Wellness
At FamilyFirst, we understand that our mental health is closely tied to our physical health and well-being (and vice versa). Increasing our capacity to cope with stressors, making positive dietary and exercise choices, practicing effective sleep habits, increasing our sense of positive self-regard, and improving our relationships with others are wellness essentials. FamilyFirst incorporates a wide range of wellness approaches into our individualized services.
Strategies that engage the senses can be a powerful addition to cognitive-behavioral coping skills within the therapeutic environment. For example, mindfulness, which helps you connect with the present moment and notice passing thoughts and feelings without being ruled by them, can be combined with more traditional therapy techniques to help relieve stress and improve one’s ability to tolerate intense emotions. Mindfulness practices also can help relieve symptoms of pain, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In addition, to promote wellness, our clinicians often teach clients useful tools for improving sleep, fostering relaxation, better understanding the mind-body connection, developing yoga practices, and engaging in physical exercise.
We recognize the power of the mind-body connection and the critical importance of that relationship in successfully reducing distress. Contact us today to learn more about how wellness approaches can be incorporated into our services to meet your individual needs.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Mindfully Managing Insomnia
Mindfulness Meditation and Gentle Yoga
Mindful Parenting
Dr. Marcia Kaufman, who facilitates our wellness services, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a background in nursing and education and she is a trained mindfulness meditation and yoga instructor. In her wellness offerings, she teaches participants how to better care for themselves and live healthier lives. Mindfulness practices can help relieve symptoms of pain, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Further, a combination of gentle, restorative yoga and cognitive-behavioral techniques can be used to help better manage insomnia and relieve symptoms of stress. In parenting, mindfulness strategies can be useful for helping children cope with anxious feelings and tolerate intense emotions.
For more information about our private, personalized individual and/or family wellness services, please email Dr. Marcia Kaufman at mkaufman@familyfirstva.com.