Joining us July 1: Laura Linner, MA, LICSW

Laura (she/her) genuinely loves this work and brings authenticity, hope and humor to sessions with individuals and families. She considers it an honor to have the opportunity to walk alongside others in recognizing, accessing, and developing their own resiliency, and in building a rich, full and meaningful life (as they define it!). Laura is mindful of creating a non-judgmental, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, LGBTQIA-affirming space for the clients with whom she works. She views therapy as a collaborative process and values feedback from clients.

Laura’s foundational clinical training is in non-directive Rogerian client-centered therapy from her time as a clinical intern then post-graduate psychotherapy fellow in a group practice in Chicago. This humanistic approach continues to serve as the clinical underpinning of her work with clients. That being said, Laura takes an eclectic approach and aligns with concepts of clinical pragmatism – offering and using what therapeutic intervention works - tailored to each individual. Laura sees therapy as an opportunity to pause, reflect, and take an inventory of how our lives are going, identify what’s working and what isn’t, and make effective change in moving closer to the life we hope for ourselves. Laura brings an attitude of openness, curiosity and compassion with clients. She has benefitted greatly from her own therapy over the years and strives to provide a similarly beneficial experience to those with whom she has the honor of working with.

Laura is trained in, integrates, and draws from a number of therapeutic approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trauma-informed therapy (TF-ACT and TF-CBT), CBT for psychosis (CBT-p), ACT for psychosis, psychodynamic theory, polyvagal theory, motivational interviewing, harm-reduction, and also employs a neuroscientific lens to reinforce concepts of regulation, zones of optimal functioning and neuroplasticity/opportunity for growth and change. Laura is also trained in child-centered play therapy from when she worked with youth impacted by domestic violence.

Laura completed her graduate degree in clinical social work at The University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. For the past four years, Laura has worked for the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry as an individual and family therapist specializing in first-episode psychosis and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. She has a passion for working with individuals and families in processing new diagnoses and identifying ways of being that work for all who are impacted in their own unique ways. Prior to this, Laura has experience providing therapy and support to individuals in life transitions, relationship challenges, identity exploration and development, finding a sense of meaning and purpose, working through grief and loss, coping with the impact of domestic violence and trauma, and effectively coping with life stressors. She has also worked both internationally and stateside in violence recovery services and human rights work. Diagnostically, Laura has experience working with individuals who have been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, disordered eating, substance use disorders, mood disorders, dissociative disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Laura believes an individual is not their diagnosis, and joins alongside clients to explore meaning of diagnosis in a way that is adaptive and feels authentic to them.

Laura believes life and humans can be messy, confusing, amazing, doubtful, inspired, worried, scared, brave, determined, hopeless, hopeful and many more things all at the same time. Laura is inspired by people’s willingness and ability to move into discomfort, try new ways of being and make change in ways that feel valuable to them, and she is grateful for being able to provide support along the way.

When Laura isn’t working she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, snuggling her two cats, needlepointing, watching cooking shows, trying to learn to cook herself, playing outside and learning.

Spotlight with Pam Hyatt: Self-of-the-Therapist

If you’ve ever been in a position where you are trying to get to know someone, such as a kid or someone shy, it’s not an unusual tactic to try to open up a little to them. The hope is, of course, that by making a disclosure about ourselves, that they will reciprocate in kind. Even though it’s used as a common intervention between teachers and students, spiritual leaders and practitioners, and in various professional settings, it’s often considered taboo for a therapist to disclose about themself during a client session. After all, no client comes to therapy to listen to their therapist talk about themself!

Self-of-the-Therapist isn’t used by therapists to update you about their life, confide in you about the drama in their relationship, or process their past. It’s when a highly skilled therapist is able to use the work they have done on themself, insight they have gained or skills they have learned along the way, and share it intentionally with a client to create a teachable moment, joining opportunity, or as a measure of sorts to assess a client’s morals, values, and idiosyncrasies. If done correctly, a shared understanding of the world starts to develop from the shared--and contrasting--experiences of the world. From there, a certain degree of comradery starts to develop between the client and the therapist, a feeling like, “okay, we’re really in this together... we get and want to talk about this thing that not everyone else does or can!”

The problem is: it’s considered taboo or unusual for a reason. For it to be an effective technique, the therapist doing it has to be well, having done (and continuing to do) the work on themself. They would also have to be able to be their most authentic and vulnerable self, present and dynamic, ethical and informative, all while tailoring the right disclosure, at the right moment, for the right person. Plus, they have to do it without having a formal class on it in graduate school! In short, it’s taboo because not all therapists do it well, and when done poorly, it can cause irreparable harm to the therapeutic relationship and/or the client.

Why does Pam like it? “It helps clients open up,” she says, and she believes it builds a trust that she “might be able to get it in a way that their past therapists, friends, or families don’t.” She uses her experiences as a mom, as a professional across different industries, experiences in different times or relationships, whatever might prove insightful, curious, or normalizing in the moment to the client. “It’s always about building that different understanding, that sort of magic moment when you both just get it, that can make this work so rewarding” to Pam.

It also helps that Pam is good at it. Whether in client sessions or consultation with other therapists, Pam is a wealth of knowledge and insight, warmth and grounding, as well as compassion and empathy, which translate whether you're in the office with her or having a virtual meeting. Her skill comes from her experiences doing her own work, and having had a therapist who “could talk about himself for a half hour without even noticing.” She wants to ensure clients never have to experience that, and welcomes the feedback if you find her “a little chatty sometimes.”

If you think Pam or another Self-of-the-Therapist provider at our practice might be a fit for you, or have any additional questions about this approach, please feel free to reach out to our team at BizOffice@birchcounseling.com. We look forward to introducing you to another team member in June!

References:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/160940691201100504

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/experimentations/202001/how-thera pists-use-the-self-during-therapy https://www.wyomingcounselingassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/Lum-200 2-Self-Of-Therapist-Satir.pdf

What Trauma Looks Likes →

In this powerful short film from producers Nathanael Matanick and Christina Matanick, we witness the impact of domestic violence on a young girl.  The consequences of her caregivers’ violence are far-reaching.  The girl's world is shattered, her family breaks apart, and her life is turned up-side-down.   

This is trauma.

This film shows graphically how trauma fragments the world outside.  But it also depicts how the world within is injured.  Trauma undermines self-esteem and erodes trust,  setting the stage for difficulties ahead.

As difficult as it is to watch,  the film illuminates the core elements of trauma.  It offers a starting place for understanding, repair, and hope.

Being Present

One of the keys to overcoming depression and anxiety in our lives is the ability to be in the present moment. You might be thinking, “That won’t change my past” or “That won’t solve my problems.” Yes that is correct because we cannot relive our past and most of our worrying does nothing to solve the problem. Ruminating about mistakes in the past only brings us down, and worrying takes away the peace of the present moment. 

Maybe you tried a mindfulness exercise which helps for 15 minutes be in the present moment, but your problem is waiting to greet you when you arrive home. How do we escape the inner critic or fears that seem to follow us around daily? Here are some practical strategies to stay in the present moment. 

1. Take a worry break: Take a set period and think about all your worries. Next, write down all the actions you can do to reduce or manage the worries. Put these actions into a calendar. Now write down the the worries you have no control over. Address the worries one day or moment at a time. You now have an action plan to address your worries. When you are not in a worry break or there is nothing else you can do to manage your worry at the time do not continue ruminating about the future! 

2. Resolve any troubles from the past: What is lingering from the past thats bothering you today? Whether it is a trauma, financial mistake, or opportunity you missed out on, ask yourself “what is a step I can take today to resolve this?” Rather then ruminate on the past, it’s time to take that action step forward. This might mean involve reaching out to a therapist or counselor for the support. Like the worry break, when you are not taking action towards resolving the past it’s time to stay focused on the life in front of you.

3. Take one task at a time: When you have 20 things that need to get done, life can get overwhelming. The problem is we cannot do 20 things at a time and we don’t perform at one task when thinking of the other 19. Instead put the priority of the things that must be done today and concentrate at the task at hand. The other tasks will be taken care of when the time comes.

4. Stop the procrastination and avoidance: Some things in life will always be unpleasant and the quicker we take care of them, the quicker we can get back to the things we enjoy. Rather that dwell upon errands all day, take of them sooner and reward yourself. This also applies to specific fears. It may be time to confront the fear rather then avoid. Avoiding the uncomfortable conversation you need to have only keeps the problem lingering around or make it worse. 

5. Have meaningful or enjoyable activities daily: Speaking of rewarding yourself, the whole purpose of this article is to get back to enjoying life. In order for that to happen you need to be living the life you were born to live! Spend daily time present in those activities that bring value or meaning to your life. This is also a challenge to try new activities or meet new people that will bring joy to your life. 

Again, working with a trained therapist or counselor is a great way to practice these strategies and take in individual circumstances. The past is behind us and the future is never guaranteed so lets focus our time and energy on the present moment. 

Mind hijacked by worry?

“Pain is inevitable.  Suffering is optional.”

Worry consumes mental energy and uses it for concerns that are usually completely out of our control. When anxiety strikes, ask yourself this question:

Is there anything at all that I can do right at this moment to fix, address or keep what worries me from happening?

Most of the time, you will find the answer to this question is “no.”  

On the rare occasion when it is “yes,” you may notice that you’re not worried at all.  Instead, you simply deal with the situation, and so use your mental energy effectively. 

If you wish to lower your anxiety, you may benefit from centering techniques, such as meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga. For many, the serenity prayer has also been helpful:

May I accept the things that cannot be changed,
Have courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Anxiety/worry is suffering, triggered by imaginary scenarios.  Remaining calm and grounded within that which is in your control preserves mental energy, and so allows you to use it more effectively. 

Take care of yourself
Whenever you board a flight you hear something very important: put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.  Unless we do what is necessary to keep our own balance, we are not very effective at accomplishing what we set out to do.  When you notice feeling down, anxious, irritable or stressed, it’s time to improve self-care.  Ask yourself:

When was the last time I moved my body?
Exercise is a highly effective way to improve your emotional and physical health. On a physical level, your metabolism speeds up and you feel like you have more energy.  Brain chemicals(dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) that help you feel better are released during physical exercise. Of course there are also multiple benefits to your physical health.  

According to studies discussed in the New York Times, seven minutes of a daily strenuous workout is all you need to stay healthy.

Am I getting enough sleep?
We live in a world of complicated schedules, which can make it difficult to create a regular sleep routine. However, sleep is very important for your emotional and physical wellbeing. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact your ability to handle stress. Most doctors recommend between 6-8 hours of sleep. If it’s hard for you to fall asleep, or you suffer from broken sleep, a first recourse may be to follow recommendations of sleep experts.

How am I fueling my body?
Put bad in, get bad out. A poor diet affects both your physical and your mental health.  When we are busy and stressed, we easily get caught in a vicious cycle of eating on the run, and turn to convenient, highly processed, unhealthy foods. 

Take a moment to make a daily or weekly food plan.  Make sure it contains plenty of whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.  

Have I talked to a friend lately?
We are social beings.  To feel good, we need to feel connected to people who can pick us up when we’re sad, offer another perspective or insight when we’re confused, and simply help us have fun.  Friendships that work are balanced, a two-way street.   

Make sure to call or visit a friend regularly.

Am I having fun?
Doing something enjoyable each day is part of a balanced life.  All work and no play is a recipe for stress, which brings with it a cascade of physical, emotional and relational consequences. Please, for your own sake, the sake of your coworkers, and the ones you love: carve out some down time! Take up a hobby. Go for a walk. Dance.  Laugh hard. Bike. Color. Paint. Draw. Play an instrument.  Make sure your life is balanced between work and play.

Does my mind need more challenge?
Play games that sharpen your mental faculties and provide challenges. From memory games to crossword puzzles, the small, fun challenges these games present may help you become better equipped to deal with stress. Take a class to learn a new skill.  Learn another language.  A mind that is used and stretched is more resourceful, flexible and agile. It ages better, thinks things through. Solves problems. 

Am I making a difference?
Make your life count.  Become the best version of yourself. Inspire others by your example.  Meditate. Pray. Forgive. Develop a spiritual practice that connects you with that which is greater than you.      

Addictions and compulsive behaviors are linked with feeling empty inside.  They cover up feelings of shame, anger, helplessness, and maybe a sense that our lives are not important. 

Please rethink that: you DO matter. The way you live your life absolutely matters. Every day, you affect in big or small ways the people who cross your path.  The world needs less judgment, less drama; it needs more of your smiles, hugs, solutions, affirmations, and support.