Thank you for visiting Inner Journey Psychotherapy. The pandemic is affecting us all in so many ways. Self-help strategies for coping with stress can be enough for some of us, but for others, reaching out to a therapist for support may be more helpful. My psychotherapy and counseling practice is based in Santa Barbara, California, but I also offer secure video conferencing as well so I can serve you no matter where you live.
The decision to seek therapy is a significant one, and it's important to find the right therapist for you. Feel free to contact me to determine if what I offer could be helpful to you. This is an exciting time in the field of psychotherapy and you can expect better results from therapy than ever before due to advanced brain imaging technology and research (I explain more about this on the "Current Topics" page.)
Note: Visit www.irenekokataybooks for information on my new book, "Simply Sacred." Through stories, insights and meditations on life, death and awakening, I share what I learned in my work with death and dying at hospice and on my spiritual travels in India to inspire and inform the reader on their own quest to live a richer, fuller expression of who they are.
The decision to seek therapy is a significant one, and it's important to find the right therapist for you. Feel free to contact me to determine if what I offer could be helpful to you. This is an exciting time in the field of psychotherapy and you can expect better results from therapy than ever before due to advanced brain imaging technology and research (I explain more about this on the "Current Topics" page.)
Note: Visit www.irenekokataybooks for information on my new book, "Simply Sacred." Through stories, insights and meditations on life, death and awakening, I share what I learned in my work with death and dying at hospice and on my spiritual travels in India to inspire and inform the reader on their own quest to live a richer, fuller expression of who they are.
Services
I have been a psychotherapist and counselor in private practice in Santa Barbara, CA for over twenty years.
I also see clients through telehealth on a secure video conferencing platform for counseling at a distance.
In addition to professional training and experience in psychotherapy, years of personal psychological and spiritual inquiry informs my clinical work.
I recently published a book, Simply Sacred, which recounts my spiritual journey and how it has been interwoven with my work as a psychotherapist and hospice counselor.
I also see clients through telehealth on a secure video conferencing platform for counseling at a distance.
In addition to professional training and experience in psychotherapy, years of personal psychological and spiritual inquiry informs my clinical work.
I recently published a book, Simply Sacred, which recounts my spiritual journey and how it has been interwoven with my work as a psychotherapist and hospice counselor.
I have found EMDR to be one of the most effective healing tools for a wide variety of issues.
It is a simple and highly efficient and effective method for healing traumatic memories as well as creating positive "future templates" for specific areas of life.
It has been extensively utilized and researched for over 20 years.
Originally developed to treat PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), it has also been found to be effective in dealing with a wide range of emotional conditions, including depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and persistent negative beliefs about ourselves.
It is a simple and highly efficient and effective method for healing traumatic memories as well as creating positive "future templates" for specific areas of life.
It has been extensively utilized and researched for over 20 years.
Originally developed to treat PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), it has also been found to be effective in dealing with a wide range of emotional conditions, including depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and persistent negative beliefs about ourselves.
The effectiveness of Mindfulness as a treatment for anxiety, stress and trauma has been validated recently through extensive research.
I prefer to use the term 'awareness' as mindfulness techniques do not utilize the mind.
The mind is unable to be present here and now.
It is always in the past or future regretting or anticipating, conjuring up stories and making judgments and commentaries on the present moment.
Awareness operates in the present moment.
When we are aware, we are not operating from our limited mind, but have greater access to our universal consciousness.
I prefer to use the term 'awareness' as mindfulness techniques do not utilize the mind.
The mind is unable to be present here and now.
It is always in the past or future regretting or anticipating, conjuring up stories and making judgments and commentaries on the present moment.
Awareness operates in the present moment.
When we are aware, we are not operating from our limited mind, but have greater access to our universal consciousness.
It's an exciting time in the field of psychotherapy.
In the past few years through the use of advanced imaging technology, scientists have been able to study the brain in ways that were previously not possible.
One positive outcome of these studies has been the discovery of the neuroplasticity of the brain.
The commonly-held belief that the brain is hardwired and therefore unchangeable has given way to the reality that we can change our brains.
In fact, this is happening all the time whether we are conscious of it or not.
In the past few years through the use of advanced imaging technology, scientists have been able to study the brain in ways that were previously not possible.
One positive outcome of these studies has been the discovery of the neuroplasticity of the brain.
The commonly-held belief that the brain is hardwired and therefore unchangeable has given way to the reality that we can change our brains.
In fact, this is happening all the time whether we are conscious of it or not.
Authenticity and awareness are the foundations of my work with clients.
The more we are able to live the truth of our lives (the what is), the less we tend to resist our life circumstances and the more peaceful and alive we feel.
The mind is never in the present.
It is always in the past or future.
The problem with this is that our life occurs only in the present moment-- the experiences we label as good as well as those we judge as bad.
So when we resist the present we resist the joy as well as the pain.
The more we are able to live the truth of our lives (the what is), the less we tend to resist our life circumstances and the more peaceful and alive we feel.
The mind is never in the present.
It is always in the past or future.
The problem with this is that our life occurs only in the present moment-- the experiences we label as good as well as those we judge as bad.
So when we resist the present we resist the joy as well as the pain.
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