Protecting The Most Precious Resource…..Our Minds

Content provided by our partner, Melissa Kramer, LCSW, MindfulNest Therapy LLC ~

When we think of health and wellness, especially during the first month or two of the new year, we tend to think in terms of physical health. Perhaps getting to the gym more often or setting that doctor’s appointment you have been pushing aside is now a priority. Or maybe we set other goals for our careers, finances or lifestyle – a luxurious vacation, that big account we want to land, or a new home in a better neighborhood.  But what about our mental health and emotional well-being? When is the last time you set a goal and made an investment in your happiness? Goals that pertain to our mental health are important for many reasons. We sustain psychological and emotional injuries much more often than physical injuries…..personal or financial setbacks, broken hearts and relationships, loneliness, feelings of inadequacy, sadness, grief and despair. However, we don’t seek treatment for these injuries, or ever provide self-care for them in the way we do physical injury.

Part of my mission as a mental health professional is to remove the stigma that society attaches to mental health therapy. After all, if we can seek therapy for physical injuries and invest resources to perform optimally from a physical standpoint, then it seems the same standard should apply to our mental health. Going to a physician’s office for a routine check-up or to fix a physical problem is no different from visiting a mental health therapist to work through a problem! And well-established research has shown that physical well-being correlates to mental and emotional health. The mind-body connection is well-documented. Responsible for our happiness, memories, moral compass, language, connections, problem-solving abilities, creativity, affection, joy, and just about everything else we experience and feel, the mind is the most precious of resources. So logically, why wouldn’t we seek help to keep our best assets functioning in a healthy way?

People visit my practice for a variety of reasons – for anxiety, depression, emotional trauma, and circumstances like divorce, job loss, bullying or other difficulties – but at the core is the desire to be happy and to feel happiness. Happiness is universal – everyone wants it – and most assuredly, everyone can have it by consciously choosing it. The mind is extremely adaptable. We can actually alter the circuits and pathways in our brains – science supports this conclusively – by changing our thoughts.  Happiness and well-being can almost be considered a skill, and to improve any skill, practice is necessary! This is where therapy can really help. A combination of coach, confidante, motivational speaker, and advocate all-in-one, a therapist is someone who can help you become more mindful, more joyful, and more aware of life’s magical moments, cementing those positive connections in your brain!

Melissa Kramer, LCSW, is the owner of MindfulNest Therapy LLC in Red Bank, N.J. Office hours are by appointment. For those with busy schedules or not in close proximity to Red Bank, telephone/video counseling is available. The office is located at 115 Maple Avenue, Suite 201, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701. The telephone number is (732) 443-0331. Melissa Kramer can also be reached by email at: info@mindfulnesttherapy.com.

The website address is www.mindfulnesttherapy.com.    

 

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