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Why Would I Want to Work With a Therapist?

Written by Amy Turner on . Posted in Blog, Resource, Self-Care. No Comments on Why Would I Want to Work With a Therapist?

By  Kylie Slavek, LPC

Curious about therapy or confused about what it’s all about? Scroll down to learn more and find out how you can get connected to a licensed professional therapist today! 

Why talk to a therapist?

  • Therapists are mental health experts with master’s degrees in psychology which means they’re knowledgeable about the variety of complex dynamics and systems that influence a person’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. They learn theories that explain why people think and act the way they do, and many are highly empathetic, which means they get it. Therapists are trained listeners skilled in utilizing evidence-based strategies to help people overcome challenges and obstacles. They offer mental and emotional support that is different than the kind of support family members or friends can provide. Lastly, therapists are safe people who you can share your deepest thoughts and feelings with. While it will naturally take time to feel comfortable opening up and being vulnerable with someone new, the therapeutic relationship is always safe, supportive, and completely confidential.

What is therapy all about?

  • Teaming up with a therapist gives you the advantage of having an unbiased, educated perspective to bounce thoughts and ideas off of. As you journey together though stories, experiences, hardships, and challenges, therapists use their expertise to help you build insight and shift unhelpful thinking. They compassionately guide you in understanding yourself in new and profound ways while giving you strategies and wisdom to overcome obstacles. They help you to sort through the noise and clutter in your brain, to see things more clearly, make better choices, and find peace.

When is the right time to go to therapy?

  • You don’t need to be at your breaking point or lowest low to utilize therapy services. In fact, therapy can be used as preventative care to make sure you avoid getting there. For each person knowing when to go to therapy is different. Here are some common indicators of when therapy may be right for you.
    • Going through a life transition
    • Navigating relationship dynamics or relationship problems
    • Observed changes in mood
    • Observed changes in behavior
    • Experiencing excessive fear, worry, or panic
    • Increase in negative thinking or suicidal thoughts
    • Engaging in self-destructive behavior

How to get Involved

If your company is partnered with Centered they are making it easier than ever to get connected with the mental health support you need, here’s how. 

  • Simply create a personal account at Centeredhealth.org
  • Log in and sign up for therapy today.  

Partner With Centered 

Partnering with Centered provides your employees with exceptional, comprehensive wellness and mental health services designed to keep your employees happy and healthy. Centered provides a comprehensive whole-person approach to mental health and wellbeing. Our solution combines expert-led wellness classes, health coaching, supervisory consultation, and personalized individual therapy to provide an unparalleled, custom, wellness experience for all of your employees.

Discover the benefits your company will enjoy by fostering an engaged, flourishing workforce, supported by customized services that meet your employee’s unique needs.

Contact Centered today for your complimentary assessment!
Contact information:  www.centeredhealth.org  phone: 720-417-0879

Wellness for Everyone at Every Stage 

Written by Amy Turner on . Posted in Blog, Resource, Wellness for All. No Comments on Wellness for Everyone at Every Stage 

Centered Health and Wellness Classes

By Kylie Slavek, LPC, and Sandy Black, LPC

Life is more difficult when you’re not feeling like your best self. When your mental health isn’t at its best, or when your wellness habits start to fade, it can be hard to figure out what to do or who to turn to to get back on track.  

If you’re feeling anxious, down, stressed-out, or just not like yourself but you’re not quite ready to go to therapy or meet with a wellness coach, Centered has options for you. 

Centered offers mental health and wellness classes in real-time, online, and in person. Our classes are led by licensed therapists and wellness coaches which can give you peace of mind knowing you are working with trained experts. 

Our wellness classes are interactive as well, giving you as much or as little opportunity as you’d like to share, ask questions, and connect with others. If you’d prefer to listen and learn without interacting, we support your learning style, too.

Each 50-minute class gives you access to a workbook and a one-page tip sheet, loaded with tips and strategies to help you apply the topic to your own life. You also get access to a pre-recorded version you can come back to again and again. 

We want to support you and your mental health or wellness journey at every stage, and we aim to meet you where you are at. While our wellness classes are not a substitute for therapy or health coaching, they can help point you in the right direction and give you ideas for how to get back on track. Attending our wellness classes is also a great way to meet our clinicians and coaches and learn more about if therapy or health coaching is right for you. 

Here are some of our most popular classes:

Creating Calm in the Chaos- Learn to create moments of calm in the midst of chaos, foster resilience, and cope with challenges.

Building Better Boundaries- Learn ways to develop and implement boundaries to minimize stress, increase efficacy, and improve confidence.

Avoiding Burnout- Understand how to recognize, manage, and prevent burnout to avoid feelings of exhaustion and fatigue.

Effective Communication in the Workplace- Discover the secrets behind effective communication to promote healthy productive conversations in the workplace.

Partner With Centered 

Help your employees promote their personal health and wellness by partnering with Centered. Partnering with Centered provides your employees with exceptional, comprehensive wellness and mental health services designed to keep your employees happy and healthy. Centered provides a comprehensive whole-person approach to mental health and wellbeing. Our solution combines expert-led wellness classes, health coaching, supervisory consultation, and personalized individual therapy to provide an unparalleled, custom, wellness experience for all of your employees. 

Discover the benefits your company will enjoy by fostering an engaged, flourishing workforce, supported by customized services that meet your employee’s unique needs. 

Contact Centered today for your complimentary assessment! Contact information:  www.centeredhealth.org  phone: 720-417-0879

Setting Boundaries at Work

Written by Amy Turner on . Posted in Blog, Resource, Worklife Balance. No Comments on Setting Boundaries at Work

By Kylie Slavek LPC and Sandy Black LPC

Creating boundaries at work is essential for your mental health and well-being because boundaries define your limits, help you respect your needs, and communicate to others how you prefer to be treated. Boundaries are important because they express and reflect what is important to you, and help you maintain good mental health. Learning to tune into your emotions, values, and priorities will help you feel more confident setting boundaries. 

What are Boundaries? 

A boundary is like an invisible fence where you define your limits of how you prefer to be treated. These fences help to protect your mental health. Communicating your boundaries to others allows them to see your invisible fence. Boundaries that are shared and respected help you to feel safe and comfortable with the people around you. Sometimes feelings of anger, resentment, or feeling like you are being taken advantage of can be signs that you need to set a boundary. Having strong boundaries at work helps to decrease stress, increase productivity, and ensure ideal mental wellness.

Why Boundaries are Important?

Work-related boundaries are increasingly important as hybrid work environments can blur the line between people’s work and personal lives. Likewise, the variety of cultures and personalities at work makes the placement of each person’s boundaries unique. With so many different power structures people can sometimes compare themselves to others or exceed their limits to be a “good worker” which can take a toll on one’s mental health over time. 

Boundaries are based on what is essential for each person’s needs for safety, well-being, and happiness.  

In this way, respecting your boundaries is a form of self-care. When you set a boundary, you are giving yourself permission to say no to things that could otherwise have a negative impact on your mental health. Having healthy boundaries helps you to manage stress. When you honor your needs and communicate them to others, your confidence, competence, and self-esteem rises. 

Creating a Boundary 

Think about this situation and imagine how you would set a boundary. Imagine you are working in an office and your coworker regularly barges into your office to chat, for hours at a time. After a few weeks, you start to fall behind on tasks and become increasingly frustrated that you’re not able to get work done. It gets difficult for you to enjoy your time off work because you feel stressed and worried about meeting important deadlines. You realize it is time to set a boundary. 

Feelings of anger or resentment are often a sign that you need to set a boundary. They point to areas where your values or needs are being overrun by someone. To create a boundary, spend time identifying which values need to be protected or promoted. Aligning with your values reinforces your confidence, ability, and willingness to share your boundaries with others. Maybe in this case you value time management and work ethic. What is a boundary you would set? You might ask your colleague to respect your personal work time between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 or create a system to signal to your colleague when need time to focus. Maybe you simply ask your colleague to knock first and ask if you have time to chat. While each person’s boundaries will look different, respecting yourself enough to state your boundaries and respecting other people’s boundaries helps to create a more harmonious work environment.  Click here (link to how to create a state and maintain a boundary) to learn more about how to state boundaries and maintain them.

Partner with Centered

Help your employees promote positive healthy habits by partnering with Centered. Partnering with Centered provides your employees with exceptional, comprehensive wellness and mental health services designed to keep your employees happy and healthy. Centered provides a comprehensive whole-person approach to mental health and wellbeing. Our solution combines expert-led wellness classes, health coaching, supervisory consultation, and personalized individual therapy to provide an unparalleled, custom, wellness experience for all of your employees. 

Discover the benefits your company will enjoy by fostering an engaged, flourishing workforce, supported by customized services that meet your employee’s unique needs. 

Contact Centered today for your complimentary assessment! Contact information:  www.centeredhealth.org  phone: 720-417-0879

Demystifying Trauma

Written by Amy Turner on . Posted in Blog, Resource, Trauma Informed Care. No Comments on Demystifying Trauma

Kylie Slavek, LPC

Most people have experienced some form of trauma in their lifetime. According to the National Council for Mental health, 70% of adults have experienced some type of trauma at least once in their lives. Click this helpful PDF to learn more about prevalence, causes, symptoms and coping strategies. 

Whether it be a single traumatic event, multiple events, or prolonged exposure to abuse or neglect; trauma impacts the brain, the nervous system, and how we relate to others and experience the world around us. Trauma makes a big impact and can influence a person’s beliefs, thought processes, emotional reactions, and habits. 

Most people associate trauma with major devastating events like war, assault, or actual life-threatening events. However, even an accumulation of small distressing events can be traumatic. Things like having an overly critical caregiver or experiencing frequent verbal abuse can be extremely upsetting and create significant emotional damage over time. 

Many people tend to minimize or ignore the impact these “smaller” events have had on their lives. It can even be more difficult for people to develop acceptance or empathy for the impact these smaller events have had on them. Minimizing the impact of trauma can create maladaptive coping responses like negative self-beliefs, emotional reactivity, or the development of unhealthy coping mechanisms. 

Unresolved trauma can disrupt your ability to function at work, at home or in relationships. Some people experience symptoms like anxiety, rage or fear; while others experience feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, despair or depression. Unresolved trauma can turn into other numbing or avoiding behaviors as well like reliance on substance use or over working. 

Understanding the effects of trauma and developing the skills to overcome it often requires professional support. Trauma therapy works to help you better understand how your brain and body respond to traumatic events and triggers while providing a safe, nurturing atmosphere to learn to manage and cope with symptoms. As you build up tolerance to turn towards past experiences your brain and body will learn new ways to relate to past experiences and in turn you will develop a new way to relate to the world around you.

If you are struggling with any degree of these trauma-related symptoms and want to heal from or explore your own experience with trauma, contact Centered today to schedule an appointment with one of our licensed therapists. 

Partner With Centered 

Partnering with Centered provides your employees with exceptional, comprehensive wellness and mental health services designed to keep your employees happy and healthy. Centered provides a comprehensive whole-person approach to mental health and wellbeing. Our solution combines expert-led wellness classes, health coaching, supervisory consultation, and personalized individual therapy to provide an unparalleled, custom, wellness experience for all of your employees.

Discover the benefits your company will enjoy by fostering an engaged, flourishing workforce, supported by customized services that meet your employee’s unique needs.

Contact Centered today for your complimentary assessment!
Contact information:  www.centeredhealth.org  phone: 720-417-0879