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Practicing Mindfulness
By Judy Thomas, MSW, LCSW ~ a NOVO counselor
Judy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters from Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois. She has additional training in EMDR, DBT, Anger Management and Substance Abuse Treatment.
Her more than 15 years of experience in the social service/mental health field has included work in Outpatient Community Mental Health, Day Treatment Programs, Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment and Child Welfare and Support Programs for Teens.
For the past year, her focus has been on developing a private practice for adults and adolescents. Specialties include mood disorders, trauma, substance abuse, and anger management. Judy's services include individual, couple, and group therapy, as well as one-session, weekend, and multi-session education seminars and workshops.
Anxiety has become a growing problem for many people these days as the uncertainty and negativity of world events continues. If you are like most people, you learned early the importance of planning ahead. This is a positive habit that can easily lead to needless worry. One effective fix is to incorporate the practice of mindfulness into your daily life.
Mindfulness is the practice of living in the moment. It allows us to enjoy life as it unfolds rather than to squander our moments in regret for the past or fear of the future. This does not mean that the past and future should not be considered, particularly when making important decisions. It just means that both should be kept in proper perspective.
One of the simplest ways to develop the habit of mindfulness is to increase awareness of your thoughts. To begin to ask yourself regularly, “Where is my mind right now?” Spending time going over endless permutations of “what if” provokes anxiety and robs the present of its vibrancy and joy. The future is largely out of our control and most of the possibilities considered will never come to pass anyway. Asking, “Can I do anything about this right now?” is a good way to determine if your current train of thought is likely to be fruitful or if it should be put into a mental storage box till later.
Learning to hold your attention in the present is one path to increasing the joy in your life. It doesn’t require special training or medication and it is free.
NOVO’s professional therapists and counselors have a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you grow, succeed, and find joy in life. We are:
Dr. Vicki Alden, LCSW
Dr. Alden is founder of NOVO: Renewing Joy in Life, LLC. Her education includes a Master of Social Work Degree from Loyola University Chicago and a Ph.D. from the Institute for Clinical Social Work. Dr. Alden has over 30 years experience in the social service & mental health field. She has been in private practice for over a decade specializing in adult treatment for loss & life transitions.
Becky Gosain, MA, LCPC
Becky holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Loyola University Chicago. She has been a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) since 1998. Her clinical experience includes crisis intervention and stabilization, depression, stress, anxiety, parenting issues, and adjustment issues. Becky uses a strength-based, solution focused approach in treatment that fosters collaboration between therapist and client to meet the unique needs of each individual. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and adults.
Carol McIntyre, LCSW, C-ASWCM
Carol McIntyre is a graduate of Loyola University School of Social Work and has a Certificate in Geriatrics from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has over 30 years experience in community-based medical and social service programs, helping adults and their families adjust to life transitions.
Judy Thomas, MSW, LCSW
This newsletters feature counselor.
NOVO therapists/counselors provide therapy to individuals, couples, families, & groups. They also facilitate one-session, weekend, and multi-session workshops and roundtable discussion groups as well as provide information/education sessions within the community. Don't miss our upcoming "Parent University Weekend". For more information go to: http://www.novocounsel.com/roots_family_project
Past RENEW Newsletters
Depression: What It Is and What to Do about It (Part 1)
Depression: What It Is and What to Do about It (Part 2)
What Causes All of This Stress?
