Eating disorder therapy and a holistic lens for recovery through mindfulness, cbt, and expressive arts therapies.

The mind, body, and spirit and interconnected. At Ma Zen Space, Megan works from a wellness perspective to nurture individual strengths and wholeness at the core of each individual. Through a holistic lens of wellness and therapy, personal growth will be encouraged and supported along a path of integrated recovery.

Mindfulness complements eating disorder treatment through cognitive behavioral therapy and is effectively backed through research as a technique helpful in preventing relapse. At it’s core, mindfulness encourages compassion - towards self and others - through a nonjudgmental lens of awareness. The nine attitudes of mindfulness can help provide a holistic lens for body image and emotional healing during recovery.

9 Attitudes of Mindfulness (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

• Beginners Mind.

• Non-Judging.

• Acceptance.

• Letting Go.

• Trust.

• Patience.

• Non-Striving (Non-doing)

• Gratitude

Alongside and integrated with mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can work to shift unhelpful patterns of thoughts, experiences, and emotions. CBT is a research backed treatment modality that offers skills and techniques which can be used for ongoing growth in therapy as well as for relapse prevention.

Lastly, expressive art therapy allows for a depth of expression and exploration of underlying stressors and factors often at the root of an eating disorder. Some experiences do not have words attached to them and art therapy allows an individual to have an additional outlet for expression. Art making allows for a space to investigate thoughts and emotions on another level of awareness. The process creates a holding space for letting go of difficult emotions and provides the potential for discovering and transforming struggle into growth and new possibilities.

If you or a loved one is struggling with an unhealthy relationship with self, food, body image, and eating disordered thoughts, reach out today. Connect with the skills and techniques of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for releasing unhelpful thoughts, building inner resources for growth, and increasing self compassion to live a life of meaning and connection.

Ma Zen Space offers care at the outpatient level of care. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sessions are available throughout the state of Pennsylvania via online virtual video sessions. Email Megan Bousquet at info@mazenspace.com to learn more, ask a question, or schedule an initial evaluation.

Anxiety in children - What are the signs and how to help kids with anxiety - Counseling in Philadelphia, PA

“We all need someone who understands.” - Magda Gerber”

Kids, like adults, will have many moments of anxiety throughout life. Anxiety is common. It can also feel overwhelming and result in behaviors that are unexpected. Kids don’t always express anxiety in the ways that adults do. They might act out more, feel difficult, and test limits. They might complain of stomach aches and seem grumpy. You might ask them what is wrong and they might not have the words to explain it. Parenting and helping kids manage anxiety can feel overwhelming, but the first step to managing anxiety it to better understand how it works.

What causes anxiety? It is a natural biological reaction to stress and change. Sometimes children feel anxious about something positive - like a new change. Other times, kids feel anxious about an uncomfortable situation or the unknown. Whatever the reason, kids might need help and guidance to better understand their experiences and learn techniques to work through their feelings.

Often times, parents see tantrums and difficult behaviors as kids acting out and defying our requests. However, they can also be a sign of underlying anxiety. Do you notice any of these signs in your child or adolescent?

Outward Signs of Anxiety in Kids (resource - Child Mind Institute) :

• stomach aches

• changes in appetite

• irritability

• trouble sleeping

• avoidance behaviors

• clingy attachment to caregivers/parent

• difficulty focusing

• explosive outbursts/tantrums

• irritability

Anxiety can present itself in minor and manageable ways. While other times, anxiety impacts a child’s development, relationships, emotional well being, and physical health. Finding space to acknowledge, process, and express anxiety is helpful to encourage emotional wellness throughout the lifespan.

Luckily, there are a variety of techniques that are helpful for treating anxiety including cognitive behavioral therapy, expressive arts therapies, and mindfulness. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at the interaction between thoughts, experiences, emotions, and behaviors. It is a structured and research backed treatment that can help to better understand root causes of anxiety and work to shift behaviors and unhelpful thoughts to decrease and better manage stressors. Art therapy incorporates art making as a means to identify feelings that children might not have the words to express. Mindfulness is a source of breathing and techniques for regulating the body’s reaction to stress from a physiological and holistic viewpoint which integrates the mind/body connection.

Finding support from a professional can help a child to feel understood will allow both parents and children to learn helpful techniques for acknowledging and managing stressors. Ma Zen Space offers cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, and therapy for parents, children, and adolescents. Reach out today for support and guidance by emailing info@mazenspace.com and visiting www.mazenspace.com

Postpartum Therapist in Philadelphia - Do I have postpartum depression and anxiety? Talking to a therapist can help you feel more like yourself.

“I don’t feel like myself”.

Not feeling like yourself is a common statement that describes what anxiety and depression may feel like. However, depression and anxiety shows up differently for each person. Postpartum Support international indicates some of the most common but this list is not exhaustive. (https://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/pregnancy-postpartum-mental-health/):

• Are you feeling sad or depressed?

• Do you feel more irritable or angry with those around you?

• Are you having difficulty bonding with your baby?

• Do you feel anxious or panicky?

• Are you having problems with eating or sleeping?

• Are you having upsetting thoughts that you can’t get out of your mind?

• Do you feel as if you are “out of control” or “going crazy”?

• Do you feel like you never should have become a mother?

• Are you worried that you might hurt your baby or yourself?

The weeks and months after the birth of a child are known as the postpartum phase of motherhood. It is a time often mixed with change, joy, transition, challenges, and growth. A moment in a woman’s life that can feel bound by expectations and longing for their own journey. Often times, a variety of factors combine to add to a new mom’s stress that leave her feeling not quite like herself. Society can minimize this postpartum period’s great transition as something that all women must struggle with. However, you don’t have to listen to those who say you’ll get through it, just power through. Supportive counseling and therapy has been shown to help new moms manage stressors and feel more like themselves again.

During pregnancy and motherhood, there are so many books and well intentions from family members and friends offering advice and experiences of motherhood. While they offer insights into experiences of those people, these intentions and portrayals are often not perfectly aligned with our own experience of birth and motherhood. That is because every mother is unique, every child and birth unique, and thus the journey unique. There is not one guidebook or woman who can pave the way for you or offer what will work for you, your child, and your family. This can be an overwhelming and exhausting realization. However, it can also be freeing. If you are able to allow yourself to connect with the journey as it as for you, and not how you envisioned or expected it to be, you can begin to create a path of motherhood that works for you.

The path of motherhood is paved with stones from our own upbringing, messages from society, and expectations of ourselves and our identity as women and mothers. Often times, we don’t even realize we are walking along a path until we notice that it isn’t working and something feels off. Perhaps you have felt this way: alone, unsure of if you were doing the right thing, overwhelmed with the daily obstacles of caring for a newborn and figuring out how to live in a new body and a new identity. You might have reached a point that you don’t feel like yourself anymore. Therapy can help.

The transition to motherhood can bring up issues from your childhood that are unresolved. It can stir up issues of body image, self esteem, and anxiety that you weren’t even aware of. Talking to a therapist about your anxieties, your fears, your insecurities, and your ups and downs can help to create a place of nurturing for you and your journey. It can help you to make sense of everything you are experiencing and to not feel alone. Therapy is a non-judgmental and supportive space for you to grow into this new phase in your life.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes and wondering how to manage? Meeting with a therapist can help. Reach out for support by contacting Ma Zen Space and Megan Bousquet by emailing info@mazenspace.com and schedule your free initial consultation. www.mazenspace.com/contact