Reiki Therapy

Reiki is a gentle non-invasive form of energy medicine that promotes balance and supports the body emotionally, physically and spiritually. Dr. Oz considers Reiki “the best alternative medicine of all.”  In many recent medical studies Reiki has been shown to help with depression, anxiety, pain management, insomnia, fatigue, cancer care and treatment and other chronic illnesses. During the practice of Reiki, the practitioner places the hands above or gently on the recipient. Many people report warmth or other sensations during Reiki. When used in conjunction with aromatherapy the treatment can be quite powerful depending on the type and properties of the oils used during the treatment. When one’s energy is balanced we are capable of feeling vibrant and fully alive. If unbalanced, we are likely to feel stress or develop a weakened immune response. A practitioner uses his or her intuition to sense where areas of need may exist in the recipient which then enables the body to take on the function of self-healing. Reiki goes where it is needed.

The word Reiki is Japanese in origin and is made of two words. Rei translates to a “higher power or wisdom” and Ki means “life force energy.” Reiki was discovered by Mikao Usui or Usui Sensei as he is called by his students in Japan and is the founder of the Usui System of Natural Healing.

Reiki treatments are often described as a feeling of “warmth and radiance.” Practitioners of this healing art learn ancient tenets and philosophy of the practice as well as the placement of hands to transmit energy, ancient symbols that enhance the process and an initiation that includes “attunements” by Reiki Masters. Reiki is not a religion, however vital to the practice, is the belief that it is important to live in a manner that promotes harmony with self and others. R eiki is helpful for many illnesses and maladies as is always beneficial for the recipient. It has gained the respect of the medical community and is utilized in leading hospitals and medical facilities throughout the world. Reiki is becoming increasingly useful and supportive in conjunction with other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve the side effects of treatment, chemotherapy, anesthesia and medication, fatigue and depression. Reiki is offered as a complement to traditional treatments in many leading hospitals such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, Beth Israel, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and the Yale Center. In Memorial Sloan Kettering, for example, it’s considered so valuable that it’s offered regularly for in-service courses for all hospital staff so that it can be integrated into their patient care.

This gentle healing art promotes natural healing, stimulates endorphins, lessens or eliminates pain, lowers blood pressure, regulates hormone levels, reduces heart rate and anxiety, promotes deep relaxation, and increases energy. The prestigious American Cancer Society recognizes that Reiki speeds healing, contributes toward spiritual and physical well-being, and reduces the intensity and frequency of nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy and medical interventions. Many practitioners attest that Reiki shortens hospital stays, lessens patients’ need for drugs, decreases the side effects of treatment, and improves the quality of life. Children and animals are very responsive to the healing nature of Reiki.

Nutrition

As a health and wellness practitioner, I continue to study major dietary theories with experts in the field. Dietary theories range from ancient to more contemporary models of nutrition.  In my wellness practice, I support healthy clients as well as clients facing and managing a variety of health challenges. My goal is to help you discover what works best for you and help you follow through with your goals. Dietitians focus on calories, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, restrictions and good and bad foods. In my holistic health practice, I work with my clients to create a happy, balanced and healthy life without denying pleasure or resorting to restrictive choices. As a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker, I am trained to treat the “whole” person focusing on relationships, habits and lifestyle choices. Because of my psychological training I can help you uncover any blocks that may be contributing to your less than vibrant health. 

I believe that food has the power to harm or heal — food can be powerful medicine when we understand and listen to the needs of our bodies. I don’t believe in fads or extremes with respect to health and wellness. No one diet or approach works for everyone which is why I focus on a highly-individualized plan. Various factors can affect the body such as the season, time of month, exercise, stress, work and your general environment. I will guide you to find the lifestyle and food choices that support your wellness. Together we will create lifelong changes that will enable you to reach your current and future health goals in a manner that is safe, sane and practical. If done correctly, you can end the cycle of endless diets and despair.

When was the last time you talked to someone about your health, your relationship to food, your relationship to others and finally your relationship to yourself? Most of us don’t take the time for self-care, but when you focus on your needs and learn to listen to the messages from your body, you will find that many aspects of your life naturally fall into balance. Working with an integrative therapist can help you create a personal program that supports your unique goals.

If you are…

• Struggling with emotional eating and cannot manage your anxiety

• Interested in improving your health, energy and vitality

• Looking for nutritional changes and options

• Confused by health and nutrition information

• Tired of dieting

• Tired of feeling out of control

• Too busy to eat well

• Lacking support and motivation

Your personalized program will radically improve your health and happiness. Together, we will explore concerns specific to you and your body and discover the tools you need for a lifetime of balance. You will…

• Set and accomplish health and wellness goals

• Explore new foods

• Understand and reduce food cravings

• Increase your energy and vitality

• Feel better in your body and your life

• Improve personal relationships

• Develop a healthier relationship with food

Food changes everything and can even be used to heal your body. Food really is medicine for your body. As your daily diet changes, your body changes and your happiness and health naturally improves. Imagine what your life would be like if you had clarity of thought, energy, and excitement every day.

Experience the benefits of a radically improved, healthy lifestyle…

Mind

• Improved mental clarity and focus

• Enhanced creativity

• Reduced anxiety, stress and mood swings

Body

• Enhanced immune function

• Increased energy and stamina

• Improved sleep, digestion and skin tone

• Reduced cravings for sugar

• Improved health and well being

Lifestyle

• Balance at work and in your personal life

• Increased productivity

• Improved relationship with food

• Improved relationships with others

• Understanding of diet, supplementation and foods

• Tips to eat better while traveling or dining out

• Tips for shopping and food preparation

• Tools to help you prepare nutritious meals

• Simple solutions to live life with purpose and meaning

Here are some concepts that we will explore during our work together:

Bio-individuality™: The concept of bio-individuality is that each person has unique food and lifestyle needs. One person’s food is another person’s poison, and that’s why fad diets tend to fail in the long run. Working on the principle of bio-individuality, I’ll support you to make positive changes that are based on your unique needs, lifestyle, preferences, and ancestral background. I use a personalized, holistic approach to ensure that you will have great success!

Primary Food™: It’s easy to overlook all of the things that contribute to our sense of nourishment and fulfillment. It’s not just the food we eat, but all of the other factors present in our daily lives. Healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, regular physical activity and a spiritual awareness are essential forms of nourishment. When these “primary foods” are balanced, what you eat becomes secondary. I will support you in achieving all of your goals, from eating the right foods for your body to living an inspired, fulfilling life.

Integrative Nutrition Pyramid™: The Integrative Nutrition food pyramid includes a balance of high quality vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, healthy fats and water. To complete the picture, the pyramid is surrounded with lifestyle factors that create optimal health: relationship, career, physical activity and spirituality. I’ll introduce you to some of the healthiest foods on the planet and teach you how to find what’s healthiest for your unique body!

To learn more about the education that shapes my approach to health coaching, attend a free educational webinar given by Integrative Nutrition’s renowned experts in nutrition and health. You can also learn more about my nutrition training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. 

See below for a partial list of experts with whom I have studied:

• Mehmet Oz, MD - Professor and vice-chairman of surgery at Columbia University, medical director of the Integrated Medicine Center, and Director of the Heart Institute at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical School. Author of You: The Owner’s Manual. Frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, Dateline, and Discovery Health.

• Andrew Weil, MD – Director of Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona

• Deepak Chopra – World leader in the field of Mind-Body medicine

• Alejandro Junger - Author of the book and program Clean. Dr Junger is the Director of Integrative Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital and a practicing physician at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City.

• Frank Lipman, MD -Director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center and author of the book Spent.

• David Katz, MD- Founder and Director of the Yale Prevention Research Center, author of theFlavor Point Diet and renowned expert on weight control, nutrition and preventative medicine.

• Joy Bauer, MD – Nutrition expert of The Today Show

• David Wolfe – Authority on super foods and raw foods nutrition

• Walter Willett, MD – Chair of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health

• Sally Fallon Morrell – Founding President of the Weston A. Price Foundation

• Joel Fuhrman, MD – Author of Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off

• Andrea Beaman – Natural foods expert featured on Top Chef

• Neal Barnard, MD – Founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

• Geneen Roth – Pioneer in distinguishing the link between our emotions and hunger

• Howard Lyman – Author of Mad Cowboy: Plain truth from the Cattle Rancher who won’t eat meat

• Annemarie Colbin, MD – Founder of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts

• Arther Agatston, MD – Author of The South Beach Diet

• Lynn Goldstein, MD – Nutrition Educator at the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health

• John Douillard, MD – International teacher of Ayurvedic medicine

• Mark Hyman, MD – Author of Ultraprevention and Ultrametabolism

• Barry Sears, MD – Author of The Zone Diet

• Michael Jacobson, PhD – Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest

• Bernie Siegel, MD – Expert in healing and patient empowerment

• Paul Pitchford, MS – Author of Healing with Whole Foods

• Harville Hendrix, PhD & Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD – Co-creators of “Imago Relationship Therapy”

Meditation and Stress Reduction Therapy

Act as if the fate of the world depends on your every move, but laugh at yourself for thinking so. ~Buddhist saying

Meditation is an activity that calms the mind and keeps it focused on the present. In the meditative state, the mind is not cluttered with thoughts or memories of the past, nor is it concerned with future events. When thoughts keep us distracted we can practice watching and observing the mind in the same way one would gaze at the sky and watch a cloud drift along on its path. Meditation seems to overwhelm many, but the truth is, we meditate often throughout our day and mostly we are unaware of this natural practice state. When you’re having a busy day and think that you cannot possible fit in one more activity, just sit. One can sit for five minutes and have a meditative experience that can be restorative in nature and allow you to return to your activities feeling balanced. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. It can give you a sense of calm, peace and emotional stability. And these effects don’t end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can have lasting effects on your emotional and physical well-being. Rigorous scientific research can measure the effects of meditation on a range of health variables and are currently being evaluated in such ground-breaking initiatives as a year long experiment combining Eastern and Western healing methods at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Body Scan

Body scanning is a useful practice for bringing deep awareness to the many processes of the mind and body. While in a state of relaxation, allow the mind to focus awareness and just notice parts of the body. Many people like to begin with the feet and work their way up the body, noticing any sensations, tightness, agitation, softness, etc. Either before or after a body scan, practitioners often do a breath awareness exercise where the focus of attention is simply noticing breathing and any sensations or thoughts as you do this gentle exercise.

Guided Imagery

Mental Imagery, used in guided meditations, is a method of visualizing your ideal state or a relaxing scene to relax your body, reduce stress and improve your health. Imagery is a therapeutic technique that uses your imagination and the power of thought to bring a state of relaxation to your body. Your thoughts are an inner communication system that relates to the body the type of state you would prefer.

Mindfulness Stress Reduction

Developed more than two decades ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., mindfulness training helps a person live in the present moment to handle more easily the ups and downs of life.  By intentionally bringing a non-judgmental awareness to breathing, body sensations, thoughts and feelings – including fears, anger, frustrations, desires, and self-doubts – a person is better equipped to deal with the challenges of life.  This very special kind of attentiveness enables one to acquire new insights about life situations and, in turn, to develop ways to respond rather than react to the conditions in life. 

People simply observe what arises in the body and mind, perceiving each experience as an event in their own field of awareness. This fuller, moment to moment, non-judgmental awareness known as Mindfulness frees a person to make clearer and more attuned decisions. 

Most people report an increased ability to relax, greater energy and enthusiasm for life, brightened self-confidence and an increased ability to cope more effectively with both short and long term stressful situations.

Pranayama and Yogic Breathing

Pranayama is loosely translated as life force through breath control. The ancient yogis developed many breathing techniques to maximize the benefits of prana. Pranayama is used in yoga as a separate practice to help clear and cleanse the body and mind. It is also used in preparation for meditation, and in asana, the practice of postures, to help maximize the benefits of the practice, and focus the mind. Breathing is so simple and obvious we often take it for granted, ignoring the power it has to affect body, mind and spirit. With each inhale we bring oxygen into the body and spark the transformation of nutrients into fuel. Each exhale purges the body of carbon dioxide, a toxic waste. Breathing also affects our state of mind. It can make us excited or calm, tense or relaxed. It can make our thinking confused or clear. What’s more, in the yogic tradition, air is the primary source of prana or life force, a psycho-physio-spiritual force that permeates the universe. By reducing stress and fatigue, meditation and all of the above practices enables us to connect with our higher self where energy, creativity and inner awareness are our natural state of being. The purpose of these practices is to enrich all aspects of life – body, mind, and spirit as well as create a sense of deep relaxation for the nervous system.

Yoga Therapy

Integrative Therapy & Restorative Yoga Therapy

Every human being is the author of his own health or disease. ~Buddha 

Yoga Therapy is a client-focused approach to managing and improving health and wellbeing.  All yoga is therapeutic, but not all people have the ability to practice in the form that is taught in most classes. Yoga therapy is not the same as offering modifications in a class. In yoga therapy sessions, the class is modified to fit the client and designed around specific challenges and strengths that the individual presents. In some cases, such as chronic back pain, yoga is a proven tool that often brings complete relief of symptoms. In others, such as chronic diseases and mental illness, yoga therapists work in concert with other health care providers to help reduce symptoms and accelerate healing. This is the case in a hospital setting where restorative poses and the smallest of movements or stillness combined with breath awareness  works to alleviate pain and quiet the nervous system. In all cases, yoga therapy can help you live more fully and comfortably regardless of your condition. Yoga therapists focus on the whole person, not just their physical condition, and can offer specific tools and individualized support in a one-on-one setting which differs from traditional physical and psychological health care settings. Because much of our daily experiences are stored in the body, yoga therapy can help you learn to pay attention to what is happening in the body at that moment, which may eventually help you generalize this awareness and attention to many other aspects of your life.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga might best be described as a supported, conscious body/mind relaxation practice. When supported with props, the body and nervous system relaxes and opens, releasing tension and stored-up toxins that can cause illness. Restorative poses offer benefits to both the body and mind, for conditions ranging from insomnia, anxiety and depression to asthma, chronic pain, migraines and PMS/perimenopause/menopause.

Chest-opening poses, for example, encourage breath and prana (energy) to flow through the entire body. Forward bends gently lengthen all the muscles of the back body which can do wonders for chronic back problems. Done in sequence, a restorative yoga practice will bring your whole body into a deeply relaxed state, and allow your mind to become quiet and reflective, with your mental, psychological, and emotional bodies in blissful balance often facilitating emotional release.

Benefits of Yoga Therapy

• Elevates Mood

• Flexibility and body alignment

• Increased strength

• Improved circulation

• Relieves aches and pains

• Improves energy

• Releases toxins

• Recalibrates the spine

• Improves the physical and spiritual/energy body

• Focus on the present

• Arthritis (RA & OA)

• ADHD

• Cancer

• Rehabilitation for spine, knees and hips

• Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Alzheimer’s/Dementia

Essential Oil Therapy

Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Therapy

Aromatherapy describes a treatment which utilizes essential oils from plants to help the body balance itself. This promotes improved health and well-being. Essential oils are very powerful and potent, and most should not be used unless you have undertaken some kind of training. Some oils however, are very gentle and safe to be used by most people at home. Aromatherapy works primarily through your sense of smell. You inhale a scent which stimulates the olfactory pathways in the brain.  The essential oil blends can be applied to the skin using a dermal application. Within an hour or so, the blends are in the blood stream relieving stress and promoting healing in the body. They will exit the body many hours later through perspiration or bodily fluids. Many of the essential oils are used to relieve physical stress, enhance mood, reduce pain, increase mental clarity and focus, calm the mind and enhance immune system function.

How do you use essential oils such as Young Living Oils? Essential oils are blended with a carrier oil (an oil that is used as a base for an essential oil to prevent skin irritation) and applied to the skin. Blends can also be used in bath water, on compresses (both hot and cold), in facial steamers, in facial treatments, massage oils, body wraps, and in diffusers. The practice of aromatherapy is being utilized in hospitals and facilities that research and practice integrative medicine and therapies.

Aromatherapy is especially beneficial for 

• Essential oils have mood altering or enhancing properties, thus helping to alleviate mild depression and anxiety

• Aromatherapy can help aid digestion when used by mouth or applied to the body

• Essential oils can help ease muscular aches and pains and promote muscle relaxation or soothe tired muscles as in massage practice

• Aromatherapy can also act as a hypotensive – to lower blood pressure

• Essential oils also have an affinity with the skin – making them excellent for using in the treatment of mild skin conditions

• Essential oils can promote restful sleep and relaxation as well as energize and stimulate the mind and body

• Helpful for women’s problems – PMS, Symptoms associated with menopause or early adolescence

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy Sessions

For over two hundred years the technique of hypnosis has been used in medicine to treat a wide range of physical, psychological and emotional disorders. Hypnosis is a form of treatment in which the client is deeply relaxed on a physical level, thereby allowing the individual to be mentally more alert and open to suggestion than in normal states of consciousness.  Unlike media depictions of hypnosis, the client has control over which hypnotic suggestions to act upon or reject.  During hypnotherapy, I guide clients through progressive muscle relaxation, relaxed breathing, safe place imagery and various visualizations depending on their goals for treatment.  Clients always leave sessions feeling lighter and very relaxed.  It has also long been recognized that hypnosis may successfully be combined with other approaches and techniques – for example, counseling, psychotherapy, EMDR and Reiki and other somatic therapies. Hypnosis can be successfully integrated with psychotherapy and relaxation therapy to help bring about positive change.

Hypnotherapy has the potential to help relieve the symptoms of a wide variety of diseases and conditions. It can be used independently or along with other treatments. For example, it’s one of several relaxation methods for treating chronic pain that has been approved by an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health.

Hypnotherapy may be used to:

• Cessation of dependencies and habits such as smoking, eating disorders, nail biting, compulsions and addictions

• Reduce or eliminate fears, stress and anxiety

• Relieve symptoms associated with many chronic medical conditions

• Lower blood pressure and calm the nervous system

• Control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy

• Improve psychological well-being such as depression

• Achieve personal growth such as build or rebuild self-esteem, resolve relationship difficulties, enhance job or career satisfaction, improve sports performance

• Manage disorders such as phobias, panic attacks, insomnia

• Manage personal crises such as accidents or trauma, miscarriage, bereavement and divorce