Spring Cleaning For Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Woo Hoo! It's been a long time coming, but Spring has finally sprung! I love cleaning out the closets and getting rid of stuff I don't use and giving my car and home a good tuneup. It feels amazing to de-clutter and organize doesn't it?  Why just stop there? Imagine the results of doing some cleaning up and tuning up for YOU, for your mind, body and spirit! Here are just a few quick and easy Spring Cleaning Tips that will leave you feeling amazing inside and out: 

MIND: It's time to clean up your stinkin thinkin!

It feels great to de-clutter the junk in the house, and when you clear out the  junky mind clutter, those automatic thoughts that create nothing but cobwebs, you will decrease your stress. We all know the effects stress can have on our health. If you continue to practice the following tip, you will break some bad thought habits and build emotional muscle to support overall good health. Sometimes we don't realize how our negative thinking is affecting us or that we are even thinking negatively at all. We humans have 50,000-70,000 thoughts a day! How many do you think are creating stress or bad moods? 
Here is a fast and simple way to ditch the stinkin thinkin trap: 

1. Catch and Shoot:  I don't know much about basketball, but I do know that when you receive the ball you're not supposed to hold it long. You have to hold for a bit to look for a strategically positioned player, but then you have to shoot. The next time you find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or frustrated it's because you have caught a big ball of thoughts and you are holding them. Next time catch your thoughts. Observe your thoughts because this will build awareness and awareness is the first key. CATCH the ball by asking yourself: "What was I thinking just before I started to feel this way?" Just asking this question is good because it interrupts the negative dialogue pattern.  HOLD the ball, but just long enough to determine your next strategic action. Ask yourself:  "Is that thought true, is it possible it could mean something else entirely? What is a different perspective? Now you have a choice. You can HOLD the ball and continue to keep the thoughts that are causing distress OR you can SHOOT the ball! You can shoot that thought right out of the playing field if you can find a new meaning or simply acknowledge that it was a ridiculous thought. I have had a few of those and I bet you have too! See the truth or give it a new meaning and feel the difference. Sometimes simply catching and changing one word is enough. Here is an example I use all the time: Have you ever found yourself stressed out with all your responsibilities? I HAVE to do this, I HAVE to do that. Try this: Change HAVE to GET. Kinda changes everything doesn't it?

BODY: Release toxins and rejuvenate your health! A whole food cleanse will do your body good! It will jump start you to:

•      Reduce inflammation
•      Lose weight naturally
•      Increase your energy
•      Sleep better
•      Boost your metabolism
•      Improve your mood

If you don't want to do a full 7 day program, just adding more whole foods to your day will make a difference. An easy way to do this is by adding just one smoothie to your day. Download my FREE Smoothie Party which includes 7 smoothie recipes for 7 days. If you want to commit to a seriously delicious and results driven Spring Cleaning this year you can purchase and download my DIY Home study Clean Eating Cleansing Program. 
Get your body moving! Movement is so important for overall wellness. Just a short walk with your dog is all you need. Your dog will thank you too! Yes, gardening counts. I love to take my fur kids for walks around the property and exercise at home with DVDs. You need to find something YOU enjoy or you won't do it. Consistency and a set routine will create a new habit and before you know it you will WANT to move every day. I just read that dancing makes you smarter so what a way to improve your body, mind AND spirit! Make it easy, make it fun.

SPIRIT: It's time to shine!

In my holistic practice when I hear someone say that they feel lost or dead inside or without purpose, I help them understand that it's not that they are lost or without purpose, but it certainly can feel that way when they are not feeding their spirit. Ask yourself: "What area(s) of my life need attention, What needs reorganization?Is there anything or anyone in my life that I am allowing to dim my spirit? What needs to go or what am I missing? For example, are you involved in a relationship that you know has been hurting you, but you can't find the courage to leave? Are you choosing to have people in your life that bring you down instead of build you up? Have you forgotten about your dreams and goals, have you been too busy to do what you love or be with who you love. What can you do now that will turn up the light even a little? How can you grow, how can you give to yourself and others? The possibilities are endless and remember it's the seemingly small stuff that often times is really the big stuff. 
 

Allow light, joy and fun in! It's already here. It's already within you, all you need is some good Spring Cleaning.

Shine bright,

Peg

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R 

Holistic Psychotherapist, Anxiety Specialist and Life Strategist  

Questions about me or my services? I would love to hear from you!

Connect with me on FB and Twitter


Visit my website and grab your free Stress and Anxiety Toolkit! 

 

Happy NO MORE RESOLUTIONS New Year!

Resolutions Be Gone!  

Have you been thinking about what you want to change, start or end this January? New Year resolutions are popular, but like diets they don't work. January is a great time for fresh starts, but that is very different than a resolution. Resolution means to resolve to do something "once and for all." What did you resolve to do last year? Is it on your list again? I want to share something different for you this year. Something that is just as fresh, but way more fun! 

I really look forward to this yearly ritual.  Use the steps below to kick start your dreams and goals and then next year and every year moving forward, it will be a tool to keep momentum going, not to resolve, but to reflect, assess, test, reassess and grow! 

Here I am hunkering down with favorite pen in hand, great music playing, homemade NOG, (do you like my Ball canning jar wine glass?) all of last year's notes and calendars along with new ones, and of course the boys right beside me.  Join me!

7 STEPS TO SUCCESS! 


1. Get Ready. Create your own comfy space that's inspiring and comfortable for you. Give yourself at least a couple hours of uninterrupted time. Shut off the phone and remove all distractions. This is your time, you deserve it! 

2. Identify Your "Whats" Identify an area(s) of your life that you would like to see change and/or grow for the coming year. Do you want to get serious about your health this year? Do you want to buckle down financially? Maybe you want to focus on a personal development goal.  Write down the area of life you chose and then rate yourself on a 0-10 scale where you are now. For example, 0 is not met at all, and 10 is exactly where you want to be. 

3. Describe Your 10:  You can make it a list or a descriptive paragraph. Be specific and ask yourself:  "How will I know I reached my 10? 
Example:
Health 0-10  Current score 5
What's my 10? I will know that I reached my 10 when... I feel more consistent energy throughout the day, experience restful sleep, have lost 10 lbs.  Make your goals reasonable and attainable. You don't want to set yourself up for the impossible and hurt yourself trying to get there. On the other hand, don't limit yourself. Too often people way underestimate what is possible for them. Is that you? Ask yourself: "Do I know of anyone that has started where I am and has accomplished similar results?" If they can do it, so can you! 

4. Identify Your Reasons. Once you have narrowed down a list of things you want to accomplish in the year ahead, WHY do you want that? Motivation works, but it's temporary. That is exactly why resolutions don't work. This is an important step you cannot leave out so read this carefully... 
Having great reasons will continuously pull you forward. Without them you will eventually and slowly walk back to where you started again. 

Ask yourself: What will your life look like when you reach your goal? How will it affect you? How will it benefit you? What will it mean to others in your life? What will it mean for your life? Not just this year, but forever!

Tweet! "For lasting change, know your reasons to get you through the seasons." @PegHaust 


5.  Calendar Time! Get out the calendars. I still like good ol' pen and paper. I like the planners that show the whole month with the days of the month having large squares for lots of writing space. Set a date and affirm your intention: 
By February 15, I will have released five pounds.  By May, I will be at my ideal weight of... AFFIRM: "I easily maintain a healthy lifestyle that supports me and my family."

6. Commit AND Take Action. What do you need to do?  Whose support do you need? Make a list of SIMPLE and SPECIFIC action steps to reach your goal. 


My Personal Example:

• 20 to 45 minutes of exercise: Sun, Mon, Fri, Sat mornings. 
• Take a few 1 minute meditation breaks at my desk during work.
• Hold a 30 second to 2 minute plank (yoga pose) during commercial breaks and periodically at my desk during work.
• Do a whole food cleanse to learn how to eat healthy and jump start my goal.
• Drink 1 homemade green smoothie every week day.
• Dance breaks! Great bursts of fitness while cooking and writing blogs :) 
• Drink water! Drink full glass of water before a.m. coffee and have a water bottle (with lemons) on my desk throughout the day. 

I tend to be a list maker. It works for me. But, don't get overwhelmed by your list! Chunk it down and give yourself "done by dates" and don't list too many things for one day. Also, I can't emphasis routine enough. Plan a routine and follow it. By 20-30 days you should be in the groove nicely. Anything and everything can become a routine. Make sure your routines are good for you! Repetition is key.  

7. BE FLEXIBLE! You know what they say about the best laid plans... If things go off course, that is okay! This example showed how to get started, but when you do this every year it is also time for reflection. It a time to celebrate every success large and small, and a time to assess and reassess. Look at what worked and look at what didn't. There is no failure, only feedback. Learn from what happened, test and measure and continue on.  

Try these 7 steps for any and all areas of your life: Health, fitness, finances, personal development, relationships, retirement planning, new life transitions, anywhere you want to grow. And make sure you focus on simple, doable and FUN or else you won't do it and you know it! 

Extra tip: Be aware of your stinkin thinkin; self defeating thoughts that make you want to give up (and they will show up!) "Oh, this won't work, I've tried this before, this is too hard!"  You create your experience and emotional state with your thoughts.  Like a basketball, catch those thoughts and shoot them; don't hold the ball!  

Lastly, I'll say it again, remember the why behind your wants and then you will see them come into fruition. It's not about the end result, it's about continued growth. By designing your best life, you are not only enhancing your life, you are positively affecting your loved ones and everyone around you. You are creating progress that is not only good for you, but also inevitably good for all. 

It doesn't get better than that.

Have a wonderful time and please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear about your dreams and goals! 

 
Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R
Therapist, Coach, Author

Get a free excerpt from my book: Anxiety Breakthrough at my website! PegHaust.com

 

Get Serious About Your Happiness

I think of myself as a happy person.  Now, I don't mean I'm happy all the time.  It's not that I never feel sad, frustrated, angry, hurt, scared, insecure......of course not. We need them all! Emotion is life and the good feeling ones come with the not so good feeling ones. I do believe, however, that we are meant to be happy and that it's necessary. With happiness at our core, we can pursue our true purpose in this life. So it's important and it makes sense to get serious about happiness. I suggest you decide to OWN it and drive that emotion into your core!

But how? How do you make happiness your "go to" emotion despite the dramas and traumas that we have all experienced and will inevitably continue to experience?  One way I have found is to hold happiness as one of my highest values. Most of us don't typically identify happiness as a value. We may identify family, friends, God, a strong work ethic, money, time for ourselves or contribution as values just to name a few. But, how these values show up in our lives, I believe, is directly related first, to the emotional states we value. So, if we don't highly value a great quality state of emotion like happiness or gratitude how can all those other values I mentioned be experienced positively and to their highest potential? I don't believe they can.

"There can be no transforming of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion." Carl Jung

Here are come common happiness blockers. Really, they are just stories we tell ourselves don't buy them!
 Do you ever think or believe:

 "If I allow myself to be happy something bad will happen. If something bad happens I'll be devastated, it's better to be prepared."  (And I will prepare by worrying)

 "If I allow myself to feel and show happiness others might take advantage of me, or I might not be respected." (Happiness means weakness)

"I can't feel happy when everywhere I look people are so sad and struggling I would feel terribly guilty.  (Happiness is selfish)  

 We feel what we focus on, our experience of life is determined by the meaning we give things and the emotional states we choose to value.

There is so much we cannot choose in this life; so much we  have no control over. We cannot control what others do or say, we cannot control what they think of us or not think of us. We cannot control the all too real tragedy's that happen to people every day. BUT, we can 100% control the meanings we give all things, people, situations and events. We can choose our perceptions and our thoughts which ultimately create how we feel.  If we choose to value happiness, gratitude, joy, and peace (just to name a few) as our primary emotional values just think how that could impact all the other aspects of our lives, and the other great values we hold. It's a completely different world!  It's Freedom! the greatest value of all right? 

Happiness and gratitude: You need it, you deserve it, without it you won't grow or contribute to your true potential.   

  
It's holiday time again. I am always amazed how fast time flies. I always say that life is too short AND too long to feel stressed and unhappy all the time. Life is too good because it is! Where there is bad there is always good, where there is dark there is always light. What do you have to be happy about right now? What might you be taking for granted? The smallest things are most often the best things. What do you need to remember to feel happy and grateful? Dreading the family gathering? Shift that focus to what you can appreciate about the situation and the people. Don't leave anything out.

Right now, in this moment, see it, hear it, it's Thanksgiving, so smell it and taste it too!  NOW feel it! Got it? Feeling it?
I knew it; nothing bad happened! Now just do THAT feeling over and over and over.......  
You Got This!
Happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for YOU!!! 

Shine bright,
 Peg

Questions about me or my services? I would love to hear from you!

Connect with me on FB and Twitter!

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R 

Holistic Psychotherapist, Anxiety Specialist and Life Strategist 

Visit my website and grab your free Stress and Anxiety Toolkit! 

FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM: Awareness Is The First Step

Have you ever felt excited to start a new project, begin a new endeavor or take on a new challenge that you KNOW would be really great for you, but only to somehow get stuck again and again? Have you ever wondered why that happens?  

It’s FEAR! 

Fear can be our friend. Thankfully, we all have an instinctual mechanism that turns on the fight or flight response to real danger, but I'm talking about the kind of fear that is an illusion. The kind that lies to us and convinces us there is real danger. 

Sometimes fear is obvious and sometimes it’s not obvious at all. Let me explain. In my book:  In Pursuit of the Divine Written Stories To Empower A Woman's Soul,  I write about a seemingly meaningless episode I experienced in Kindergarten and how that was a seed that grew to a full blown Panic Disorder in adult hood.  If you have ever experienced excessive and irrational anxiety you will be familiar with the "fear of the fear" the fear of the symptoms and not having control over them.  That’s the obvious fear. Not so obvious, however, were deeper fears. Fears I held deeply in my core belief system; fears of not being enough. We all have this fear to some degree. Even the most confident among us! 

What I have come to understand and what has helped me so much is this quote by Marianne Williamson. It was one of my biggest a-ha moments and I share it with you now, so you can know this truth too:

Don't you love it? It was a life changer for me and I hope it speaks to you too! 

Sometimes fears are not obvious at all. Behaviors such as procrastination, spinning your wheels, feeling like you’re not accomplishing anything, keeping yourself out of relationships or repeatedly getting into relationships that are not good for you. Or when trying to lose weight, you might reach your goal weight, but for some reason can’t keep it off.  Of course, sometimes the reason is hormonal or medical, but you find yourself in situations where you just can't figure out why these patterns keep happening? Or, worse, you don't even question them. You accept that it is your reality.

I have been there too! And sometimes I can find myself visiting there still. But, NOW I understand it and know exactly what to do about it.

You see, once you understand that what is really happening is a specific mind set; a belief system (BS) that you have, stories that are untrue and BS that you have been telling yourself consciously and unconsciously (probably for years and probably not even from you originally). Once you get that, you are on your way to real and lasting freedom from the fears holding you back from the life you deserve. 

Life is meant to be lived in JOY NOT FEAR!  Fear that you are not enough, fear of failure, fear of being seen and heard, fear of getting emotionally hurt (again) is not allowing you to live fully. 

Awareness it the first key to change. Understanding the thought/mood connection is the first step. 

GET STARTED:

Start small with simply noticing and becoming aware of your thoughts and how they make you feel.  What I did many years ago was track my thoughts in a notebook. When I started to see them on paper I quickly became aware that what I was thinking was actually creating how I was feeling.  Oh, and don't get freaked out, we all have negative thoughts throughout the day and since we are focusing on them it's not unusual to feel even more of the emotion. That's normal. I had a lot of anxious thoughts back in the day creating tons of anxiety! You will start to see a clear correlation between your thoughts and your mood. That's good because you will understand that you have some control now. You will understand that your emotions are not just happening out of the blue, there is a thought first!
Once you have written down a thought statement, for example: "She didn't call me back yet, she must not care." Then ask yourself this question from Byron Katie's work: Is it true? Can I be 100% positive that that thought/belief is true? Next, ask yourself, What else could it mean? "Maybe she is just busy." Could that be true? We are starting with "automatic thoughts" (AT) here. When I work with a client, we start with these free flowing automatic thoughts and later we dig a bit deeper to the next two levels of thought, Assumptions and Core Beliefs. AT's are a great place to begin.
Remember, you can't change what you're not aware of! I hope you feel curious and try it out.

I would love to hear from you! 

I invite you to connect with me on FB and Twitter. 

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R, CCT, AADP, CPNLP is a Holistic Psychotherapist specializing in stress and anxiety.

Visit her website and grab your free report and free 6 part audio training Series! 

My New Book That Will Inspire You To LIVE MORE Now!

MY NEW INSPIRATIONAL BOOK ANTHOLOGY BECOMES AVAILABLE ON AMAZON FRIDAY, JUNE 6TH!

Tomorrow the book anthology that I co-authored, In Pursuit of the Divine will be released on Amazon.  I was invited to participate in this incredible collaboration by the book's compiler, Krista Gustavson who asked that each of the book's 30 co-authors share our stories of empowerment and transformation more truthfully, vulnerably and courageously than ever before. The result is a collection of stories that is incredibly real and packed with tools to empower women around the globe.

This is your time to Live More, to be authentically and genuinely YOU!  It's time now to shine your light fully for your sake, for the sake of your loved ones and for the sake of our world. This book will empower you to do just that.  Isn't is about time?


Stay tuned for the Amazon link which will become available tomorrow, Friday June 6th. You can then purchase the book for you and all the women who are important to you!

                                                                        

MEET THE CO-AUTHORS!


I joined forces with 29 other healers, coaches, visionaries and thought leaders from around North America and the U.K.

Each co-author had experienced a life challenge in some form that resulted in her experience of playing small, or remaining hidden from the world. By telling our stories, our purpose is to expand your awareness, acknowledge you and provide a sanctuary to reclaim your own personal power. Women now more than ever are being called upon to come together as a collective entity. With our unique offerings, we have a desire to support you and guide you in activating your own inner wisdom so you can align yourself with the greatest expression of who you are and know your purpose in the world.

WATCH MY VIDEO INTRO FOR MY CHAPTER: "FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM"
Check out my video!

Join me on FB and Twitter!




Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R, CCT, AADP, CPNLP is a certified cognitive therapist, strategic interventionist, NLP Practitioner, and health coach.

Go to her websites and grab your free reports and free 6 part audio training:   

How To Manage Stress From the Inside Out:
PegHaust.com



5 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make (Includes Bonus Recipes!)
LiveMoreCoach.com

Live More in 7 Steps

Wow, another year gone by. The older I get the faster the time seems to pass. Are you finding that too?  I vow to myself and to my loved ones to be grateful for every moment of precious time. That's why for me, this is a time to plan ahead for the new year AND reflect on this year soon to pass. During the last week of December, I will sit down with some good music playing, a glass of wine in hand, and my fur kids beside me to write it all down. I really look forward to this yearly ritual and I encourage you to try it. If you know me, you know I LOVE to organize, and this is a fun and useful way to kick start your dreams and goals and then next year it will be a great way to keep momentum going. When I coach you as a client, you will personalize this exercise fully in detail using all areas of life. Here's how to get it rolling using one example.

1. Just as I described my comfy space above, create your own space that's inspiring and comfortable for you. Give yourself at least a couple hours of uninterrupted time. Yes, I said two hours, you DESERVE it and you owe it to yourself and your loved ones. I mention loved ones because by reaching your goals, you are affecting others around you.  Trust me, if you don't quite get how that works now, by reflection time next year you will understand.  :)
2. Identify an area of your life that you would like to grow for the coming year. Maybe you want to get serious on your health goals this year, or you want to buckle down financially, or maybe you want to focus on a personal development goal.  Write down the area of life you chose and then rate yourself on a 0-10 scale where you are now. For example, 0 is no where near your goal, and 10 is exactly where you want to be.
3. Next describe your 10: "where you want to be." You can make it a list or a descriptive paragraph. Be specific. A good question to ask yourself to get started: "How will I know I reached my 10? Example:
Health 0-10  Current score 5
What's my 10? I will know that I reached my 10 when I...feel more energy, experience good moods on a regular basis, have lost 10 lbs. and have lowered blood pressure. Make your goals reasonable and attainable. You don't want to set yourself up for the impossible and hurt yourself trying to get there. On the other hand, don't limit yourself either! I think most of us humans way underestimate what is possible for ourselves.  So here's a test, do you know or know of anyone that has started where you are and accomplished similar results? 
4.  Once you have a narrowed down list of things you want to accomplish in the year ahead, WHY do you want that? Motivation will only go so far. Having reasons why you want what you want will pull you forward, which is much easier than using only your willpower, which is what happens when you don't identify your reasons. I suggest that you journal about your reasons. What will life be like when you reach your goal? How will it affect you and others?
5.  Get out your calendar! I still like good old pen and paper. I like the planners that show the whole month with the days of the month having large squares for lots of writing space. Set a date for your objectives and end goals. You might say, by June 15, I will have released five pounds. By December 31, all will be attained.
6. HOW will you get there? What do you need to do?  Whose support do you need? Make a list of action steps that make sense to reach your goal. 

EXAMPLE:

• Schedule a full physical in January for base line starting point. (Call for appointment Friday). 
• Decide best form of exercise for me and schedule time in my calendar for exercise.
• Learn and practice breathing techniques to reduce stress.
• Monitor my blood pressure periodically (Ask Dr. how often and use blood pressure check station at drugstore)
• Do a cleanse to learn how to eat healthy and jump start health (spring)
• Sign up for a yoga class (Check out area class schedules today and start next week)
• Drink more water!

I tend to be a list maker. It works for me. Don't get overwhelmed by your list! Chunk it down and give yourself "done by dates" and don't list too many things for one day. Also, I can't emphasis routine enough. Plan a routine and follow it. By 20-30 days you should be in the groove nicely. Last month I decided to drink the morning elixir that I use in my detox program on a daily basis instead of just during detox week.  It took a while to get into the morning routine, but now it's completely automatic. Anything and everything can become a routine. Repetition is key.

7. BE FLEXIBLE! You know what they say about the best laid plans... If things go off course, that is okay! There is no failure only feedback. Learn from what happened, and continue on. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes we can make; giving up too soon.

Here is an extra tip: Become aware of your self defeating thoughts that will make you want to give up (and they will show up!) I know I have had these thoughts at times: "Oh, this won't work, I've tried this before, this is too hard!  yadda yadda yadda..."  As powerful as thoughts are, they are just thoughts. You create your experience and emotional state with your thoughts.  Like in basketball, catch those thoughts and shoot them; don't hold the ball!  Remember why you want it and soon you will see your goals, the life you want, come into fruition. That is exciting and you know what comes next? You keep growing...
Now that's Living More!

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R, CHHC is a certified cognitive therapist, strategic interventionist, relationship educator, and board certified health coach.

Check out her websites and grab your free report:   
5 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make (Includes Bonus Recipes!)
www.PegHaust.com  
www.LiveMoreCoach.com

What Do You Want To Change Most?

I saw this survey in More magazine on the top 10 things people want to change. I tweeked it a little and thought it would be fun to see the results. So what do you want to change most? www.PegHaust.com www.livemorecoach.com

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH

What is a holistic approach? You may have heard the terms holistic approach used to coin an alternative way of treating physical disorders in the medical field.  Acupuncture and chiropractic treatments are two examples.  I hesitate to use the word “alternative,” because as time goes on these treatments are becoming mainstream and much more accepted in our culture.  In fact, [1]According to CNN one-half of all medical schools now offer courses in holistic health care.

A holistic approach to mental health treatment incorporates the whole person; mind, body and spirit.  From this perspective, all three are intertwined working together, not independently. What affects one affects the other.  Let’s say you start psychotherapy because you are experiencing excessive anxiety and depression. After a thorough assessment, the therapist learns that the person is also struggling with recurring colds, low energy and an overall unhealthy feeling. Working with a therapist on a psychological level alone may be beneficial to an extent, but it might be difficult to stay motivated to do the work when feeling sick and tired all the time.   

What might one expect from a mental health practitioner incorporating mind, body and soul into their practice? Below is a brief description of each component and what it may entail.  

The psychology of emotions is what all mental health practitioners focus on using one approach or an eclectic mix of approaches. “Talk therapy,” is a therapist helping one to overcome emotional challenges or work through life stressors using their preferred psychological approach. Some therapists only address one’s psychology much like some medical practitioners only address one’s biology.  There are many options from traditional psychotherapy approaches to energy therapies. Do your research and find a good fit for you. Some common approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviorial Therapy (DBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Family Systems, Human Needs Psychology, Strategic Intervention (SI), Neuro Linquistic Programming (NLP), Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) just to name a few.    

As mentioned earlier, it’s difficult to feel emotionally well when feeling sick and tired all the time. But, is there a connection? The holistic approach believes there is and a therapist who practices this approach will make sure to ask questions about current physical activity and nutrition habits.  Depending on his/her background the therapist may help clients to understand the food/mood connection and make suggestions or they may offer referrals to experts in the fields of holistic nutrition, acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, yoga, Reike and others. 

Is your spirit soaring or do you feel spiritually spent? Renewing your soul is vital to a happy fulfilling life. A holistic therapist incorporates the spirit and explores with the client personalized ways to revitalize passion for life so often missing in people. A good therapist will work from the client's belief system to help them create the fulfillment in life that they deserve.

      The greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”  

      Lao Tzu

Peg Haust-Arliss, LCSW-R is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Cognitive Therapist and Robbins-Madanes Life Coach and Relationship Educator residing in Upstate New York.  

Her passionate mission is to help people overcome anxiety and other life challenges using a holistic approach and to do her part to create a shift from a reactive, symptom-driven, disease mindset approach to a proactive, practical, empowering, all natural approach for emotional wellness.    

Learn more about Peg and her services at www.PegHaust.com

                         

---

[1] [1]Citation: Disabled World News (2009-01-16) - The World Health Organization estimates 65 - 80 percent of the population use holistic naturopathic medicine as a primary form of health care: http://www.disabled-world.com/medical/alternative/holistic/care-statistics.php#ixzz20tXUkooJ