Who does not want a lifetime of happiness and prosperity? At some point, everyone is expected to be successful in their own careers, marry and have kids, and of course, prepare for insurance and mortgages. But not everyone gets to experience that kind of privilege especially in this kind of society. Not everyone gets to have a perfect family and a successful career. Having said that, we need to have a backup plan on how to cope with these challenges in life.
Our Services
BodyMind Empowerment Counseling
(individual, couple, family sessions---in-person, and online if appropriate)
Research indicates that relationships are critical for holistic health and well-being. Our brains are actually hardwired to seek human connection for a sense of belonging, support and love. Healthy and supportive relationships with self and others have many life benefits such as: less stress, greater longevity, sense of well-being, enhanced ability to heal, greater self-esteem, greater mental-emotional health, better coping ability, increased ability for healthy parenting, and greater productivity. Many middle-aged adults have never learned or developed healthy relational skills or healthy boundaries that are essential for effective communication and optimal functioning. As a result they tend to repeat and act-out unhealthy patterns which keeps them stuck in old habits, reactions, and stories of the past. Often these patterns tend to maintain cycles of BodyMind distress, loss, anxiety, and depression which often arises within intimate and/or family relationships. Distress can be experienced in several ways such as: dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, feeling trapped, negative thinking, chronic pain, work-life imbalance, feeling overwhelmed, family demands, middle-age transitions/loss, aging, thoughts about separation/divorce, searching for a new or lost part of self, intimate partner/family distancing, chronic arguments, unresolved conflicts, feeling controlled, health problems, estrangement from certain members, withholding, shutting down, chronic anger, verbal/emotional abuse, unfulfilled needs, affairs, and family distress/conflicts.
In collaboration with Sydney, you will have the opportunity discover more about underlying personal and relational communication patterns, habits, and dynamics. This is a highly focused process of learning more about your sense of self, needs, and goals to support your potential for growth, expansion, and body-mind transformation. Middle age is an critical time to uplift and authentically transform your life— if you choose to do your identity and relational work to cultivate a greater sense of midlife at ease!
The appropriateness of the use of Tele-mental Health (online/phone) counseling sessions must be evaluated. Clients must review and understand the benefits and risks of this mode of counseling and sign the client service agreement/informed consent form to use tele-mental health if this mode of counseling has been deemed appropriate for your counseling. Contact Sydney for your 40 minute counseling consultation to discuss your situation, needs, goals, and whether working together would be a good fit.
BodyMind Wellness Consultations
(private sessions---in-person, walking consultations, phone and online if appropriate)
The transition to midlife results in several significant physical, life cycle, and hormonal changes that can generate various identity, aging, and relationship challenges. During this period some middle-aged adults may also experience chronic pain, health problems and wellness issues often associated with ongoing stressors and relationship conflict. BodyMind wellness consultations can help you explore your key BodyMind wellness needs such as: social support, health/fitness, nutrition, stress relief skills, work/career/retirement issues, financial health, work- life navigation, play, rest, and life goals. Midlife aging requires focused attention to specific actions that will place you on track to take command of your physical health, productive mindset, and wellness activity. You will also learn how to maintain your focus and commitment to stress-relief skills, life satisfaction activities, and BodyMind wellness These consultations do not involve counseling or psychotherapy.
The appropriateness of the use of Tele-mental Health (online/phone) wellness consultation sessions must be evaluated by Sydney. Clients must review and understand the benefits and risks of this mode of consultation by signing the client service agreement/informed consent form to use tele-mental health if this mode of consultation has been deemed appropriate for your sessions.
Contact Sydney for your 30 minute wellness consultation to discuss your needs and goals and whether working together would be a good fit.
Stress-Relief Yoga, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga and Mindful Movement Classes
(private in-person & online and in-person group sessions)
Research shows that yoga, exercise and physical movement can be essential body-mind practices for building and maintaining a healthy balanced and resilient life, especially when navigating relationship and personal stressors. Middle-age brings about several identity changes and life transitions that can challenge your resiliency in the face of stressors and transitions. It is critical to keep your body and mind healthy during this stage, especially when you are trying to cope with distress. Activities such as therapeutic yoga for stress-relief, trauma- sensitive yoga, breath-work practice, and other types of mindful movement offer a wellness adjunct to your therapy or wellness consultations. It is important to address the ways chronic stress is held and expressed in the body and the nervous system. MidLife at Ease offers restorative private and group stress relief and trauma-sensitive yoga sessions to support your midlife BodyMind health and healing..
Contact Sydney for your 30 minute consultation or mental health provider referral. Sydney will discuss whether therapeutic yoga and/or mindful movement is an appropriate experience for each client. An informed consent and waiver form must be reviewed, understood, and signed in order to participate in yoga or other movement sessions.
Refer to www.traumasenstiveyoga.com for more information about Trauma-Sensitive Yoga.
Therapy Appointments
Dr. Sydney Spears’ Counseling and Consulting Work with Clients
Sydney has been a licensed clinical social worker since 2003. She has provided individual, couple and relational psychotherapy in the areas of grief/loss, chronic stress, childhood trauma/abuse, adult relationship trauma, and cultural identity issues.
