Beyond The Couch With Dr. Sally Nazari

Overview: Some stress pushes you to meet goals by working harder or sticking with a challenging task. But sometimes stress reaches an unhealthy level that can prevent you from functioning well and meeting your goals. stress can affect your mood and ability to think clearly. It can also weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting sick. What We’ll Learn: Feeling stressed can feel perfectly normal, especially during difficult times. You might notice that sometimes being stressed-out motivates you to focus on your work, yet at other times, you feel incredibly overwhelmed and can’t concentrate on anything. While stress affects everyone in different ways, there are two major types of stress: stress that’s beneficial and motivating — good stress, also called eustress — and stress that causes anxiety and even health problems — bad stress. I would love to hear what you learned! Be sure to share with us in our social media communities listed below so we can celebrate with you! Facebook: www.faceb

Overview: Today, we will explore Mindful Movement in our Mindful Monday mini-series. When we think of Mindful Movement, some things such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qi-Gong, and the classical martial arts come to mind. But we can engage mindfully in any type of movement. With Mindful awareness to our movements, we can work to more deliberately engage in the various activities of our routine. This way, we participate with our world in a more pronounced way and are in a better position to work through our options when situations arise that require us to make decisions that can benefit us.  What We’ll Learn:  I will be talking us through a version of Mindful movement that is appropriate for any fitness level or mobility level. In addition, we will also discuss some of the benefits of Mindful movement. I would love to hear how your Mindful Movement went for you and what benefits you noticed! Be sure to share with us in our social media communities listed below so we can celebrate with you! Facebook: www.facebook.com/drsall

Overview: Following traumatic events, many people experience changes in beliefs about themselves, the world, and others. In fact, there are a number of different thoughts related to these beliefs that then go on to impact the way we feel, act, and think. In turn, the reshaped beliefs following a trauma become more confirmed and reinforced. This can then contribute to notable changes in our lives – particularly in conjunction with the other three clusters of PTSD that we have looked at in our mini series. We explore the ways that this occurs along with several of the most common changes in thought patterns that accompany posttraumatic stress disorder. What We’ll Learn: We learn about the ways that our cognitions or thinking patterns impact the way we not only think, but also feel and behave. In particular, we look at some of the ways that these thinking distortions contribute to the experiences we see in people who struggle with PTSD and also the most common ways that these patterns can be disruptive in our li

Overview: One very powerful technique we can use to reestablish contact with our bodies is known as body scanning. Because of the thorough and minute focus on the body in body scanning, it is an effective technique for developing both concentration and flexibility of attention simultaneously. It involves lying on your back and moving your mind through the different regions of your body. What We’ll Learn: Our Mindful awareness of our bodies can really be cultivated by this body scan practice. As I guide us through a Body Scan practice, we discover that our bodies bring us so much data and information along with the opportunity to really participate in whatever we do. I would love to hear how this went for you and what benefits you noticed! Be sure to share with us in our social media communities listed below so we can celebrate with you! Facebook: www.facebook.com/drsallynazari Twitter: www.twitter.com/chrysalisdoc Resources Mentioned: http://www.drsallynazari.com https://chrysalispsychotherapyholisticwellness

Overview:  We’ve been taking a closer look at the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. We’ve discussed an overview of what happens in PTSD and explored in more depth how people with PTSD are impacted by the re-experiencing cluster of PTSD symptoms. We’ve also explored more thoroughly what the hyperarousal set of challenges we see in PTSD bring on for people. Today, we are going to look at the third symptom cluster, avoidance. Avoidance symptoms represent an effort to withdraw from certain situations that bring about body-level distress of trauma-related symptoms. What We’ll Learn: As part of our protective mechanisms, human beings have a tendency to withdraw from pain. With PTSD, since our experience is that this terrifying, disruptive event is truly a danger to us in the here and now, our natural mechanisms to pull and move away kick in automatically. Avoidance symptoms represent an effort to withdraw from certain situations that bring about body-level distress of trauma-related symptoms. We can

Overview:  If you’ve heard about mindful eating but aren’t sure where or how to start, I’ll guide you through some instructions for a brief mindfulness eating exercise. Mindfulness, with its focus on full awareness of the present experience without judgment or attachment is a foundation that many people have been missing in trying to overcome food cravings, addictive or emotional eating, binge eating, and stress eating. Some benefits include helping us to ensure that we’re appreciating our food more, so we eat less – only to the point of satiety; reversing the emotional eating habit; interrupting the relationship between thoughts and unconscious, automatic eating behaviors; and getting in between common states of mind that lead to eating outside of when we are genuinely hungry for food. What We’ll Learn: We choose a small piece of food and go through an exercise to practice the Mindful intent of Mindful Eating. We use our senses to guide us through this practice. You can access written instructions for this M

Overview: We continue our exploration of the effects of trauma with a focus on PTSD. In particular, we examine one of the primary symptoms of PTSD that keep a person on high alert as though a threat is continuously eminent: Hyperarousal. What We’ll Learn: We discuss the different ways hyperarousal can show up along with the ways that this can be debilitating and leave a person with PTSD feeling stuck in their lives. We also explore key strategies for alleviating this hyperalert danger signal in order to begin reshaping our lives in a way that brings more fulfilling experiences and memories. You can get your free mini E-book on the Countdown Coping Grounding technique here: http://www.subscribepage.com/s8i9j3 Resources Mentioned: http://www.drsallynazari.com https://chrysalispsychotherapyholisticwellness.wordpress.com/ Thank you for tuning in. You can also Subscribe to auto-download new podcast episodes to your Apple or Android device. After you listen to a few episodes, please consider leaving an honest ratin

Overview: We continue our Mindful Monday series with a look at how we can practice Mindful awareness. A guided practice is provided to help us begin connecting with the present experience using our breath. Connections are drawn to how this can facilitate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) responses. In particular, we discuss ways that this tool can help us to rebuild our lives and cultivate experiences that we want to celebrate. What We’ll Learn: We examine a simple, easily accessible way of integrating a formal Mindful awareness practice anytime, anywhere. Along the way, we uncover how to navigate wandering thoughts, distractions, and things that get in the way of a Mindfulness practice. Lastly, we review how this tool can be a complement to our efforts to recreate lives that we want to celebrate. Don’t forget to share your experiences of this practice in our social media communities: Facebook: www.facebook.com/drsallynazari Twitter: www.twitter.com/chrysalisdoc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-

Overview:  We continue our exploration of the effects of trauma with a focus on PTSD. In particular, we examine one of the primary symptoms of PTSD that keep a person feeling as though the overwhelming, terrifying experience is happening again: Re-experiencing. What We’ll Learn:  We discuss the different ways re-experiencing can show up along with the ways that this can be debilitating and leave a person with PTSD feeling stuck in their lives. We also debunk several myths about PTSD and key strategies for moving beyond the re-experience in order to begin reshaping their lives in a way that brings more fulfilling experiences and memories. You can get your free mini E-book on the Countdown Coping Grounding technique here: http://www.subscribepage.com/s8i9j3 Resources Mentioned: http://www.drsallynazari.com https://chrysalispsychotherapyholisticwellness.wordpress.com/ Thank you for tuning in. You can also Subscribe to auto-download new podcast episodes to your Apple or Android device. After you listen to a few e

Overview:  Mindfulness has been a useful resource in a number of different issues. In addition, posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, brings with it a host of challenges and difficulties. We examine the ways that PTSD brings on neurophysiological changes and also the ways that Mindfulness can act to counter some of these negative neurostructural issues. What We’ll Learn:  We explore the various cortical changes that comprise PTSD as well as how these pieces can be reshaped with the use of Mindfulness. In particular, we highlight three brain regions that contribute to the difficult experiences seen in PTSD and the ways that Mindfulness works to remedy them. We explore these effects further in upcoming episodes of our Looking at Trauma and Mindful Monday series. Resources Mentioned: http://www.drsallynazari.com https://chrysalispsychotherapyholisticwellness.wordpress.com/ Thank you for tuning in. You can also Subscribe to auto-download new podcast episodes to your Apple or Android device. After you listen to

Overview:  There are a number of different events that can be traumatic. Some examples of these situations that may immediately come to mind include a serious and potentially life threatening accident, assault, natural disaster, or combat. Other types of experiences can be traumatic as well such as surviving or witnessing a crime or physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as bullying or even a big move. Many people are exposed to traumatic events. In the time immediately following a trauma, most people will have experiences of posttraumatic PTSD. However, over time, for many people, those experiences naturally decrease, and they are not diagnosed with PTSD. In other words, they naturally recover from the traumatic event. There are some people who do not recover and are later diagnosed with PTSD. What We’ll Learn:  We explore the various clusters of what comprises PTSD as well as how these pieces converge to create difficulties such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, irr

Overview:  Mindfulness has a lot of neurophysiological benefits, which makes it a particularly useful tool for emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. Many people don’t know how to get started making this a part of their routine so they have a hard time gaining the important benefits of this practice. We’ll explore how we can make this tool a powerful resource in our aspirations for both redefining ourselves and recreating pieces in our lives that we want to celebrate. What We’ll Learn: We look at the various ways we can not only carve out the time and space for our formal practice of Mindfulness in bite sized pieces that we can easily build in, but also ways of integrating this practice into our regular everyday activities. We will also discuss some tips, tricks, and suggestions for making sure we can set ourselves up for success as we build this skill over time to maximize its benefits. Lastly, we look some of the specific practices and how they each contribute to our lives. Resources Mentioned:  Apps: C

Overview:  Mindfulness has recently become well known for its various benefits in helping to alleviate suffering for people. Whether this is a tool used to minimize and eliminate physical pain, emotional stressors, and mental health issues, the benefits of Mindfulness have been documented in a variety of sources. In fact, Mindfulness has become a mainstream tool for promoting overall wellbeing and preventative measures in maintaining optimal physical, emotional, and cognitive health. This tool can be a powerful resource in our aspirations for both redefining ourselves and recreating pieces in our lives that we want to celebrate. What We’ll Learn: We look at the scientific principles behind what makes Mindfulness effective and how it ultimately enhances not only our brain, but also our bodies and ourselves. Neuroscience and neuropsychology have shown there are in fact neurobiological and neurostructural changes following a regular Mindfulness practice. In addition, we look at the benefits of Mindfulness and ho

Overview:  Groups are becoming increasingly popular in counseling interventions. The primary advantage of group counseling is that participants get the opportunity to learn from each other. Other benefits from group counseling include that groups can more closely resemble everyday circumstances, they help to build a sense of community and belongingness, they normalize “issues” as members find commonalities with others, and, especially in working through interpersonal challenges, they can be very therapeutic. These types of unique therapeutic elements offer a particularly useful contribution for us in both redefining ourselves and recreating pieces in our lives that we want to enhance. What We’ll Learn: We look at the benefits of group therapy and how to make the best use of it to achieve the goals for our life of celebration. In addition, we explore some of the different types of groups and how they each contribute to our lives. We also focus on what to expect in a group therapy session and how to look for gr

Overview: Reiki has come to receive much acclaim and recognition for its effectiveness as a powerful healing instrument. Reiki therapy is a holistic, gentle energy work process that assists in physical, mental and emotional healing. It is a simple, effective and powerful method of natural healing. Sessions provide a relaxing, soothing healing environment that ensures comfort and peace during your healing. This relaxed, peaceful state helps to contribute to our emotional, physical, and mental healing. More recently, researchers have begun to more formally evaluate Reiki’s effectiveness in healing a number of different things. Reiki is now being offered in hospitals and other clinical settings to help cardiac patients following heart attacks, cancer survivors during their recovery, and many other conditions. Reiki has also been valued as a complement to psychotherapy and in alleviating depression, anxiety, effects of trauma, and reducing stress. What We’ll Learn: We take a closer look at what Reiki is along wit

Overview: In today’s episode, we take a closer look at what psychotherapy is and how it can help us get unstuck in our lives to make the progress that we want to see, change the patterns we keep repeating, and help build new ones so we can create a life that we want to celebrate. What We Will Learn: We take a targeted look at how psychotherapy can play a role in our lives in unraveling the muddy feelings of getting stuck in our lives when we are dealing with disruptions, changes, and how we can best make use of this modality to turbocharge our lives. Psychotherapy can help us create the building blocks for redefining ourselves and cultivating a new life. Resources Mentioned: http://www.drsallynazari.com https://chrysalispsychotherapyholisticwellness.wordpress.com/ Next time, we will take a closer look at what Reiki is and how it can help us get back on track. Thank you for tuning in. You can also Subscribe to auto-download new podcast episodes to your Apple or Android device. After you listen to a few episode

Overview: Today, we take a look at the ways that disruptions in our lives leave an impact. In particular, we notice the ways this can help us as we make changes but we also explore how this can leave us paralyzed, stuck, and repeating the same cycles over and over again. Finally, we look at some tools to get ourselves unstuck and moving forward. What We Will Learn:  We explore the ways that our physiology changes in response to major changes, whether positive or more difficult, along with the cognitive and emotional impact of these in our everyday lives. We also uncover the evolutionary reasons for these kinds of reactions. We wrap up the episode with some ways to counteract these effects so we can get back on track and begin to reshape our lives. In addition, we investigate the role of Mindfulness, Reiki, and the parasympathetic nervous system in this process. This way, we can begin to move in the direction we want our lives to lead. Resources Mentioned: http://www.drsallynazari.com https://chrysalispsychoth

Welcome to Beyond the Couch, a show devoted to celebrating you in your amazing life.   Please scroll down to listen to each episode and read summary notes. You can also Subscribe to auto-download new podcast episodes to your Apple or Android device.   After you listen to a few episodes, please consider leaving an honest rating and review of how the podcast has helped your transformation journey. This helps the podcast reach more of the people who are going through the same journey.   Thank you for your support =). Enjoy the episodes below!     Overview:   Today, we explore some tips and strategies to work through shifts and changing times in our lives. I give you a bit of a background on who I am and what I can offer to help you navigate crossroads, milestones, barriers, and growth throughout your life.   Who Am I? As an integrative and multi-disciplinary therapist, it's important to me that I help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can't change difficult situa