Programs
Mind Body Skills Training
Description
A structured, 8-week group program that teaches stress reduction and self-care mind-body skills.
Intended Participants
- Clients seeking training in mind techniques to manage brain/body stress reactions for disease prevention and health maintenance.
- Clients with stress from or stress-influenced physical conditions
- Clients in ongoing insight-oriented therapy with other mental health professionals who would benefit from
learning behavioral skills that enhance non-judgmental self-observation, de-centering, and grounding in the present.
Clients with chronic pain who would benefit from learning techniques to facilitate turning down central pain generators that perpetuate chronic pain conditions.- Clients with addictive disorders who would benefit from learning mind techniques to regulate brain/body pulls toward compulsive substance use.
- Clients with other conditions such as anxiety and depression (especially with negative ruminative thinking) who would benefit from learning mind techniques designed to help them manage these automatic brain/body thoughts, feelings and physical/somatic sensations.
Program Overview
All sessions are 1.5 hours long and consist of 45 minutes of lecture information and discussion and 45 minutes of skills practice
Session I
Overview of the brain/body stress reaction and information on how life’s experiences can shape the developing brain’s reactions to stress.
Skill – Introduction to breath-work.
Session II
Review of the physiology of the stress response and further discussion on the long-term effects on health. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) and information about how muscle tension increases the body’s stress response.
Skill – Progressive muscle relaxation
Session III
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation. Teaching non-judgmental observation of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations and shifting attention to the present.
Skill – Body scan
Session IV
Learn to let go of thoughts with mindfulness. Instruction on how to manage wandering thoughts through non-judgemental observation.
Skill – Awareness of breathing
Session V
Understanding emotions with mindfulness. Increase ability to observe emotions through connecting to body sensations. Also understanding the connection between thoughts and emotions.
Skill – Variations on mindful breathing
Session VI
Recognizing resistance. Learn how to recognize and let go of resistance in the mind and body.
Skill – Mindful yoga
Session VII
Building a practice. Discussion of how to integrate these exercises into your life. Continue to discuss how to work through unpleasant emotions.
Skill – Breathing space, unpleasant events calendar
Session VIII
Review of overall program and discussion of observations since beginning course. Encouragement and instruction on how to continue an individual practice.
Appointments
The Mind-Body Health Program enrolls 6-8 clients and repeats every 8 weeks.
Please call 504-355-0509 for appointment.
8-Session Group Program
8-Session Group Program is $600.
Insurance is accepted.
Mind-Body Skills Individual Program
A 16-20 week program with a licensed counselor reviewing and practicing Mind-Body Skills introduced in the Mind-Body Health Group Program above but done individually with greater depth and attunement to the individual’s life context. Each session lasts 45-50 minutes. Counselors are skilled at focusing on the implementation of Mind-Body Skills within the context of interpersonal counseling sessions that focus on stress and emotional self-regulation, mood disorders, mind-body ailments, addiction, pain disorders and relationship difficulties.
Massage
NOCMBH highly recommends regular massage as a means of inducing the relaxation response, detoxifying myofascial trigger and tender points and sustaining optimal mind-body health. NOCMBH has partnered with Spa Atlantis (504-566-8087) located in the same building. Reduced fees have been arranged for NOCMBH clients.