Category Archives: Soul Maintenance

Upcoming Healing Support Circle Sessions 2018

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A Space to Thrive offers 2 sessions of our 12-week Healing Support Circle (HSC) each year.  Session I is offered in the Spring (January-March) and Session II is offered in the Fall (September – November).  Click here to register in FULL or to schedule a HSC INITIAL INTAKE only.  This circle is open to women, femme, and nonbinary individuals.

HSC Fall 2018

Saturdays from 10:30am-12:30pm on the following dates*
September: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
October: 6, 13, 20, 27
November: 3, 10, 17

HSC Spring 2019

Saturdays from 10:30am-12:30pm on the following dates*
January: 12, 19, 26
February: 2, 29, 16, 23
March: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Fees for Healing Support Circle

  • $550.00 if paid in full before the session begins and includes an 80min individual intake assessment session; the book “Healing from Hidden Abuse,”; a journal; light refreshments at each circle; and all the creative materials used throughout the session.
  • $65 for initial intake session / $50/week pay-as-you-go fee option and includes an 80min individual intake assessment session; the book “Healing from Hidden Abuse,”; a journal; light refreshments at each circle; and all the creative materials used throughout the session.  Clients who opt for this fee plan are still responsible to pay for each of the 12 weeks in the session whether or not you attend circle that week. 

Click here to register in FULL or to schedule a HSC INITIAL INTAKE only.

*Dates are subject to change based on therapist’s schedule; clients will be notified in advance of schedule changes and a make-up session will be scheduled.  Changes may occur due to personal or professional time away from the office.

Each session runs weekly for 12-weeks and generally meets on Saturdays from 10:30am – 12:30pm.  **If there is enough of an interest (minimum 4 clients) for a weekly evening group, one will be made available.  If you are not free on Saturdays but would like to participate, please contact Jennifer at: jennifer@aspacetothrive.com or 210-382-4155.**

On Making Space

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Letting go doesn’t leave me empty, it leaves me open.

19 years ago, I was living in a housing unit that burned down and I lost all my material possessions from that time and a good chunk of memories from my life before.  Six months later, I buried three of my foster kiddos who were killed in a car accident while skipping school and out joy-riding.  I was reeling from the losses and while of course the loss of life far outweighs the loss of stuff…there’s always material stuff the Red Cross voucher can never replace.

Without knowing it, I cultivated a habit of holding on…to things, to people, to memories…long after it was healthy for me.  Loss can do that, inspire us to hold tight, as though we have any control over not losing anything precious ever again.

I’ve learned that I can gather things I hold dear close to me, even things that mean very little, in the hopes of warding off loss.  But I can’t control that.  I’ve been learning to hold space for that truth.  And learning to let go.

As I stand in my home today surrounded by piles of things I’m sorting through to take to the thrift store, or to the trash, a flood of feelings washes over me.  There is lingering grief for what never was; grief over what will never be again; grief for the self I was and am no longer.

And even in the midst of the grief and the challenge it is to let some things go, I also feel relief.  The burden of dragging all this stuff around with me for almost two decades as I moved back and forth across the country, it’s wearing on me.  I’m tired of schlepping around all this weight.

And I want to make space to welcome new possibilities into my life. 

So, this is a huge step in my trauma recovery and wellness maintenance.  I am grateful to arrive at and celebrate the moments of movement in the direction of thriving.  I share this with you for several reasons:

  1. Therapists are humans who have things to heal and recover from too.  I’m walking this path, doing this work too;
  2. If you struggle with these things, you’re not alone;
  3. If clutter and grief and trauma and depression and anxiety are all piling up in your life, let’s have a conversation. We can sort through it together.  Let’s face the heap together.

 

Contact Jennifer at: 210-382-4155 or jennifer@aspacetothrive.com

Boundaries Bootcamp

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Boundaries Bootcamp is a 6-hour coaching package offered in 3, 2-hour sessions designed to boost an person’s ability to identify where they need boundary boosters in their life; practical tools to use at work, at home, and socially; and troubleshooting obstacles to sustaining healthy, resilient boundaries around time, talents, body, money, emotional energy, and more.

Session I (2 hours)

Boundary Basics

Session II (2 hours)

Breaking Free from “Shoulds”

Session III (2 hours)

Strategies for Sustainability

This package is offered as an individual coaching service and does not address clinical issues regarding boundaries, trauma, or family systems.  During the initial assessment, if I determine this program is not the best fit for you, she will discuss that at the beginning and work together with you to come up with a service plan that will meet your needs.

FEE:
Boundaries Bootcamp is available per person for $700 full package registration or at $270 per 2-hour session pre-pay each session (for a total of $810 for the full package).

 

Contact Jennifer at 210-382-4155 or jennifer@aspacetothrive.com to book your Boundaries Bootcamp sessions today!

Tools: Self-Compassion Deck

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I got this new deck of #SelfCompassion cards by Chris Willard, PsyD; Mitch Abblett, PhD; and Tim Desmond, LMFT that I’ve been using in my office. At the end of sessions, I fan out the cards and have a client pick one. I make a copy or they take a picture of that card and then that is their homework: to practice, to journal about, to process that self-compassionate action.

Today: Nourish your joy! Give yourself 3-5 moments of laughter, of sparkly-eyed wonder, of playful delight.

One of my favorite go-to resources for nourishing my joy is looking at photos or videos of people making art–in every form & medium. It reminds me of the powerful good that people are capable of. Personally and professionally, I am keenly aware of some people’s ability to destroy, to be cruel; giving myself time to create and seeing others create, restores some balance and nourishes my joy.

What nourishes your joy?

Soul Maintenance

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Soul Maintenance is a phrase I like to use to describe the counseling process.  While there are times where our relationships break down and need serious repair, other times aspects of our lives may be running smoothly but would benefit from a tune up. 

Counseling does not always need to be reserved for the break-down moments.  Counseling can serve those who are looking to enrich their lives with a refreshed sense of purpose, direction, and strategy for thriving.  What is an area of life you’d like to move from maintaining into thriving?  Would you like to deepen a relationship with a family member or partner?  Would you like to explore your own professional purpose and vision?  Would you like to consider ways to better manage your time to pursue hobbies and interests that bring you joy?

As a therapist, I often act as a coach, guiding and cheering you along the process of starting new habits, enriching relationships, and moving toward new personal and professional goals.