Wellness and Wellness Counseling

The History of "Wellness"

The roots of wellness go back almost 2000 years (when the Greek philosopher Aristotle first wrote about wellness) and perhaps even further back in Eastern traditions which have honored the integrated functioning of the whole being for ages. In these traditions, less than optimal functioning, or "dis-ease," indicated an imbalance in one part of our whole being (body, mind, spirit, emotions, and energy). Thus, the whole being was attended to in order to keep the integrated system in balance. In doing so, the root cause of the imbalance was addressed in order restore balance and harmony to the whole being.

The Western "Medical Model"

In our culture, a medical model emerged with a primary focus on the physical body, using a scientific model to define and interpret human functioning. From this viewpoint, "dis-ease" was attributed to breakdown in the physical body. Thus, treatments for disease attempted to make corrections to, or fix, the physical body – the goal being the absence of disease. It is only within the latter half of the 20th century that we have started to integrate the ancient wisdom of other cultures into our valuable knowledge base of science, medicine and the physical body. For example, it was in 1958 that the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged this shift in approach by defining health as “physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease” as had previously been thought. This definition reflected an expansion of awareness, as we started to explore how body, mind, spirit, emotions and energy are integral to understanding health and wellness.

The Integrative, Wellness Model

Today, our much more expansive view of wellness focuses on optimal health and functioning of the whole being (a wholistic or holistic approach to our whole selves), with a goal of living life more fully with peace, happiness and balance. I am dedicated to operating within this model.

Wellness Counseling

Wellness counseling focuses on the whole person. It is a holistic, expansive approach to happiness, peace, balance, and well-being. To achieve your wellness goals, we give attention to your whole being: body, mind, spirit, emotions and energy. Imbalance in one of these areas affects the balance of your whole system. Paying attention to and making changes at each of these different levels of your whole being can support you in getting the relief you seek and in creating the life you want.

Some of the holistic, alternative techniques I use to help you achieve well-being and balance include:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming)
• EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, also referred to as "tapping")
• Reiki

Return to Balance and Harmony

I believe you are meant to live a happy and productive life. Sometimes the balance of a whole life is disrupted, particularly by anxiety, stress, worry, or fear. You are not broken or in need of being fixed.

I believe we just need to find the source of the imbalance that creates problems in your life - and use natural, healthy ways to return to balance.

Wellness counseling is designed to help you bring all the parts of your life back into harmony.

Heal the Root Cause

In addition to focusing on immediate relief from what troubles you most right now, a wellness approach to counseling also aims to address the root causes of anxiety to create long-term results.

You Can Do It...Naturally

I can help you break free from anxiety, stress, worry, and fear by integrating proven counseling techniques and holistic, wellness practices that address all parts of your whole self, a powerful combination!