Spring 2024: Letter from the Director
“A true state of wellness is not merely dependent on the condition or mindset a person currently inhabits. Our level of wellness is finely interwoven with the intimate relationship we have with our community, our environment, and ourselves.”
Adriana Ayales
Why is a holistic integrative mental health model so important to us at The Center for Family Well-Being?
Whole-person therapy can sometimes sound like a wellness cliché, but it’s not. In fact, it means everything to us here at The Center for Family Well-Being.
Here’s why: Most every child, teen, adult, and family we work with is seeking immediate relief from distressing symptoms that manifest both internally and externally — often with challenging thoughts, behaviors, or physical sensations. As therapists, it’s our job to utilize every evidence-based tool we have to alleviate suffering. And we do!
As Director of the Center, I work to ensure that our therapists’ clinical training is ongoing and robust. Our therapists have specialized training in psychodynamic, play, art, CBT, DBT, and trauma-focused therapies, just to name a few.
But we don’t stop with training! Because we know that mind, body, heart, and relationships are all connected to our mental health (there’s so much science to support this!), we at the Center always go beyond immediate symptom relief. We want everyone who walks through our doors to have the integrative self-care tools they need to nourish and grow their foundations of well-being for a lifetime of happiness and resilience. This is our aspiration, and why we focus on whole-person holistic therapy across the lifespan.
To support this vision we ask all of our clients about nutrition, sleep, and their movement activities. We offer thoughtful In Tune groups that build clients’ skills, community, and connections. And we teach our clients about their own nervous systems. We even offer ample snuggle time with our resident therapy dog, Manny!
You’ll find that whether it’s in individual or group clinical sessions, we take time to integrate meditation and mindfulness, breath work, and explore moving our bodies through yoga, qigong, dance, and somatic-based therapies.
Moreover, the therapists at the Center don't just recommend these therapies and practices — we actively engage in them ourselves, too. Yes, we’re therapists, but we’re also humans, and whether it's meditation, yoga, creative expression through art or writing, or connecting with nature, we’re dedicated to “walking the walk” and practicing what we advocate. By embodying these practices ourselves, we uphold their integrity and can genuinely share their benefits with you.
So as we embrace spring in its fullness, let’s also embrace whole-person therapy — and the possibilities for a truly integrative, inclusive, and healing model of mental health.
Heart-to-heart,
Kate, for all of us at The Center for Family Well-Being
