Meditation, relaxation and enhanced focusing techniques are often incorporated in therapy where appropriate. “Mindfulness” is a term referring to various kinds of meditation practices, especially when they are directly applied to daily life experiences.
Mediation and mindfulness practices offer many potential benefits:
- Relaxation and Stress Reduction
- Improved Focus and Concentration
- Anger Management
- Anxiety Management
- Chronic Pain Reduction
- Improved Sleep
- Better Problem Solving Skills
- Tools for Authentically “Being in the Moment”
- Tools for Understanding and Moving Beyond Painful Past Experiences
- Sense of Deeper Meaning and Purpose to Day-to-Day Life
- Spiritual Connection
- Creative Inspiration and Insight
- PTSD Treatment
- Ability to Better Process and Address Challenging Situations as They Happen, Rather than “Reliving” Them Later via Guilt
- Regret and Resentment
- Better Organization
- More Realistic Goal-Setting and Achievement
- Blood Pressure Management
- Headache Relief
- Tools for Addressing Delicate Sexual Issues
- Better Communication Strategies
Mindfulness Program
Whereas many clients make use of meditation here and there when it helps work through a specific issue, some clients are more interested in the practice of mindfulness in general. We recommend anyone interested in a more thorough, structured approach to mindfulness work with DWLC co-founder and co-owner, James Robbins.
In addition to his role as a licensed professional counselor, James Robbins is also a meditation teacher with over 15 years of experience. He is the author of Build a Better Buddha, a book exploring the intersection of Western psychology and various meditative traditions and practices. Based on your specific background, treatment goals and personal strengths, James customizes a program of mindfulness practice that fits into your daily life. This usually involves “take home” practices for daily use, as well as meditation practice in session.
James emphasizes meditation as a tool for living a more satisfying, authentic life:
The goal isn’t to become a great meditator. The goal is to become a happier person. With meditation practice, you become more compassionate and genuine, responding to situations as the real you rather than simply slipping on another social mask. A big part of why we experience so much frustration is because we’re more invested in the story of who we are rather than the truth of who we are. We think too much. We’ve learned to re-interpret and manipulate experiences, both inner and outer, to such a degree that it’s easy to lose touch with our authentic selves. We’re frustrated by others who are ‘fake’ and ‘phony’ because we know at some level that we’re also living our lives one step removed. The social games people play seem to provide a safety net in case things don’t work out, in case relationships go sour. But wearing a costume of yourself from day to day is liking taking a shower with a ski coat on. You can’t truly connect to life if you’re always sending in your ‘stunt double’ to handle all the messy work.”
How Do I Get Started?
If you would like to book an appointment, or have further questions, please call Dallas Whole Life Counseling at 972-755-0996 or contact us via this website.