Darkest Days

Winter solstice - the darkness is a time for reflection, communion, and rest. ...It only gets brighter from here!

Veteran's Day 2015

Today and everyday -- Thank you, Veterans. Your service and dedication is admired and appreciated.

Out of the Darkness Community Walk

I'm glad to have the opportunity to participated in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk today at Seattle Center. The local AFPS chapter is dedicated to providing a community for family members, friends, and people who are struggling with Suicidality. Over 1200 people participated and over $130,000 was raised. What a great effort.

In Network - Cigna

Now glad to announce that Michael Sibrava's an in-network provider for Cigna!

Fall's Here -- Couple's Return Home

As we slide on into October, Seattleites also begin their preparations to transition much of their time back to indoor activities. Much of that time ends up being time at home. We see a lot more of our loved ones and partners as the clouds start hanging in The Sound. When relationships are working well, the time at home can be just as enriching. If there are tensions, pains, and frustrations that can be avoided while outside and active -- the discord is much harder to avoid when fall and winter bring you face to face with your partner.
Disagreements are a given. If the disagreements are confronted and discussed, a couple has an opportunity for deeper understanding and a chance to work together as a team. Your intuition can gauge how productive your arguments unfold and resolve. Believe it or not, having the same arguments and differences of opinions do not mean the relationship is doomed. People in lasting relationships disagree about more things than they do agree. The ways in which arguments are approached are more telling of a relationship's resiliency.  Arguments where respect is lost, a person feels insecure, shut down, or like they're walking on eggshells -- these are feelings that signal deeper issues are influencing interactions with a partner.
Some helpful advice in soundbite form:

Build opportunities for teamwork: Find some chores and projects to take on together. Cook some meals together. Recognize those moments that you do agree about solutions.
Make time for quality time: Set a date night. Eat meals together.
Stoke warmth and intimacy: Massages, Cuddling, Day at the spa, adventures, and, yes, of course, sex.
Stay curious: Have an authentic interest in your partner, their growth, their feelings. You need not interrogate, but show that you simply are curious to know about their day, what was enjoyed, what was difficult, and what was noteworthy.

Staying Current

Taking the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) in order to continue providing independent services for Service Members and their family. It's been study, study, study... now the moment of Aletheia.

Group Health PPO

Very excited to announce that Michael Sibrava will be accepting Group Health PPO starting September 1st.

And as always, still in network for:

• AllOne Health EAP

• Aetna

• First Choice PPO

• Lifesynch/Humana

• MHN

• MHNet

• Tricare

• Regence Blue Shield

• United Behavioral Health/Optum

• United Healthcare

• Value Options PPO
• Washington Crime Victim Compensation

Kids Have the Scoop on Coping Skills

I love the neurophysiology lesson about the neocortex. I'm taking an extra easy breath right now.

SHORT FILM ‘JUST BREATHE’ HELPS KIDS DEAL WITH EMOTIONS

EMDR Survey

A graduate student at Smith College​ is asking recipients of EMDR therapy to participate in a survey regarding substance use/abuse and behavioral addictions (i.e. process addictions) and the impact of EMDR. If interested, the survey is located at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N962MW7

New Trauma Credential -- CCTP

Officially a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional... with even greater knowledge in promoting growth after trauma.

Now In-Network for Regence Customers

As of February, 2015, I'm please to announce, that I will now be able to bill services to Regence Blue Shield and BridgeSpan Health as an in-network provider.

Life / Work Balance

There are all sorts of obligation that we stack on our day. In addition, there can be obligations to ourselves. There are tasks we must get done to keep our tummies filled, our heads dry, and our selves safe. It's harder to recognize the obligations to ourselves to keep our hearts full and our heads clear. Here lies the Life / Work Balance. For the over 160 million working Americans, and others who have other less recognized jobs (homemakers et al) we try to keep a balance in keeping an obligation to the jobs that keep us and our family and to balance that with our need for compassion, fun, recreation, health, and spirit.
Some of the first few sessions with clients will visit self care - are you keeping healthy physically and doing what you can to live a mentally fit lifestyle? Life / Work balance can get more complicated, though. Life / Work balance will feel uncomfortable. When you start making room for more life you may find yourself wrapping up your workday with undone tasks. You may feel like your opting out of important work meetings or events that meet in the evening or weekend. The unanswered phone calls and emails, feel like their dangling when you've put a little more life in your day and week.
Certain themes especially make this an anxious transition. A sense of perfectionism, obligation, and need to be liked all can interfere with this transition. Take the time to recognize how other coworkers are fitting in balance. Take the time to recognize your competencies, your demonstrations of responsibility, and how you're appreciated. Greater allowances for time-off, friends, family, sport, etc. will actually improve your productivity.
If this helps -- even the leaders of The Free World take vacation days:

Compared to past presidents, Obama takes few vacations

Promising Changes in Washington State

Recent judicial law has put an end to boarding involuntary patients in ER - detained, but not receiving treatment. Now, there's more accountability when people are not detained.

House supports judicial review of mental-health decisions | Local News | The Seattle Times

Things seem to be getting better for crisis mental health services in Washington. I hope we can come up with the money to support these initiatives. More so, I hope we can (re)develop services to reduce mental health crisis altogether.

Happy 2015!!!

New Year's has been the biggest holiday for Envision Therapies. It's the celebration of passing time -- putting the past to rest (not forgetting) and celebrating the coming year. There's a celebration of the present moment. We observe how our lives change from one moment to the next -- we don't need to live in the past (or the future.)

Happy 2015 -- here's to change! here's to the moment!