Specialties & Interests
Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP) & Neurodiversity
Feel like you are always overwhelmed? Like you can't handle everyday stress like those around you? Highly sensitive people (HSPs) experience what researchers refer to as sensory processing sensitivity. Due to the heightened sensitivity of our nervous systems, this amplifies seemingly every aspect of our lived experiences, from how loud noises sound to how strong our emotions feel. A common way to define the experience of HSPs is through the DOES acronym, coined by sensitivity expert Dr. Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person. DOES stands for: i.Depth of Processing- You overthink. Everything. What sparks one thought for a non-HSP sparks 10 or 100 for you. You tend to make connections and pick up on patterns in others’ behaviors. And it is not just depth of thought processing. You feel deeply. And when you feel things deeply, you are bound to be hurt more deeply. ii.Overstimulation- Just make it stop! The noises, the feelings, the sensations, and the thoughts. Good grief, the thoughts. HSPs are literally taking in more information at any given moment. Of course we find ourselves often feeling overwhelmed by this. I think of it this way: It’s not that HSPs are less strong or resilient than non-HSPs. We just take on more water every day. If the non-HSPs were taking on as much water every day, they would feel just as overwhelmed. Given we absorb more, we have to prioritize restorative time and activities. We must offload all the internal and external stimulation we accumulate throughout the day. iii.Emotional Reactivity/Empathy- HSPs tend to be capable of strong empathic reactions to the suffering of others. HSPs often find it difficult to NOT put themselves in another’s shoes. They automatically intuit how others feel and may, at times, struggle to delineate between their own emotions and the emotional experiences of others. iv.Sensing the Subtle- What others may view as being overly critical, focused on the wrong things, and even crazy or paranoid is actually a vital evolutionary advantage. Or it can be. HSPs perceive more subtle differences and changes in their environment. The HSPs in a species group detect and react to threats in their environment earlier than their non-HSP counterparts. They serve as sounding alarms who can keep the group safer. If they are listened to. How does this characteristic manifest for humans not at risk of being attacked by wild animals? The HSP may be the one to point out what can go wrong or always be thinking (and saying) “I knew that was going to happen…I knew they were going to say that…do that…need that…” Recognizing these tendencies in your own life or in the behavior of loved ones increases our understanding as to how HSP brains make decisions differently and how divergently they experience the world from our less sensitive counterparts. You can learn to embrace your sensitivity and allow it to be your strength. Let me be the first to tell you- You are not too sensitive. You are not too emotional. Your feelings are valid.
Integrative & Functional Nutrition
“Nutrition is the most important missing link to mental health in society today.” (Leslie Korn, PhD) Our nutrition is so fundamental to our health and wellness. Yet we are not taught this. As a doctoral-level psychologist, I was not required to take a nutrition course nor do I remember ever being taught to include a nutritional assessment when meeting with patients for initial evaluations during all of my graduate training. Medical doctors trained in conventional Western institutions aren’t faring much better either. How can that be? This must change. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is depleted of the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals we require for optimal health and longevity. Not only are we not getting what we need from our food and soil sources, we are getting exorbitant amounts of toxins, poisons, and additives instead. And we wonder why we don’t feel good? If you are serious about your health and longevity, integrating functional nutrition into your overall treatment plan is not optional. And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or unreasonably costly. You can make slow & steady changes over time that will dramatically transform your life and vitality. Just say no- to added sugars, to industrial seed oils, fried foods, and artificial food coloring. Get in the habit of reading labels. The entire label. Simply reading the ingredient list can sometimes be enough motivation to put it down and move on. i.Artificial food coloring is without question neurotoxic. That literally means toxic to your brain and nervous system. So many children are medicated to manage behavior problems that did not start with the child, but with the child’s diet. Hyperactivity, aggression, irritability, and mood swings are common effects of food dyes on the system. ii.Food intolerances and sensitivities (not true allergies) are frequently missed but may underlie a range of symptoms including depression, brain fog, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. For example, many people do not tolerate gluten and dairy very well. They may not be allergic but they may notice congestion, increased mucus, difficulty concentrating, increased joint pain and stiffness in the days after eating these foods. Start to notice what you are feeling in mind and body after eating certain foods. Likewise, when you notice your feelings change, develop the habit of asking yourself what you ate in recent days. Make a mental note. You will be surprised. Food is Medicine. Also not up for debate. You can learn how to incorporate food groups, spices, and herbs to support brain function, mood, energy, and decrease inflammation. Some of the core nutrients for mental health include Vitamin D, B Complex, proteins, healthy fats and Omegas, & probiotics. Mood follows food. We really are what we eat. More accurately, how we feel depends on how we eat. Nutrition before prescription. If you are tired of adding a new medication for every new symptom, I encourage you to try a nutritional medicine approach.
Complex Trauma
Trauma is the change within ourselves as a result of a highly difficult or overwhelming experience. It is not the event itself but the imprint of the experience that remains in our body, our psyche, and our spirit. Complex trauma typically refers to unmet physical, psychological, emotional, or attachment needs which may or may not be accompanied by overt abuse or mistreatment. Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN), term coined by Jonice Webb, PhD, is a primary and often unrecognized contributor to the development of complex trauma. It is what didn’t happen to you. All the ways in which you were ignored, dismissed, misunderstood, invalidated. If you have a deep but persistent feeling of being unimportant, unlovable, or invisible and can’t pinpoint why, you may have experienced CEN. Whether you call it developmental trauma, complex trauma, CEN, PTSD, or any other name, at the core you are dealing with an attachment wound. Our relationships with our primary caregivers, whether we like it or not, set the stage for our attachment style to develop- if our caregivers are good enough, attentive enough, attuned enough, then you likely have a Secure Attachment style in relation to your self and others. If your caregivers were unreliable, absent, otherwise preoccupied, etc, you likely developed an Insecure Attachment style. Our attachment styles underlie the way we interpret others' language and behaviors, our unconscious attempts to avoid abandonment, even who we are attracted to in the first place. I can help you bring these unconscious patterns into your conscious awareness so you can begin to truly heal from the inside out.
Somatic Therapies
Somatic therapy explores how the body expresses deeply painful experiences, applying mind-body healing to aid with trauma recovery. Strengthening the physical body strengthens parts of our psyche and vice versa. Feeling stuck? Move. Any way you can. Walk. Dance. Ride that bike sitting in your garage. Feeling rigid and inflexible to others’ ideas or changes in life? Stretch. Daily. You're watching tv anyway. Sit on the floor and stretch your body. Notice the difference between sides. Feeling unstable and on shaky ground? Practice balance and strengthening your feet-to-ground connection. Walk barefoot outside. Feeling weak and powerless in your job, your relationship, your life? You guessed it. Lift weights. Increase your muscle mass. Develop physical strength and the rest will follow. I can help you identify realistic and effective steps toward whole-body healing.
Integrative prevention & management of
Diabetes & Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Dementia is now called Type 3 Diabetes. It is conceptualized essentially as insulin resistance of the brain. Brain Diabetes? Doesn't sound good. Science and medical advancements are revealing daily how so much of our dis-ease, physical sicknesses, poor recoveries, and autoimmune illnesses can all be traced back to their origins of overall metabolic dysfunction and inflammation. Autoimmune disorders and Type 2 Diabetes are better understood as processes rather than a static injury or condition. They develop over time. They can undevelop over time. If you catch it early enough and commit yourself to, well, yourself. When new patients reveal they are diagnosed and medicated for Type 2 Diabetes, I always ask whether their doctors discussed their diet with them or provided basic nutrition education. Unfortunately, it is not surprising that it is always a resounding 'no.' What? Not even a mention of cutting back on sugar? Nope. Nothing. "Congratulations- you have Diabetes which somehow just developed in the 12 months since your last appointment. Which pharmacy do you use?" Alzheimer's Dementia is a devastating disease for the afflicted and their loved ones alike. Your brain is on fire. It is inflammed. Many times patients and caregivers are told there is nothing they can do. Just sit and waste away. Oh well. They had a good run... I want you to know you have the power to improve your quality of life. You also have the power to prevent or at least dramatically slow down progression of these diseases. But you must start today. Imagine standing in the center of a compass facing south. South is the way to insulin resistance and metabolic chaos. If you can shift your direction even 10 degrees, if you start early enough in your journey, you will end up somewhere entirely different. That is what I will help you do. I will help you shift your direction, step-by-step, one degree at a time, so it is sustainable and perhaps even enjoyable. Through nutritional modifications, herbal supports, physical exercise, and a lot of self-love, you can reclaim your power. Whole-body disease processes require whole-body healing interventions. It just makes sense. In the words of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption (1994): “I guess it comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy living. Or get busy dying.”