Written by: Shae Goodell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What if mental and psychological disorders were not “disorders” at all but a result of poor brain health and a manifestation of years of stress, lack of self-care, and unresolved trauma?What if we could access more than just counseling and talk therapy to heal?
Therapy is defined as “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder.” Most people think of therapy for the treatment of mental or psychological disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as the DSM-5, has over 300 mental disorders and there may be just as many therapies available as there are disorders to treat them. This includes Talk Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (aka EMDR), and Neurofeedback - just to name but a few. Pharmaceutical and medication-assisted treatment is also growing in popularity since recent studies show that 25% of Americans over the age of 18 are now medicated for a mental health condition (despite conflicting information about its long-term efficacy). No matter where you are in the world, it should come as no surprise that the need for “therapy” has been at an all-time high over the last two years, as the world went into a global pandemic ill-equipped for the physical, mental, and spiritual fallout that would ensue. The problem wasn’t the pandemic, however, that exacerbated an already fragile mental health ecosystem.
Government agencies, public health policy teams, hospitals, schools, and mental health service providers are working hard to improve mental health around the world, including access, equity, and quality of care. But isn’t it time to ask some bigger questions?
Is there another way? What else can we do? Why is our current therapy system not working? How can we put our healing and well-being back into our own hands?
These are big, uncomfortable, but necessary questions. Why? Because the feedback people share about their experience with traditional therapy and medication is consistent. They feel like they are repeating the same stories, but not feeling a shift. They worry about being on medications for the rest of their life. Many experiences the sad truth that mental health medications lead to common, uncomfortable side effects like indigestion, headaches, sleep disruption, and suicidal ideation, which often means one medication turns into multiple. They want to do more than just analyze and talk about their suffering and discontent.
There is a growing awareness, even within the counseling profession, that traditional therapy, counseling, psychiatry, and pharmaceutical interventions are not enough to address the mental health crisis we are in today, a crisis that extends beyond mind and body into spirit and soul. And people are looking for, and craving, a different approach.
It is time to inspire a shift in culture and collective consciousness about how we think about, define, and access therapy. More importantly, how we can create a system that ensures people feel better informed, truly empowered in their well-being and healing, and ultimately, more successful. It is time for a more integrative, personalized, and holistic approach to therapy and well-being.
Here are eight ways to diversify your therapy to maximize your well-being and healing.
Body-Based Therapy
Body-based therapy is a rather general term that can refer to a variety of therapeutic interventions with one thing in common ‒ bringing the body into the healing process. Research from thought leaders like Bassel Van Derk Kolk, Peter Levine, Marlysa Sullivan, and Stephen Porges has shown that when we bring the body into the healing process, amazing things start to happen. Some research suggests that we should start with the body, not the mind, to begin a healing journey, especially in cases where mental health conditions are caused by adverse life experiences and trauma. Why? The body stores trauma at a cellular level. Yet, this intervention is underutilized in most mental health treatment settings. Traditional talk therapy and clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and psychiatry are more cognitive and logical in nature; they work with the “thinking mind.” This has been the mainstream for the last 300 years. While these practitioners do amazing work, small changes to the therapeutic treatment plan, including somatic therapy and body-based therapy, can lead to bigger changes more quickly. This can save clients thousands of dollars. It can save months, if not years, in therapy. Most importantly, help them lead happy, healthy, more enriching lives faster. It can also help promote the counseling and therapy profession because fewer practitioners will leave due to burnout. Body-Based Therapy, also known as Mind-Body Therapy, works with the limbic system of the brain from the inside ut. It works with what is often referred to as the “emotional brain” and the body directly.As Resmaa Menakemwrites in her book:
“The body, not the thinking brain, is where we experience most of our pain, pleasure, and joy and where we process most of what happens to us. It is also where we do most of our healing…” From: My Grandmother’s Hands
One of the more subtle and often overlooked benefits of body-based therapy is therapeutic touch. This is generally not something you experience with a therapist or counselor unless it is a physical therapist or massage therapist. But, the experience of therapeutic touch is especially valuable for people who have been impacted by physical or sexual trauma and who do not feel safe being touched by others. Who have experienced touch as an act of aggression or assault; who are deeply out of touch with their body; who may think of their body as a tool for sex, sustenance, and sport. With the right practitioner, clients learn that touch can be healing, supportive, and soothing, not a tool for manipulation and harm. Therapeutic touch can be delivered by a trained practitioner through In-person sessions. energetically by trained practitioners in telehealth and virtual sessions, and clients can receive a therapeutic touch from themselves ‒ which can sometimes be even more healing. Body-based therapy can be delivered by a variety of practitioners. Options include Somatic Psychotherapy, Mind-Body Therapy, SomaticExperience Therapy, SomaticExperiencing ™, trauma-informed yoga, and professionally trained Yoga Therapists from the International Association of Yoga Therapy.
Brain Health Coaching
Dr. Daniel Amen, the founder of Amen Clinics, says, “we don’t have a mental health crisis in America. We have a brain health crisis.” If you had a problem with your heart, your lungs, your knee, or your eyes, your doctor would most likely order a series of tests, x-rays, or MRIs to identify the root cause. This is not so common when it comes to the brain when considering cause and treatment for mental health conditions. Very few therapists educate their clients on their brains as part of the process. Unfortunately, many commonly diagnosed mental health conditions like schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression can be traced back to brain health issues like Traumatic Brain Injury, Lyme Disease, Poor nutrition, substance misuse, trauma, and even toxic work conditions. Each part of the brain is responsible for different processes.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for focus, forethought, and impulse control. This might be seen in people with ADHD, trauma, or brain injury and those who have trouble with sustaining attention and are easily distractable.
The limbic system (LS) sets the emotional tone for the mind, stores emotional memories, and filters emotional experiences, sleep cycles, and appetite control. If the limbic system is overactive, it can be associated with depression, negative thinking, social isolation, disordered eating and even pain.
The ACG or anterior cingulate system, is the gear shift of the brain and plays a role in cognitive flexibility and how easy it is to shift from one thing to the next. This might be present in someone who struggles with automatic negative thoughts (ANTS), is argumentative or oppositional, or have OCD.
The Basal Ganglia (BG) surrounds the limbic system and helps integrate emotions, thoughts and movements. When not functioning properly, it can lead to anxiety, avoidance, workaholic tendencies, headache, and backache.
These are just a few of the primary areas of the brain that can be overactive or underactive and as a result, brain health will impact mental, physical, and spiritual health and well-being. Yet, brain health is rarely discussed in a therapeutic setting even though it may be the root cause of the condition being treated. As a result, very few people understand their brain, how it works, and the unlimited potential to create a great brain. As Dr. Amen says, “you are not stuck with the brain you have.” People can learn ways to make their brains more healthy with interventions designed to work at a biological, psychological, social and spiritual level. Not everyone has access to Brain Scans due to affordability, but everyone can access tools like a brain health assessment. There are also Board Certified Brain Health Coaches who help clients identify their particular brain type. Once they have that information, it can be used to curate lifestyle changes, supplementation, strategies for habit and behavior change, and help ensure clients are working with the right practitioners to achieve the results they desire. Brain Health coaching is a coaching system developed by Amen Clinics and Dr. Daniel Amen. It is a board-certified coaching system that can be offered by coaches, mentors, and therapists to maximize healing for their clients and patients.
Reiki Therapy
Reiki is a form of Energy Medicine that originated in Japan in the 1920s. It fell into relative obscurity following World War II and has been slowly revived over the last half-century starting with Hawayo Takata, a Japanese Woman who moved to Hawaii and helped spread the teachings of Reiki to the West. Although Reiki has only been around for a century, energy work, energy medicine, and studies of the subtle body and human energy systems have been recorded in the earliest spiritual texts like Vedic and Hindu scriptures. Today, there are nearly 25 different types of Reiki which all originate from Dr. Usui, who was the original Reiki Master. William Lee Rand is one of the foremost proponents, practitioners, and Masters of Reiki as a healing modality. He created Usui Holy Fire ™ reiki which is practiced by hundreds of practitioners around the world and used in nearly every major hospital in the world. A research study at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut showed that Reiki improved patient sleep by 86 percent, reduced pain by 78 percent, reduced nausea by 80 percent, and reduced anxiety during pregnancy by 94 percent. These benefits extend out into the world.
Unlike traditional therapy which could be considered more “active” in that you go to a therapist to talk, think and do something about your condition. Reiki is almost exactly the opposite and could be considered a more “passive” method of therapy. It can be delivered in many forms, including moving meditations, guided visualizations and meditations, and direct and indirect healing sessions. Reiki can be performed in-person, virtually, and either hands-on or hands-off. Clients can also learn Reiki so they can give themselves Reiki every day. Like massage, Reiki offers the option, and benefit of therapeutic touch, which can be so valuable to clients healing from adverse experiences and trauma. Reiki works directly with the nervous system to help us drop into the state of “rest and digest,” which is so often neglected in our high-stress style of living and overall state of the world. Reiki helps us experience a deep sense of inner peace, bliss, and contentment, so rarely available to us in the high-intensity world we live in today. There are millions of people walking around the world today who don’t know what it is like to feel bliss, contentment, or inner peace. Working with an experienced Reiki practitioner can help clients truly feel this state of being because we can’t create or replicate what we have never truly felt. This is especially true for people who grew up in or experienced some kind of trauma and have been on “high-alert” ever since. Just one Reiki session a month can be a wonderful supplement to a treatment plan for a variety of conditions, and not just mental health conditions. Reiki has been used when working with people with conditions like ADHD, cancer, chronic pain, back pain, the effects of burnout, and more. Like somatic therapy and body-based therapy Reiki has another subtle benefit ‒ therapeutic touch delivered either by a trained and experienced practitioner or by the client through self-reiki. Reiki has three levels of training. Reiki Level One is recommended for those who wish to administer reiki to themselves. This is recommended daily. Reiki Level two is for practitioners who want to administer Reiki to themselves and others, either friends and family, or as a paid practitioner. Reiki Master Level is for those who wish to administer Reiki but also offer training programs.
Ayurveda Therapy
Ayurveda is the original system of functional medicine, intuitive living, and personalized healing and well-being. It originated nearly 5,000 years ago and is practiced in many parts of the world, where it is still the primary medical system. It is considered the sister science to Yoga and Tantra. Although Ayurveda has endured for thousands of years, it is still relatively obscure in many parts of the world, especially when compared to Western Medicine. Ayurveda works with nearly every kind of physical or mental health condition from irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, allergies, obesity, constipation, menstrual conditions, cancer and more. We are coming to realize that these chronic and often preventable physical health conditions are impacted by not just physical health but by spiritual, emotional, energetic and mental health as well. Dr. Gabor Mate writes about this in his book, When the Body Says No, which talks about the manifestation of dis-ease as a result of stress. The CDC cites examples like the correlation between depression and diabetes, heart disease and stroke. At first, Ayurveda may be seen as yet another therapy that works with the physical body, physical conditions, and physical symptoms. However, as you dive deeper into this practice, we see that these physical symptoms and conditions are often deeply rooted in mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual symptoms. Ayurveda works with all levels and layers of the person to get to the root cause of the disease imbalance rather than treating symptoms. This is referred to in Ayurveda and yoga philosophy as the koshas. Ayurveda offers a system of therapy that is personalized to the individual. Unlike in the western world where we wait for a disease to appear before we treat it, Ayurveda offers the potential for disease prevention and empowers self-healing. Most of all, it supports consciousness-based well-being at the physical, mental and spiritual levels. It can be delivered by practitioners who are specifically trained in Ayurveda including Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Health Practitioners, Advanced Ayurvedic Health Practitioners, and Ayurveda Yoga Teachers. Some yoga therapists are also qualified, Ayurvedic Practitioners. The variety and types of services available will vary depending on the type of Ayurveda practitioner you work with since Ayurveda .
Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy, also known as a sound healing therapy, is gaining in popularity. This practice has been used for thousands of years and is recorded in the oldest spiritual texts and recorded history. Sound therapy can be delivered by a practitioner in person or virtually. Those who can attend sound therapy sessions in person benefit from direct contact with sound experience and tools. For example, Tibetan Singing Bowls let off a subtle vibration that is nice to listen to but also ripples throughout the body itself. Because the body is made up of over 70% water, sound naturally travels easily through the body. Depending on the type of training, practitioners in the art of Sound Therapy may use either individual or a combination of Tibetan Singing Bowls, Tuning Forks, Gongs, rain sticks, Solfeggio Frequencies, binaural beats, and other “instruments” to create a sound therapy experience.
Like Reiki, Sound Therapy works directly with the nervous system, to promote rest and relaxation and helps downregulate the nervous system. It is more passive in nature, allowing participants to find peace and stillness. Sound Therapy is very effective for those who may struggle with “quieting the mind”, anxiety, stress, trouble sleeping, and a variety of other modern ailments. Think of it as a power nap for the soul. Sound healing is so effective because it gives the mind something to focus on while the session is taking place. Look for a Certified Sound Healing Practitioner to deliver services and ensure they have the proper training. Sound Therapy is an excellent companion to traditional therapy, yoga classes, and meditation.
Meditation Therapy
Today there are apps, YouTube videos, and dozens of books on the practice of meditation. It has been used for thousands of years by practitioners to enhance well-being and, in some literature, speaks directly to the impact of meditation on emotional health. Authors Richard Davidson and Antonie Lutz define it as “conceptualized as a family of complex emotional and attentional regulatory strategies developed for various ends, including the cultivation of well-being and emotional balance in their article Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation. Meditation is an effective treatment for a variety of mental health conditions. This includes conditions like stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, pain, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer, weight control, and eating behavior. In some cases, they were as effective as evidence-based therapies. Sadly many people have a stereotype in their mind of what meditation looks like, and what they are supposed to do during meditation, and may assume they are doing it wrong if they do not live up to these standards. Meditation is not a state that one might achieve overnight. It is not about “quieting the mind” or sitting in a perfect lotus position. Meditation offers the opportunity to cultivate four things ‒ mindful self-compassion, awareness, focus and concentration, and ultimately the meditative state. Meditation therapy can help create the conditions for participants to drop into a deeper state of consciousness and promotes a state of ease and relaxation. However, it is important to understand this is not always the case ‒ especially in the beginning. This is why it is so important to start with self-compassion. As we develop awareness, people may start to feel shame, regret, anger, and other complex emotions as they are pulled into stories of the past or worries about the future. This is why it is so important to work with an experienced teacher to set the right expectations, have support for when the times arise and learn tools and practices to facilitate your experience.
During a meditation therapy session, practitioners work with the client to help eliminate outside stimuli and bring the client into what is referred to by yoga tradition as “pratyahara” or withdrawal of the senses. The state of meditation is facilitated by a meditation teacher or meditation coach who might use a mantra, sound, image, or another point of focus. Mediation may be the single best thing to do for health and well-being because of the depth of its impact. It has a cumulative effect, so the longer you practice, the more you will feel it. Take caution with meditation retreats and more intense meditation practices until you have proper training and support from the right teacher.
Breathwork Therapy
The study of breath may seem like a new practice, but, like many of the practices explored thus far, it has been used as a technology for healing, wellness, and well-being for thousands of years. Pranayama appears in the original Vedic and yoga texts, as does the study of “prana” or vital life. James Nestor did some extensive research on the quality of breath as it relates to overall health in his book Breathe. From a therapeutic perspective, understand that the breath is the quickest way to the nervous system. This is very important when considering conditions like anxiety, a condition which is at an all-time high, twice as common in women, and over 30% of youth struggle with this condition. Breathwork can be used in a therapeutic setting to:
Work directly with the nervous system and teach clients how to engage the parasympathetic nervous system if they are triggered,
Develop a meditation practice,
As a means for releasing physical, mental, energetic, emotional, or spiritual trauma from psychology and physiology,
We can also think of Breathwork as a “prescription” for various conditions or symptoms that arise throughout the day. Breathwork has been used with clients with Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, ADHD, and a variety of other health conditions. By using the breath as a tool for self-regulation, clients become better equipped to handle the day-to-day stressors that rise in a way that is more natural, holistic, empowering, and non-pharmacological. For complete instructions and more information on breathwork as a tool for health and well-being, download the free Bulletproof Self-Care guide. Breathwork should only be facilitated by trained practitioners who are aware of the practices and contraindications. This includes Breathwork Practitioners, Yoga Therapists, Ayurveda Practitioners, and therapists with specific breathwork training.
Trauma-Informed Coaching & Mentoring
There is no doubt that traditional therapy and counseling are effective in helping people with mental health conditions, but today we are facing many barriers to care. One is a shortage in many parts of the world of practitioners either because of lack of funds, lack of providers, or living in a rural area, yet according to the World Health Organization nearly one billion people a year struggle with a mental health condition. Many practitioners left the profession, citing burnout during and after the 2020 pandemic. Another is social stigma. According to the American Psychiatric Association, over 50% of people who need treatment do not receive it because of the stigma associated with seeking help. When someone can work with a coach or mentor, this may provide an access point to care for those who would otherwise not seek services.
What is the difference between therapy and counseling, coaching and mentoring? Let us take a look.
Therapy/Counseling Counseling tends to be focused on a specific issue and is considered short-term treatment. Clients may learn coping techniques and problem-solving strategies with interventions like Cognitive Behavioral therapy and mindfulness. Counseling may last from eight to twelve weeks. Psychotherapy treats a broader range of issues, complex problems, and symptoms. This approach tends to be more long-term. Therapy and counseling work with the DSM-5 to diagnose and treat and if pharmacological interventions are needed, this may also include working with a Psychiatrist. With both counselors and therapists, there may be an emphasis on both the past and present to resolve suffering and conflict.
Coaching Coaching helps clients outline clear goals and action steps for the desired change while providing support and encouragement. There is an emphasis on building self-awareness and helping clients tune into their inner wisdom. Coaching is often conducted in a group setting but some coaches also offer private or 1:1 coaching with the average coaching program lasting about six months. Unlike counseling and mentoring, coaching focuses more on the present and is future-oriented. This is why coaching can be a great supplement to therapy. Life coaches and health coaches are the most common.
Mentoring Mentors are often one step above a coach because they provide support, guidance, education, and encouragement with the combined benefit of teaching and coaching from a place of experience and expertise. Mentoring often includes a variety of modalities to create an experience that is more personal and individualized. Mentoring is most often done in a 1:1 setting so people have personal attention and the services and programs they receive are more individualized. Mentors might include Spiritual Mentors and Therapeutic Life Mentors.
It is important to point out that not all therapists, counselors, coaches, and mentors are trauma-informed. But, trauma-informed care is more important than ever when you consider that according to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of Americans have experienced trauma at some point in their life. These findings are supported by A general population survey conducted in 24 countries which shows “that more than 70 percent of respondents experienced a traumatic event, and 30.5 percent had experienced four or more events.” As such, it is no surprise the field of coaching and mentoring has evolved to meet this need and you can now find trauma-informed coaching and trauma-informed mentoring. This specialized service allows coaches and mentors to hold space, facilitates an experience, and delivers services in a way that is both trauma-sensitive and trauma-informed. This might include how, when, and what types of services are delivered and offered; how they communicate with the client in and out of session; how sessions are conducted either as a group or in private; how to help clients set goals, and more. Depending on the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment the client is seeking, coaching and mentoring can work in tandem with traditional therapy, and in some cases, it may be a suitable alternative. To protect the professional integrity of the coaching and mentoring profession, it is up to the coach or mentor to determine what is within their scope of practice, ensure clients are working with the right practitioners, and refer out when needed.
Taking Action for your Well-Being and Healing
It is more important than ever that we, as a society and as a world culture, take bold action in the direction of supporting health and well-being beyond hospitals and prescriptions. In some ways, we have given our power away to others and now is a time to reclaim that power. It is time to reconnect with, reawaken, and support awareness of the incredible potential that resides within each of us and within the most ancient wisdom of the world. Practices like yoga, yoga therapy, meditation, breathwork, Ayurveda, Reiki and sound healing have been around for thousands of years. Their efficacy has been supported by numerous studies. Therapists, counselors, psychiatrists and other practitioners who work with mental and physical health conditions deserve our respect. Their craft will always have a place in the world of healing. But, it is time to acknowledge that this approach alone is not working, and not enough, and cultivate a culture of prevention of dis-ease instead of reaction to “dis-ease” whether that is physical, mental, or spiritual. A new era of well-being and healing has already started to emerge. By blending ancient wisdom with modern science and putting the power back into the hands of the client, we will notice a ripple effect not just in the individual and collective consciousness but in the overall quality of life.
We can create a society of people who feel empowered in their health to prevent disease. We can reduce the financial burden of chronic disease on cities, states and nations. We can minimize common mental and physical health conditions. We can remove barriers to care and promote healing and well-being for all.
What a wonderful world that would be.
Shae Goodell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Shae Goodell is an Integrative Therapist and Coach and the founder of True Evolution ™ a trauma-informed, soul-centered personal development system rooted in Body-Based Therapy, Somatics, Ayurveda, Energy Medicine, Brain Health, and Neuroscience, delivered in private, small group, and retreat experiences. She believes in a whole-person approach to care and is changing how we think, talk, access, and optimize our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Shae is working to promote Inner Peace for all and raises money in support of equity and accessibility to services through the Bliss Warrior movement, an inspiring collection of apparel and merchandise.
