New Year, New Intentions

By Katelyn Mase

As we welcome in the new year, there is, for many of us, a unique sense of readiness for change.

Colloquially referred to as New Year’s resolutions, we view the start of a new year as a time to shed old habits, welcome new, “healthier” choices, or even change something dramatically about ourselves.

Making healthy, positive changes seems like a no-brainer, and, yet, the rhetoric around the futility of New Year’s Resolutions abounds – societally, we have found ourselves at a point where we joke about and almost expect “failure” of our resolutions.

Perhaps, it is time to shift our thinking about the opportunities the transformative nature of the new year presents.

Think for a moment about a resolution you would like to make. 

Is your resolution overly or unrealistically specific? Read 50 books, go to the gym everyday, quit social media, travel through Europe?

What if part of what makes sticking to a resolution so difficult is the narrow definition of success?

With the seemingly continuous shrinking of the attention span in the age of the ✨ metaverse ✨ and a narrow definition of success that almost insists on delayed gratification tolerance, we are set up for failure before the new year even begins.

So, what can you do?

Try expanding your definition of success by setting New Year’s Intentions instead!

In contrast to resolutions which usually emphasize drastic change, often in an unrealistic, shame-filled way, intentions are an extension of the values we hope to embody. When the focus shifts to our values, the definition of success expands dramatically. Suddenly, we have limitless options for what success looks like available to us!

To set New Year’s intentions, look to the root of your old resolutions.

Does that sound tricky or vague? Let’s look at an example:

If your resolution was something akin to read 50 books, go to the gym everyday, quit social media, or travel through Europe, perhaps being more mindful with your time, technology use, or money is an appropriate intention.

Alternatively, maybe trying to focus on what makes you feel good this year feels more aligned to you.

We could generate many alternatives to these intentions, but whatever you decide to call it, suddenly these separate resolutions morph into a single, expansive definition of success 🤩

When you ask yourself “What would make me feel good today?” or “How can I be intentional with my time right now?”, there can consistently be an answer that feels accessible to you at that moment, opening the door for little wins every day.

So, I encourage you to try setting New Year’s intentions instead of resolutions this year and see the positive shifts that may result!

Post Internship Reflections

By Ava Chiovatero

(Quick editor’s note from Colleen: I had the opportunity to work closely with and manage Ava this summer, and it was truly such a gift. She is a wonderful human, and she is going to make an incredible therapist in the future. The sharing of this blog post is a little late, and the content is still valuable regardless!)

Hey all! Ava here.

As the summer comes to a close I have been reflecting on my truly incredible and impactful experience interning at The Gaia Center. I wanted to share some of my biggest takeaways from this experience with you all. This is by no means an all-inclusive list of the things I have learned–that list would be too long! I learned as much about work-life as a whole as I did specific education-related things; this may serve as a potential reflection for your own life and relationship to your work, or it can simply be insight into what I have gotten from my experience working here.

1. Importance of healthy boundaries

Through working at The Gaia Center, I witnessed firsthand the importance of establishing healthy boundaries that make you comfortable and allow your needs to be met. This may look like taking a mental health day, prioritizing rest when accessible, silencing your email after a certain time–whatever it may be for you. For me, I have seen the power that setting boundaries has in my ability to show up more present and engaged, resulting in having more satisfying and impactful experiences in the workplace.

2. Work should be enjoyable and fun

The Gaia Center served as such a warm environment for me to feel comfortable and excited to come to work each day, making my experience a positive one. Fun was introduced wherever possible and it truly made an impact on how I showed up and experienced this internship.

I want to acknowledge the privilege that this entails; not everyone is able to access a fun work environment or preferred jobs. In such a case, I invite you to ask yourself if there is anywhere that ease or fun can be introduced into your workplace to make it more enjoyable. Perhaps that looks like talking to other staff members or bringing a fun lunch for break–even the small things may open the door to more fulfilling experiences.

3. Support system = key

The power that support and holding space has on employees is profound and allows work to be more than a job. The Gaia Center staff valued collaboration, sharing feelings, and listening to each other, all of which made me feel valued and appreciated.

4. Education related things/books/takeaways

Last but certainly not least, I learned an incredible amount of education-related things–from how insurance works to medical complications of eating disorders to examples of somatic exercises; I truly learned so much. This internship allowed me to explore a wide-range of topics that solidified my interest in this field and my desire to be a therapist–a very exciting personal reassurance to say the least:)

As my internship wraps up, I would be lying in saying I knew what was next, AND I am a big believer in leaning into the unknown and seeing what shows up. I have found that the unknown opens up the possibility for, you guessed it, possibility! along with choice, freedom, excitement. As one door closes, another one opens, and I am ready to see what that door may be. Cheers to leaning in!

Reflections On Being a Psychology Student During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Ava Chiovatero

Whether we want to admit it or not, the pandemic has affected each and every one of us.

Most of my senior year of high school was during the pandemic, and all of my college experience thus far at the University of Georgia has been during the pandemic as well.

For college students, it is undeniable that the pandemic has had an effect on our education. Lately, I have been reflecting on both the difficult AND the positive effects that the pandemic has had on my experience as an undergraduate psychology student. Because after all, one way that I like to counteract a heavy topic is to acknowledge how it may have been difficult for you while also examining some positive aspects it has brought you!

To start, I am not an online-learner. Technology is not my forte! Therefore, jumping into my first semester of college…in a new state, with no friends, AND all online classes…was difficult to say the least.

Many, many hours spent staring at a computer screen learning about history before the 1800s and DNA replication made me dread and feel nervous about the next four years of my new life. Needless to say, this was not how I imagined college to be, especially as a psychology student who, quite frankly, does not care that DNA has to be copied before a cell divides.

Being an introvert, I struggled to make connections with my classmates and professors. Clubs were not taking place and social gatherings were understandably prohibited, causing making friends to feel like an overwhelming task. If you have felt this feeling before, you are most definitely not alone.

Despite the struggles I faced entering college, it was not all thorns and storms. With time, patience, and many gen-ed classes, I was able to take my beloved psychology classes.

Through taking these classes during the pandemic, I came to some realizations: therapy can be for all, and mental health & therapy are in the process of being destigmatized (yay!). 

The pandemic is a hard time; it is my personal belief that anyone can get something out of therapy, and that something is different for everyone. I do acknowledge the privilege that accessing therapy entails, but if it is accessible to you, therapy is a great consideration if you are struggling, need support, etc.

You do not have to be at your lowest to seek help! 

Another thing that I have learned is that therapy and mental health are in the process of becoming more destigmatized every day. Hearing my peers talk openly about mental health, therapy, medication, and everything in-between, is incredibly refreshing. While the work of destigmatizing mental health and therapy is not over, it is becoming more and more talked about and accepted. Hooray for that! We can continue to do our part in learning more about mental health, being aware of the language we use surrounding mental health, and talking openly about mental health.

Being a student amidst the pandemic has not been an easy feat, but I would love to share five tips that have helped me along the journey:

1. Put yourself out there. Get out of your comfort zone, try new things; you are capable of more than you think. You can do hard things.

2. Be yourself. When you are your most authentic self, you attract the people that are meant for you. If people only accept you for an inauthentic version of yourself, then they are not your people, and that is okay! Just as everyone is not for you, it is okay if you are not for everyone.

3. This will pass. Difficult moments may feel like the end-all-be-all, but they do pass. You have survived all of your hardest days. Difficult feelings are not forever. Give yourself grace throughout difficult times.

4. Focus on progress over perfection. College is so much more than earning good grades. It is a time when we discover more about ourselves, learn about adulthood and being independent, and so much more. Success is not always defined in the numbers.

5. Have fun! Life does not have to be so serious all of the time. Something I like to do is ask myself, “will I look back on this in five years and find it important?/what do I want to remember in five years?”–ex: fun memories with friends vs. spending hours on a homework assignment. (Cue the song “Why So Serious by Alice Merton”). You deserve to have fun and enjoy your life.

If you have struggled in college throughout the pandemic, whether that be due to online learning or making friends, you are not alone. This moment will pass, and perhaps there is a silver lining to be discovered.

Comprehensive DBT vs. DBT Informed Therapy

by Colleen Werner

Have you heard the terms DBT informed therapy and adherent/comprehensive DBT thrown around but feel lost about what the heck they mean? You’re not alone! Keep reading to learn more about these two modalities and the important distinctions between them.

What is DBT?

DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy which is a type of therapy that was created by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the 1980s. It was originally created for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), however, research has shown that it is effective for a number of other mental health struggles such as depression, chronic suicidal ideation, self-harm, bulimia, binge eating, PTSD, and substance use. The tagline of DBT is “building a life worth living”.

The skills component of DBT helps folks build mindfulness skills, distress tolerance skills, emotion regulation skills, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.

The D in DBT stands for dialectical. The term “dialectical” refers to a synthesis of opposites or a “both, and” perspective instead of an “either/or” perspective. In DBT, the principal dialectic is acceptance and change. DBT therapists balance accepting clients for where they are, as well as working to help their clients change. The skills component of DBT is also dialectical in nature, with some skills focusing on acceptance and other skills focusing on change.

The B in DBT stands for behavioral. The behavioral component refers to focusing on changing or modifying behaviors that are creating dysfunction or pain in your life.

The T in DBT stands for therapy, which is fairly self explanatory!

What is comprehensive or “adherent” DBT?

Comprehensive/adherent DBT consists of 4 modes of treatment:

• Individual therapy with a DBT therapist

• Skills training (typically done in a group setting but can also be done individually)

• Phone coaching between sessions 

• Consultation team for the therapist

All of these components are viewed as equally important and all combine to create a highly evidence-based form of therapy. Comprehensive DBT is different than traditional talk therapy as it is highly structured and holds to very specific principles and processes. There is still room for flexibility and customization, however, all of these components must be present for it to be considered comprehensive DBT.

What is DBT informed therapy?

DBT informed therapy includes some principles of comprehensive DBT but not all. Not everyone who can benefit from DBT needs comprehensive DBT, so DBT informed therapy can be a good fit for some people. It’s important to know that while some components of DBT have been researched on their own, DBT informed therapy doesn’t have the same research base as comprehensive DBT.

There isn’t a standard to what DBT informed therapy consists of, it’s simply when therapists provide some components of comprehensive DBT but not all, so it’s important to ask your provider what DBT informed means to them. DBT skills can benefit almost everyone (even those without a diagnosable mental health condition), so DBT informed therapy may be the right fit for you even though it doesn’t contain all of the elements of comprehensive DBT.

Does The Gaia Center offer comprehensive DBT and/or DBT informed therapy?

I (Colleen) offer both comprehensive DBT and DBT informed therapy. In addition, Kaitlyn King, Marissa Smarto, and Mary Morrow all enjoy incorporating DBT skills in their work with clients.

Want to learn more about how you can explore comprehensive DBT or DBT informed therapy at The Gaia Center? Click here to contact us!

Q&A with Gaia Center Therapist Kaitlyn King

For folks who know little to nothing about art therapy, how would you describe what it is?

Art therapy is a broad umbrella— but my approach is really about using visual media and creativity as an access route to deeper insights and healing that are often not as accessible through the "thinking/talking" part of our brain. So in addition to the conscious mind that we can access in those ways, we can also get to more of the subconscious via art therapy, often through metaphor and symbolism. 

Many of the most impactful or transformative moments I've seen with my clients have come when they didn't start off with an intention to create any particular thing, but were able to just follow a prompt, allow something to emerge on the page, and explore its meaning together.

What kinds of people or mental health challenges benefit the most from art therapy?

I believe that pretty much anyone can benefit from art therapy, regardless of their identity or clinical issue, and certainly regardless of whether they have any experience or "skill" with art. I would say that the folks who tend to really love it are ones who have found talk therapy alone to be insufficient in getting where they want to be— and people who have a curious mind and enjoy exploring their internal world. While I work with a wide variety of people and clinical issues, some of the areas I'm particularly passionate about working with include LGBTQIA+, religious/spiritual trauma, depression, anxiety, and identity.

If someone already has a therapist, or another therapist is working with a client they think could benefit from art therapy as adjunct/complementary to their "primary therapy," what would that collaboration process with you look like?

I work with clients both as their primary therapist and sometimes in that complementary style in cases where someone or their existing therapist thinks they could really benefit from art therapy in addition to the work they are already doing. In those cases, I would communicate with the referring/primary therapist or other provider to really take a collaborative approach. In those sessions, we'll often use a mindfulness practice as a jumping off point for creating a responsive art piece, and then explore that together. I really enjoy collaborating with other clinicians.

Do you offer kinds of therapy for clients who aren't interested in art therapy?

Yes! In addition to my Masters in Art Therapy, I also have a Masters in Couples & Family Therapy, so I offer individual therapy for teens and young adults, couples therapy, and family therapy. While I will always be aware of opportunities to potentially weave in art or creative approaches, I also know that not everyone is open to that, and that's okay. Generally speaking, I work from a systemic lens, love IFS, and will be training in EMDR later this year.

Anything else we should know about you?

I'm a pop culture junkie AND also love to unplug and get out into nature (dialectical thinking, anyone?) Especially as someone new to Nashville, I love getting recommendations from folks on what to check out around town. Feel free to send them my way at kaitlyn@gaiacenter.co!

Tips for Managing the Chaos of Daily Life

by Marissa Smarto

As a graduate student with a counseling internship and full-time job, I have a lot on my plate— which seems to be the norm rather than the exception in this always-on, everyone-has-a-side-hustle culture.

And that’s not even considering stress related to the ongoing pandemic and general state of the world right now. I don’t know about y’all, but I often find myself fantasizing about a vacation to a beautiful island on some mythical date in the future, which at this point still feels like exactly that— a fantasy. Don’t get me wrong, taking some time off can be a wonderful opportunity for some R&R… but it’s often not a realistic option, certainly for ongoing self-care.

For folks like many of our clients who have experienced trauma, clinical anxiety and depression, eating disorders, and other mental health issues, the impact of these challenges often feels like a chaos tornado raging through your life. But even people who don’t necessarily have these challenges can get swept up into the tornado, just because of the nature of our society and the many responsibilities people are dealing with (all without adequate societal support and safety nets, but… that’s a blog post for another day.)

Sometimes the chaos arises due to external events that we don’t have much, if any, control over. It can also show up internally in the form of distressing thoughts, feelings, and stories we tell ourselves. In many instances, we experience both internal and external chaos at the same time, which can be overwhelming and further fuel the fire of the stress cycle.

In this post, I’ll share just a few strategies to help navigate the stress and chaos of everyday life.

Look for resources & support (...sometimes in unexpected places)

While we usually can’t totally eliminate the stressors that feel chaotic, we can often take steps to better resource ourselves and make small changes that can lessen the intensity of the stress they’re causing. For example, when I first started my internship, I decided to try out one of those meal kit services you’re always hearing ads for on podcasts. I don’t have much experience with cooking, and tend to lean toward quick and easy meals. I was still getting used to my new schedule, and cooking meals for myself on top felt like a hassle and the last thing I wanted to do when I was done for the day.

And if some of these small changes are a bit rocky at first, remember— even positive change is still change, and it takes time to adjust! The first meal I made from the kit was a disaster, and in frustration, I soon after cancelled my membership. When I got more used to my new routine and knew what I was in for with the cooking, I decided to give it another shot, and was better able to integrate it into my routine.

The moral of the story is that, even if it takes some adjustment (and sometimes some extra cash, which we won’t always have), there are resources out there that can reduce some of the day-to-day stressors in your life. Even if a meal delivery service isn’t in your budget right now, we also love online meal planning tools (at least the ones that aren’t about weight loss… they do exist!) that eliminate the decision fatigue of “what the heck do I make for dinner?!” 

Just do the next right thing

When experiencing feelings of overwhelm, it may feel impossible to make a decision or move forward. Instead of looking at the big picture, it can be helpful to zoom in and focus on what the next right thing for you in that moment may be. And seriously, let it be ridiculously simple, like: “Put dish in dishwasher.” Even say it out loud if it helps! And only once that thing is done, then do the next right thing. We often create unnecessary stress by not breaking down projects or larger tasks into small enough pieces.

While you are most likely unable to solve all of your problems in the next few hours, you can decide what to make for dinner that will be most satisfying for you. When in doubt, use one of our go-to mottos: “Short term plan: lunch. Long term plan: bedtime.”

Use self-care micro-practices

While you may not be able to take that dream vacation anytime soon, you can make some time everyday to tend to yourself. We’ve all made the excuses to ourselves: not enough time, money, don’t feel like it, the list goes on— and while it’s true that there are limits to the resources and options available to each of us, it’s also very easy to fall into the excuse-trap when really the issue is that we are not making the time to engage in consistent self-care practices because we’d rather take the path of least resistance (hello, Instagram & TikTok!)

Self-care isn’t all-or-nothing, and it is an ongoing practice. I love the idea of “micro-practices” because you can fit them into even a very full day. Here are just a few examples:

• Go for a daytime walk without your phone… even just to the end of the street and back

• While doing something you already do, like washing your hands, state internally or out loud a mantra you find calming, like, “I go with the flow.”

• Do a 5-minute guided meditation on your favorite app (yes, 5 minutes counts!)

• Turn on a song that almost always lifts your spirits

• Read for 10 minutes in bed to wind down (PS— it can be important to be mindful of what kind of content you’re consuming right before sleep… keep it light)

• Do a short self-massage with lotion or oil, even if you only have time for your feet! In Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, this is called abhyanga and is one of the foundational self-care practices.

Tend to your environment

It’s not that your space needs to be photo-ready or completely Kondo’d— but it can be important to take the time to design and maintain your environment in a way that makes it feel good to be in. Of course, everyone’s living situation is different, so there may be limitations on how you can change your space; still, there are likely some steps you can take to make it a more cozy, calming environment, such as:

• Reducing clutter (sort into piles: organize, give, trash)

• Adding calming colors and plants (even faux plants can be mood-lifting!)

• Decorating your space with pictures or objects that make you smile

Most importantly, remember that— like most things in life— learning how to navigate through stressful moments or seasons— is a process, not something you’ll “figure out” now and do perfectly forever. But you can take steps to reduce the sense of chaos by focusing on what’s in front of you, making space for tiny moments of self-care, and being a good steward of your space. We hope these reminders are helpful for finding more inner peace and calm, no matter what challenges you may be facing.