Self-Love Mini Retreat

you are worthy of love signage on brown wooden post taken

Self-Love Mini Retreat

You are enough.

Just you. The one with the insecurities. The one who sees her own flaws and inadequacies as though through a magnifying glass. The one who sometimes struggles to really love herself.

Yes, you.

You are deserving of care and tenderness.

The Connections Family Wellness mini-retreat is here to help you step into experiencing self-compassion. We will explore the science behind self-compassion: how research shows that learning to love yourself will help you to be stronger, more resilient, more productive, and
more empathetic. Then we’ll do a deep dive into experiencing self-love.

Transformative Yoga

Not your traditional yoga class! This journey into healing can be taken from a chair or a yoga mat, by people of all fitness levels. We will use movement, breath, and sound to transform pain and create space for greater love and connection. This is a process of emotional liberation rather than physical fitness. Based on the pioneering
work of Paul Dennison, this model draws from many yogic traditions, including kundalini, laughter yoga, dance your yoga, and hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, and restorative yoga. It was also informed by the grief and trauma research of David Kessler and Peter Levine.

Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Bath

We will take a guided sound journey using the healing vibrations of crystal singing bowls. Sound healing promotes relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Because each
bowl is tuned to a different chakra, this experience also invites balance and integration. And we will do it all with a special focus on love.

Group Reiki Healing

Reiki is an energy healing technique shown to increase relaxation and reduce stress, pain, and anxiety. It is used as a complementary practice at many hospitals, hospices, and pain clinics. You can read more about research into the effectiveness of reiki here. As a group experience,
this will be a mini version of what might be experienced in a full energy healing session.

More

We will use journaling, meditation, and movement to process emotion and connect more deeply to ourselves in a powerful and compassionate way.

For You, For the World

Self-compassion heals you. In the process, it ripples out to heal everyone else you come into contact with. The more you are loving, balanced, and at peace, the more you will also be naturally empathetic, resilient, and strong. This is your opportunity to love yourself, and love
the world.

The next retreat date is June 18, 2022, 1-5pm. Please call (801) 871-5118 to register.

4 Steps To Improve Connection With Your Teenager

One of the common phrases I hear in my therapy office is ‘My teenager is struggling and I don’t
know what to do!’ I reach into my toolkit and pull out these 5 strategies to help these parents in
crisis.

Reaffirm Attachment Connection
Increase Connection
Balance expectations and demandingness
Learn to manage your own emotions and decrease reactivity
Schedule/Plan regular quality time together

Reaffirm Attachment Connection

The more I work with kids and teens, the more I realize that teens are very similar to infants. I know. I know. I just said teens are babies, but hear me out. Based on the stage of their brain development, adolescents are more likely to:

– act on impulse
– misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
– get into accidents of all kinds
– get involved in fights
– engage in dangerous or risky behavior

Adolescents are less likely to:

– think before they act
– pause to consider the consequences of their actions
– change their dangerous or inappropriate behaviors

Have you ever seen a toddler dive off a kitchen counter or barstool? Your teen is effectively doing the same just with larger and more consequential situations. Why? To see if you will be
there to catch them. I believe that children need attachment reaffirmation each time they hit a different developmental stage.

Newborn – will mom/dad be there to feed me?

Toddler – will they catch me?

School age child – will they be at my soccer game/pick me up from school on time?

Early adolescent – If I do something my parent doesn’t like, will they still love me?

Teen– Is my parent’s love really unconditional? If I miss curfew will they still love me? What if I lie or do something I regret? Will they distance or disown me?

It is not easy, but do we as parents pass these tests?

Increase Connection

When our patience is stretched to the limit, sometimes the last thing we want is to ask for our child’s time. We may just want to run away physically or emotionally and just get some space,
but that only creates distance. Connection is increased when things get hard and we don’t go anywhere. This action proves to our teen that no matter how tough it gets, they are not alone in the struggle.
Check in with your child, ask about their day and really listen. Ask open ended questions instead of ones that elicit a yes/no response. For example ‘what are your thoughts about prom?’ rather
than ‘do you think you want to go to Prom this year?’ Even if the response initially is ‘nothing’ or ‘I dunno’ you are opening the door for them to share when they want to. If you ask the second
question you are opening yourself up for the yea/nay response.
Look your child in the eyes. It is that simple. I believe that parents have a ‘sixth sense’ when it comes to their children. You will see if your child is happy or hurting by looking in their eyes. Research also shows that just like infants, looking teens in the eye increases attachment
connection and security.

To recap, here are the few small things you can do that will increase overall connection.

Stay (they are not alone)
Check in (even if the response is undesirable, this shows that you are aware of them)
Look them in the eyes

Balance Expectations and Demandingness

The optimal parenting style is Authoritative parenting. This type of parenting is a balance of demandingness/expectation and connection. When kids and teens have both unconditional positive regard and family guidelines, they thrive. It is difficult to take a look at ourselves, but
the other three parenting types come with negative behaviors and effects so in the long run this balance is worth the introspection. Thankfully therapy and parenting support can help with this!

Learn to Manage own Emotions and Decrease Reactivity

Many parents that I see question, ‘am I the problem?’ The answer is …yes..but no.. kinda? I’ll explain. When we use our children’s moods and behavior to dictate our own, we have a high level or emotional reactivity. If our children are ‘monkey see..monkey do’ they will exhibit the
same behavior, and both of you will likely be bouncing your anxiety and stress back and forth off of each other. I read a quote once that said, when little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not to join their chaos.” – L.R. Knost. If you find that you rely on your teens for emotional support, regulation, or that you are extra sensitive to their moods, come in and let’s work on this together!

Parents, we can do this! You are not alone, and it is possible to connect and improve relationships with your teen. They need you!

Have more questions? Contact Connections Family Wellness to talk with our client care coordinator and schedule your first session today!

How To Know When It’s Time To Start Seeing A Therapist

How To Know When It’s Time To Start Seeing A Therapist

Are you wondering how to know when it is time to start seeing a therapist? Sometimes it can be hard to tell if the thoughts or feelings that we are having are normal. Knowing when to seek professional help can be a challenge. Here are a few signs that it might be a good time to make that first appointment to talk to a professional:

Your psychological health is starting to affect your physical health.

Physical aches and pains such as stomach aches or headaches can sometimes stem from mental health related issues. It is always best to visit a doctor to rule out any medical problems first. If there are no known medical issues, your doctor may recommend that you meet with a therapist. Depression, anxiety, and stress can present themselves in physical symptoms, and working with a therapist can help you start to feel better.

Your symptoms are starting to get in the way of your everyday life.

Some common symptoms of mental health issues that you may see in your everyday life could be difficulty focusing, having a hard time controlling your emotions, or decreased productivity. If your stress, anxiety, or depression is preventing you from completing your day to day responsibilities, it could be a good idea to talk to a professional.

Your sleep schedule is off.

Struggling to fall asleep at night? Sleeping way more than you should be? Insomnia and oversleeping are both symptoms related to our overall mental health. Talking to a therapist can help you work through some of your issues and get your sleep schedule back on track.

You are frequently using unhealthy ways to cope.

Sometimes when we have negative thoughts and hard emotions we can start to cope with them in unhealthy ways. Some examples of this could be excessive drinking or oversleeping. Avoiding your problems can sometimes make them worse. If you notice yourself trying to avoid the hard things in life by using unhealthy coping methods, it could be a good time to seek help.

Your emotional state is starting to impact your relationships.

When your emotions are all over the place it can take a toll on the relationships in your life. You could be feeling distant, quick to anger, or just not like yourself. When you are not feeling your best it can be hard to put energy into your relationships. Seeing a therapist is a good way to improve your mental health and help you improve your relationships.

If you aren’t sure if you should see a therapist or not, it will never hurt to give it a try. Speaking with a mental health professional doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you. It takes so much strength to reach out for help. If you can relate to any of these experiences we recommend reaching out to a therapist near you.

Connections Family Wellness uses a collaborative approach to create individualized plans for each of our clients. We are now taking clients in Logan, Utah and South Jordan Utah. Call to set up your initial appointment with us today! (801) 871-5118