Practice Updates
First month with the doors open complete! I am still pinching myself to check in and make sure this is real life. It’s like going from renting to owning a home. I could certainly make things “mine” before, but this new chapter has challenged me to be intentional in creating the goals and vision for my practice. I could hang the pictures before but now I can “paint the walls”. I find such meaning in the work that I do and sitting with people in their most vulnerable seasons of their lives. It is such a privilege to be able to continue this work in a way that allows for me to do so by living in purpose and creating joy and balance in my own life. As for the insurance world, I’m still waiting. I am currently in network with United Health Care, CBHA and Aetna*. I am pending approval for BCBS, Bright Health, MedCost, and Centivo. *Aetna goes into effect November 1st.
Bits of Joy, Purpose, and Balance
What is Joy? Merriam-Webster defines joy (n) as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires” or joy (v) is “to experience great pleasure or delight”. That’s a lot to unpack and at first glance could seem unattainable. Notice the difference between the noun and the verb. It’s actually more accessible to us all if we consider how we define well-being, success, good fortune, etc. What if your well-being is not about your circumstances in life and how they are impacting you but about choosing to create a life of meaning. Sounds easy, right!? Not! It’s not hard but also quite nuance. It’s about being radically honest with yourself about your abilities and limitations without judgement and living in alignment with those. What does well-being look like for you? Do you feel like success is too out of reach? Maybe it’s time to adopt a new definition. If the way we are looking at something in our lives isn’t working…let’s change it. Don’t get lost trying to find the finish line here…just take one step at a time. You may not be able to see where you are going but you are going somewhere, and you can learn to trust yourself to pivot and change course as you learn more along the way. I can’t change what I don’t know or don’t understand. Joy for you today may not look like it did in the past or what you hope it to be but that’s okay. Sit with what it is for you today. You can create purpose through meaning making. Balance your thoughts. When you notice the judgement or the harsh voice, counter it with openness and tenderness. For some, balance can only begin once you start to set boundaries in your life. My world was rocked when I learned that No can be a stand-alone sentence. Try it. Go on. No. No. NO! Now take a breath. Did that feel good or what? Here’s the thing…if you have been saying Yes to all the things…by default you have had to say no to something else. So maybe you’ve said yes to everyone in your life but you’ve said no to yourself. Set a timer for 15 minutes and put the screens away. Choose to do something for you. Read. Pray. Meditate. Sit outside. Sip a hot drink in silence. Stretch. Create. It’s for you to choose but don’t spend 15 minutes trying to pick something to do. Just pick and do. Less thinking and more doing. You got this!
Self Care Corner
From my bookshelf:
Ever wonder what your therapist is reading? Is it deep and meaningful? Nope! Any Office fans out there?? Currently I’m reading The Office BFF’s by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. So far this is just what I need. For my season, I need something I can pick up and read in 15-minute increments and this one fits the bill. Jenna and Angela take turns sharing the behind the scenes making of the office and the deep friendship they fostered over the years. It may be of no surprise that I’m a sucker for a good memoir. People are so fascinating!