Stress management Programs

Stress can adversely affect us in a variety of ways: Stress can weaken the immune system, cause physical and emotional ailments, cause and exacerbate physical pain, reduce the quality of life, contribute to weight gain, compromise peace of mind, reduce work and task efficiency, cause sleep problems, drain energy and lead to an overall weakened sense of well–being.
I offer a six–week stress management program, available in both individual and group formats, to teach specific mind–body techniques for use in daily life. Participants typically learn a set of effective tools to recognize, manage and prevent stress from adversely affecting their lives. Stress Management Program Goals include helping you:

• Use the mind–body connection to maximize your health
• Regulate your physiological reactions to stress
• Use quick and effective hands–on tools such as essential relaxation skills, breath control, and cognitive reframing
• Better monitor your ongoing stress levels
• Use pragmatic techniques in the workplace and at home
• Prevent toxic stress reactions in the future

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Individual Stress Management Program — begins with a thorough individual assessment of your specific individual needs and strengths. I will then work with you to design additional sessions based upon your particular stressors and goals. Several sessions may be audio recorded, which will provide you with opportunities for home practice and mastery in your day–to–day life. Many of my audio scripts will be generated specifically for you, to be unique to your challenges. You may keep the CD’s or MP3 recordings as tools for managing stress throughout life. For your convenience, I am able to record these scripts directly onto your mobile phone during session.

Group Stress Management Program — includes both individualized assessment and group practice. In addition to exposure to effective mind–body techniques, you will have an opportunity to practice and learn from others in a group process. For many, learning is accelerated in a group format as the wisdom and experiences of the group exceed those of any individual.

Workplace Stress Management Consultation — I offer stress management seminars to organizations, including large physician and other professional practice groups, health care systems and corporations. Integrating effective stress management tools into the workplace has been shown to reduce levels of individual and group stress, which results in fewer employee sick days, increased work unit productivity and decreased staff turnover. In fact, the benefits of promoting a healthy workplace may offset the cost of offering an effective stress management program.

Mindfulness Training* — As the pace of our society has quickened we have become more inundated with information, distractions, and demands on our time and attention.  Many feel the burden of multitasking at home and at work, and find it harder and harder to focus fully on one task at a time or to be fully present in their activities and relationships. Feelings of being overwhelmed, exhausted, and inefficient then follow.
Mindfulness training can help us learn to quiet a busy mind and how to increase awareness of the present moment.  While it is common for our thoughts to be pulled away from that awareness, mindfulness training offers a set of skills to help bring thoughts back to the present. In turn, mindfulness can increase a sense of calmness and resilience when coping with distressing events and reactions. With practice, many report feeling more in control of how they respond to their daily hassles and less drained by stressful people, places, and situations.

Meditation Training* — I offer meditation training for beginners, and am able to present several types of basic techniques that can quickly help clients to start developing a strong practice in meditation. My approach is always pragmatic, practical, and tangible, and the focus is on meditation skills that can be done in multiple settings and at different ranges of depth. Some clients go on to build their meditation practice into a more formalized discipline, but others find success with a “meditation-lite” approach that enables them to more effectively manage their reactions and feelings.

*Of note, two groups of clients who have reported particular benefits from mindfulness and meditation are parents and corporate professionals.  What corporate or domestic executive would not benefit from a practice than can lower stress, increase physical health, and improve efficiency and resilience? 

In the News
Because of my specialty in stress management, I was featured on a 2009 Healthy Living segment of Carol Williams’ news program (WCPO Television, Cincinnati Channel 9). The interview focused on ways to manage effectively the increased stress due to our currently troubled economy.