Do you wonder about counseling? What makes it different from just talking to a friend or family member? Why bother?  Can talking about things really make a difference? Perhaps this website can help answer some questions or give you the jumpstart to seek more information.

Welcome to Balanced Lifestyle Coaching, If you’ve been feeling out of control, or life has become overwhelming, boring unfulfilling or anxious, perhaps your life is out of balance.

Are you feeling fatigued, restless, irritable?  Do you have physical symptoms but your physician has assured you that there's nothing medically wrong - it's stress, anxiety, or depression?  Have loved ones begun pulling away or complaining about your negative attitude?

Anyone's life can be out of balance at times. A balanced life incorporates the needs of your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual sides.  Your balanced life is the daily demonstration of your values and principles.  You will feel energized, interested and interesting. 

Life has times of unavoidable distress and imbalance. The healthier your day-to-day lifestyle, the better prepared you will be to cope with the inevitable challenges of living.

 The ongoing research on the human brain shows that psychotherapy, exercise, meditation/meditative prayer and the other activities that are often integrated into a therapy process have real physical and chemical effects on our brains.  We know more now about why the kinds of treatment that some people described as "just talking" are able to much, much more!  The more researchers learn about the brain, mind and body, the more effectively people can be helped with the many difficulties of life.

When discussing therapy, there are many terms: coaching, counseling, marriage & family therapy, and psychotherapy.  These are related but there are differences.  A very brief discussion of the differences appears below:

What is Coaching? It is a personalized discussion focused on your particular interests, strengths and needs.  Often people who are coaching are feeling stressed or “stuck,” and want to have strategies for change.  Coaching is very future-focused. Some professionals have sought additional training and certification from organizations that represent coaches.

 What is Marriage & Family Therapy?

Marriage and Family Therapy, as a specialty, focuses on how the relationships work and how each person impacts the system.  I am licensed in Marriage & Family Therapy as well as Mental Health Counseling. I am also a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.  You can learn more about this at www.aamft.org

What is Psychotherapy or Counseling?  In psychotherapy,  you may focus on early life experiences and how these impact you in the here-and-now. It also includes strategies to keep early experiences from negatively influencing you.  Counseling can be a very useful in learning strategies to manage life events and relationships. Both can lead to greater personal awareness and the opportunity for insightful change.  Coaching and consulting can also lead to insight, change and motivation, but focus on the present and future.

 Thank you for visiting us!