August is Wellness Month

During the month of August, I not only celebrate the numerous benefits of wellness, but also my birthday!

As I continue my well-being journey, I am careful to focus on all 8 Dimensions

of Wellness. 

If you'd like to learn more about these dimensions, Social Concepts

Therapeutic Services (SCTS) offers an informative graphic as a free

download. Click the following button to visit the SCTS page.

8 Dimensions of Wellness Download

My wellness journey hasn’t been easy, and I’ve had setbacks caused by a

lack of focus and failing to prioritize myself. It ’s been challenging to balance it

all while remaining professional and being there for family, friends, and

clients. One of the things I do to ease the tension and to feel fulfilled is

journaling aka blogging! It gives me a chance to work on my intellectual

dimension as I write down observations and feedback from my daily

experiences with the other dimensions. Writing things down helps me to

release my thoughts while enhancing my writing skills. It also helps me not to

become dependent on AI, so that I can express my authentic self. Because of

these benefits, I encourage all my clients to bring journals so that they can

write down their own reflections in session and at home (for their future

novel). 

During one of my recent sessions, I had a spirited dialogue with one of my

clients, which I processed in my journal and with my therapist. (Yes, I’m a

therapist, with a therapist. Many of us process in a supportive place, too.)

We were discussing their treatment plan goals and focused on their Physical

Dimension (permission was granted to share this scenario). I was informed

that the reason they didn’t attend the yoga sessions was because of their

Christian beliefs and that yoga was demonic. Needless to say, I refused to go

down that rabbit hole. Nope, not me! I explained that I do not do pastoral

counseling and proceeded to share my perspective on why I incorporate yoga,

meditation, and other forms of activities that support the physical dimension in

my regular practice.  

As a wellness therapist, I always share that I have to use the pathological

description (diagnosis) of a mental health problem because it’s required for

billing on insurance. Once a diagnosis has been given, we then work on the

presenting condition through behavior modification, wellness techniques, and

talk therapy, with a medication referral as the LAST resort. (Taking medication

without Talk Therapy can be counter-productive, for some people, because it

remaps your brain, neuroplasticity, with limited cognitive-restructuring, the way

you think, which can result in long-term or lifetime use.)

I also incorporate psychoeducation by explaining some of the underlying

factors that may cause mental health diagnoses, outside of traumatic events.

Not everybody experiences trauma; sometimes it’s a serious behavior like

holding on to something that you need to let go of - grief from someone’s

passing excluded.

Explaining neurotransmitters as a driving force influencing mental health was

incredibly helpful in our discussion. In doing so, I was able to explain how

quieting the brain and drawing from your power within can contribute to the

building blocks of focusing (ADHD), nerve-calming (Anxiety), and the

expansion of your sense of purpose (Self-Confidence).  

Also included as a free download is a graphic on the structures of

neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters Download

We explored alternative solutions, including becoming more active, eating

well, getting enough sleep, practicing Mindfulness Techniques, and

connecting with your tribe. Finally, our session concluded with a brief

discussion about our astrological signs...go figure! At the end of the day, the

lesson here is to keep it moving towards wellness.