the symptoms, and self-help options. Please keep in mind that the symptoms described may be related to issues besides depression.

Click here for article.

The alliance, or relationship, between a counselor and a client has been shown to be more important in the therapy outcome than the counseling technique or model used. Read the rest of this entry »