The aim of talk therapy is to eliminate or control troubling symptoms and behaviors that keep our clients from accessing increased well-being and healing. Psychotherapy clients gain coping skills that help them address the impact of trauma, illness, loss of a loved one, and specific mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Psychotherapy counseling services at Beauty for Ashes are flexible, client-focused experiences that may be used in combination with medication or other therapies.
Faith-Based Therapy
Faith-Based Psychotherapy is holistic in nature.
While some therapies focus solely on physical health, others on emotions, and still others on the interplay of body / mind / emotions (referred to as a bio-psycho-social approach), few approaches to counseling or psychotherapy are truly holistic and treat the whole person – mind body and soul.
Regardless of your personal religious beliefs, we are undeniably physical, emotional, thinking, and spiritual beings. When one or more components of our person-hood is ignored in restoring health after trauma, complete healing is impossible.
Faith-based psychotherapy seeks to be holistic by incorporating the vital element of spirituality or faith to more traditional psychotherapy that includes awareness of the interplay of body, mind, and emotions.
Beauty for Ashes Counseling's approach incorporates spirituality to meet you where you are at in your own spiritual / faith journey and help you to create harmony between your beliefs, experiences, thoughts, emotions, and actions. While our personal beliefs are Bible-based Christianity, all are welcome and it is our hope that you will be comfortable regardless of religious tradition.
Art Therapy
Expressive Art Therapies
an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making...
Art therapy, uses art media, the creative process and the resulting artwork as a therapeutic and healing process.
Clients - young, old and in-between - are able to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem.
Art therapy is practiced in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational and forensic settings - as well as in private practice, in workshops and small-group settings. Clients come from all walks of life, facing a full array of challenges. Individuals, couples, families and groups can all benefit from various art therapy formats.
Art therapy is an effective treatment for persons experiencing developmental, medical, educational, social or psychological impairment. A key goal in art therapy is to improve or restore the client's functioning and his/her sense of personal well being.
Play Therapy
Toys are a childs words...
Play Therapy is the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development (APT)
Sandtray Therapy allows a person to construct his or her own microcosm using miniature toys and colored sand. The scene created acts as a reflection of the person's own life and allows him or her the opportunity to resolve conflicts, remove obstacles, and gain acceptance of self. (Good Therapy)
Walk and Talk Therapy
Walk and Talk therapy is just what it sounds like...
Walk-and-talk therapy, sometimes referred to as hiking therapy, takes your sessions outdoors. It can happen in a public park or on nearby trails. This alternative provides a new approach by infusing the benefits of fresh air and exercise into the therapy sessions. In this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, this can be the perfect alternative to telehealth.
Movement, whether it’s a leisurely walk or a brisk hike, can make it easier for some people to discuss their feelings. You may prefer to move or walk as opposed to sitting across from a therapist in an office or looking through a screen.
Walk-and-talk therapy can be particularly helpful with teenagers and younger clients. Others have found that they are more at ease in nature, which improves our ability to open up. Sitting down for a one-on-one conversation in close quarters can be uncomfortable for some clients, so taking the conversation outside can help relieve some of that pressure.
Is walk-and-talk therapy the right solution for me?
As with all modes of treatment, consider your individual needs. This may be a great option for you if you have a lot of excess energy or if you feel uneasy with maintaining direct eye contact and sitting still. Some therapists have noted that physical movement encourages psychological movement and can even accelerate client breakthroughs leading to faster healing.
The endorphins that exercise produces has a known positive impact on mental health. Dr. Lori Roberto has noticed clients to be more energized at the end of outdoor sessions than after traditional visits. For generally healthy and able-bodied clients, outdoor sessions can enhance their ability to navigate particularly difficult issues. It can also leave them feeling refreshed in body and mind.
All that said, you’ll need to take your physical and mental health into consideration before considering walk-and-talk sessions. Consider your local terrain, weather, accessibility to benches and water fountains on your route, and any underlying health concerns you may have before making the leap.
If you do decide to this mode of therapy is a good fit for you, have an open discussion with your therapist about what you’re comfortable with and capable of. This will help you decide if walk-and-talk therapy will meet your needs.
Are there any ethical concerns about walk-and-talk therapy?
Aside from any potential physical concerns, there are some ethical questions to consider before you start your first walk. Once you venture out of the office or the living room, you have less control over the privacy of your session.
There’s the possibility that you will see someone you know, or you may come across someone who recognizes your therapist as a mental health professional. Depending on how busy the park or the trail is, there’s also a slight chance your conversation may be overheard.
These concerns may not bother some clients and may not change your preference—but for others, giving up some privacy and confidentiality of their sessions may not be worth the sunshine and fresh air. Discuss any concerns prior to your first walk-and-talk with your therapist, so you can make an informed decision together.
Together we will set up boundaries beforehand surrounding how you will want to proceed if you do see someone you know, or other logistics like where the walk and talk will take place, how often you may want to stop to rest and drink water. That way, when you’re out on the trail, you can use the walk to focus on your conversation—not distractions.
Typical Walk and Talk Therapy sessions will take place along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, or at Paris Mountain State Park.
THE DARING WAY™ RISING STRONG™
Cheryl Childers is a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator (CDWF). She applies this work to individuals, couples, families, work teams, and organizational leaders, in clinical, educational, and professional settings.
ABOUT THE DARING WAY™
The Daring Way™ is a highly experiential methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. The method was designed for work with individuals, couples, families, work teams, and organizational leaders. It can be facilitated in clinical, educational, and professional settings. During the process facilitators explore topics such as vulnerability, courage, shame, and worthiness. Participants are invited to examine the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are holding them back and identify the new choices and practices that will move them toward more authentic and wholehearted living. The primary focus is on developing shame resilience skills and developing daily practices that transform the way we live, love, parent, and lead.Further information is available at www.thedaringway.com.
ABOUT RISING STRONG™
The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. Rising Strong is a book about what it takes to get back up and how owning our stories of struggle gives us the power to write a daring new ending. Struggle can be our greatest call to courage and the clearest path to a wholehearted life.
Here’s how Brené describes the progression of her work: The Gifts of Imperfection–Be you. Daring Greatly–Be all in. Rising Strong–Fall. Getup. Try again.
ABOUT BRENÉ BROWN
Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation - Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy and is the author of four #1 New York Times bestsellers:The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, and Braving the Wilderness. Her new book, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations.Whole Hearts., is scheduled for publication in October 2018. Brené’s TED talk - The Power of Vulnerability - is one of the top five most viewed TEDtalks in the world with over 35 million views. Brené lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, Steve, and their children, Ellen and Charlie.
Groups, Workshops & Retreats
Groups are a wonderful way to feel supported. Whether your goal is growth, improving social skills, or something else, group therapy could help you achieve it.
