January 3, 2022

How Is Shiatsu Beneficial?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories fitness health physiotherapy professional help shiatsu therapy
Shiatsu Treatment

‘Shiatsu’ refers to ‘finger pressure’, but does not only include applying pressure with the help of fingers. Your therapist might also use their elbow, knuckles, knee, and feet for the treatment. All you would need to do before the treatment is to loosen up your muscles, and relax. This would help in the process of blood circulation and get your energy flowing. The concept of energy flow, also known as ‘Ki’ or ‘Qi’ is the main principle of Shiatsu. It is all about removing all hindrances and imbalances to the Ki flow and restoring energy into the body wherever it’s required. This is an ancient Japanese practice that involves applying pressure to points or stretching areas that are situated along the lines of energy known as the ‘meridian channels’. No aromas or oils are used in his type of treatment and the main focus is on the body and it’s pressure points. Shiatsu massage is extremely beneficial for checking stress and anxiety. 

Studies have shown that Shiatsu is capable of promoting physical and emotional stability and reducing any kind of stress in the body. When pressure is applied on certain points of your body, blood circulation happens effectively, and it reaches all parts of the body. Thereby, tension is released. Moreover, Shiatsu is also known to increase the levels of serotonin, a hormone that is associated with making you feel calmer and at peace. Another hormone, dopamine is also released in the body that’s responsible for making you feel productive, and motivated. These are the reasons why Shiatsu is good for keeping anxiety away. It also helps in treating health issues such as arthritis, headache, insomnia, menstrual cramps, fatigue, etc. 

Pressure Points

It is a treatment that results in a sync of our mind and body because it encompasses a mixture of knowledge, wisdom, and the experience of alternative healing. Apart from using hand and foot joints, the therapist is also known to employ their body weight. This is why the massage is usually done on the floor, on a mat. The key is to apply pressure at the right place. This is a milder form of physiotherapy that includes stretching and relaxing muscles for promoting flow of energy. Shiatsu prevents any kind of blockages or disturbances in the body and leads to a state of harmony in the mind and body. Moreover, since this form of massage involves wearing light and comfortable clothes, it is also suitable for those who are shy or are new to the world of massages and treatments. 

December 20, 2021

Does Marriage Counseling Work?

Author By - Debbie Gobin Categories counseling marriage counseling professional help
A Married Couple

Marriage Counseling has become quite popular in recent times because of its effectiveness in sustaining relationships and improving the understanding between couples. However, one very important aspect about marriage counseling is to understand that opting for marriage counseling doesn’t mean that your marriage is about to end. Instead, it’s the first step towards making things better for you and your partner and taking your relationship to a better stage. You would consider going for counseling only if you want to make things better. That itself is a big step towards making your marriage work. At the same time, you shouldn’t engage in marriage counseling and expect it to solve all your issues in no time. You should be in a position to admit your mistakes and work on them so that you can bring an end to all the issues that you might be facing. 

Marriage Counseling would work only if both the partners are interested in improving their relationship. Thus, the decision should be made by both partners and both of you should be comfortable talking to your counselor. One of the main reasons why marriage counseling works is because while talking to the expert, couples are forced to interact and communicate their issues. More often than not, it’s found out that both the partners were not aware of the issues between them beforehand simply because of the lack of communication. This is the primary evil that causes problems in relationships. Marriage counseling can benefit you only if you can acknowledge the fact that you’re facing difficulties. The key to alleviating your problems is to identify them first. If you feel that your relationship has trust issues, communication gaps, dishonesty, disrespect, etc, you should certainly consider marriage therapy. 

It is important to realize that marriage counseling would be worth it only if you keep your marriage first and keep your individual ego away from the process of achieving marital bliss. Studies have shown that if couples make a joint effort in keeping one another happy, marriage counseling would turn out to be a boon for them. It is not just meant for those who’re facing problems in their marriage. It can also be helpful for couples if they want to know each other better. This is a great way of reflecting on the actions of one another and correcting them for making things better for both of you. 

December 18, 2021

What Is Individual Counseling?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories counseling health individual counseling mental health professional help therapy
Individual Counseling Session

Personal or individual counseling refers to a private session between a professional and an individual who seeks help on matters of personal or professional interest. It’s a one-on-one conversation with an expert and you can talk to them about things that concern you or have been troubling you. Moreover, you can also ask for their advice on things or situations that are significant in your life. More often than not, the expert would engage in a friendly conversation with you to be aware of the circumstances that might be going on in your life. They would try to understand and analyze your issues and instruct you on ways that would help you get rid of your problems. In this article, we’re going to talk about how individual counseling can help you. 

  • Coping Well With Situations 

Mental illnesses like anxiety and depression cannot be treated in one day. It requires regular effort. Once you begin individual counseling sessions, you would learn a lot about the actual causes of your problems. In this way, you would be able to stay away from them in a conscious manner. Whenever you feel disturbed, the instructions given by your counselor would help you cope with the situation and act in an organised manner. Even if you’re not able to fully control your emotions, you would have the basic idea about how to deal with them gradually. This is one of the major advantages of individual counseling. 

  • Unhindered Attention 

One of the main pros of individual counseling is the aspect of getting one-on-one attention of the counselor. This helps immensely in the process of curing mental illnesses because most of these result from or worsen because of the lack of having someone who would listen. If you’re suffering from a mental illness, you would always want to talk to someone who would listen to you and understand you without judgement. This is the exact role played by a counselor. You get the unhindered attention that you crave for. Moroever, since the person sitting right in front of you doesn’t know you, there’s scope for developing new perspectives and dynamics that you’ve not encountered before. Quite often, you would be surprised how newer perspectives can solve your problems way easily than you had expected.

  • Improving Relationships 

When you’re not fine mentally, it directly or indirectly affects your relationships. However, when your problems tend to subside as a result of the individual counseling sessions, you would automatically be in a position to fix your relationships and improve them. Moreover, you’ll also learn to deal with them in a better manner, despite all the issues that you might be facing. 

December 8, 2021

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories DBT fitness health mental health professional help psychotherapy therapy
Practicing Core Mindfulness

Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT was initially meant to treat patients with BPD or borderline personality disorder but with time it has been modified to cure certain other mental health disorders as well like PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, or substance use disorders. It is a branch of CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its main goal is to mend the way people view their relationships with the people who surround them, improve the way they communicate and deal with stressful situations, and how they choose to carry themselves in the present time. 

Important Techniques Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy 

  • Distress Tolerance 

This is a way of therapy that allows patients to handle themselves effectively in crises. The key to maintaining sanity is the ability to accept situations and act according to them, without disrupting your mental balance. You would be coached to deal with extremely intense emotions that tend to overpower you. You would learn to stay calm and have a positive attitude, no matter what. Some very important ways of distress tolerance are self-assurance and belief, distraction, and thinking about objects or people who make you feel at peace. 

  • Core Mindfulness 

One very important aspect of DBT is the development of mindfulness in an individual. Practicing mindfulness would enable you to live in the present and experience moments as they come to you. It would help you focus on yourself and your emotions in accordance with whatever happens around you in a way that wouldn’t harm anyone, including yourself. This is a technique that’s capable of preventing impulsive decisions and actions that people subject themselves and others to, as a coping mechanism. 

  • Interpersonal Effectiveness 

More often than not, people face issues in their relationships because they’re unable to speak their hearts out to the other person and showcase their true feelings. They tend to normalize bottling up their emotions to avoid problems. However, this is a very unhealthy way of dealing with problems. Interpersonal effectiveness is a part of DBT that enables individuals to stand up for themselves and express their views while maintaining peace. It would help you respect your own as well as others’ opinions more than you used to. 

  • Emotion Regulation 

This is a way of being able to identify your own emotions and the root causes of those emotions, to regulate them in difficult situations. Once you’re able to recognize and analyze your actions as a reaction to certain emotions, you would be in a better position to deal with them.

December 7, 2021

Different Types Of Psychotherapy

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories counseling fitness health mental health professional help psychotherapy therapy
Family Therapy

Psychotherapy is a way of treating mental health by direct communication with the patient. In such psychotherapy sessions, mental health professionals talk to people facing mental health issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, etc. 

These sessions can be done individually, or in groups, if more than one person experiences similar mental health issues. Couple or family mental health sessions are included in this. In this article, we’re going to talk about the different types of psychotherapy. 

  • Interpersonal Therapy 

This therapy format is essential for individuals who face issues as a result of their relationship with their friends and family. In such cases, the psychotherapist would help you develop self-worth and enhance your communication skills. This may help solve personal issues like anxiety, depression, or family problems and doesn’t take a long time for you to notice results. 

  • Psychodynamic Therapy 

The psychotherapist deals with problems and complications that are connected to the patient’s childhood in this type of therapy. More often than not, the root cause of major mental health illnesses is disturbing incidents that have happened in the past, especially in our initial years. Deep-rooted trauma results in several issues experienced in the present time. Such sessions may take up to a few years for proper treatment. 

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 

We often witness people facing major mental health issues because of misunderstandings and misinterpretations that they experience. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is for such people. Experts deal with issues that occur as a result of an incorrect perception of something or someone or the individual himself. The entire point of the treatment is to provide the patient with a new perspective that they haven’t thought about. New views are capable of clearing misunderstandings and that is how CBT works. Another important branch of CBT is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or DBT. Patients are provided with a new way of looking at themselves and the world at large, alleviating their problems. 

  • Supportive Therapy 

In supportive therapy sessions, the psychotherapist is less of a doctor and more of a guide. They would coach you to tackle your unpleasant thoughts on your own with the help of proper instructions. This would in turn boost your self-confidence and make you believe in your capabilities. Once your confidence is developed, you’ll be able to take care of your problems without regular visits to the therapist.