Are You Having A Hard Time Identifying And Accessing Your Emotions? 

Do you struggle to tune into your emotions? Are you an individual looking for an accessible, affordable experience that offers both skills-building and community? Or are you a mental health professional who could use an opportunity to check in with yourself and recharge?

When you don’t have the time or proper resources to take full account of your emotions, you can end up feeling out of touch with your authentic self. As a result, symptoms of depression and anxiety may have surfaced. And your relationships are likely experiencing gridlock and tension due to an inability to connect.  

Not to mention, stress and trauma get stored in the body. You may feel muscle pain or struggle with headaches and fatigue on a daily basis. So often discontent, you’re likely uncomfortable or having difficulty finding pleasure in life. 

Mental Health Professionals Take On Others’ Emotions, Often At The Expense Of Our Own

Emotional disconnect can affect all individuals, but mental health professionals in particular can have a hard time tuning into themselves. If you’re a counsellor or other mental health clinician, you may find that you don’t have the time and space that you need to attend to what’s going on beneath the surface. 

Because your job requires you to be constantly aware of others’ feelings, you may find it difficult to tune in and respond to your own emotions. Perhaps you don’t have time in your week for self-care or worry that the nature of your work is contributing to burnout. Yet, you remain invested in getting in touch with your authentic self so that you can be the best clinician possible.   

Whether you’re a mental health professional or individual seeking support, this AEDP-informed class can facilitate community and give you a chance to rejuvenate. 

Unresolved Trauma Leads To Emotional Disconnect

Our fast-paced, high-pressure society does not afford us many chances to slow down and reflect on what we’re feeling. As a result, many of us never learn how to properly tune into our emotions to discern what they are telling us. Even for those of us who are trained in psychology and have a high degree of emotional awareness, responding to our needs consciously and authentically is a skill we need to keep cultivating throughout life. 

If we grew up in an environment where our emotions were minimized or dismissed, we couldn’t see our feelings as valid. We then de-prioritize our emotional well-being, unable to authentically vocalize our experiences within our relationships and environments. 

Unfortunately, however, many things keep us distracted from taking stock of our emotions. From the daily demands of family and work, bombardments from the 24-hour news cycle, and the constant presence of technology and electronics, there are few safe havens where we can explore our emotional responses.

The Emotions 101 class at Crystal River Counsellors is a safe and supportive environment where you can build skills to tap into your emotions and gain insight from others. Coming together with fellow individuals or mental health professionals in a group setting can normalize your experience as you foster a deeper awareness of what you’re feeling. 

Based on Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, A Key To Emotional Awareness

Whereas other approaches might focus on past traumas, this AEDP-informed class is an opportunity to experience and explore present feelings and sensations. 

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy—or AEDP—is an approach that can help you tap into your innate healing abilities from a biological, neuroscientific, and attachment-based perspective. This model allows you to connect to core emotions, including both joy and fear, to learn to respond to them more effectively. 

Whether you’re looking for like-minded individuals or fellow mental health professionals with whom you can explore your emotions, Crystal River Counsellors offers options to meet your needs.

The Emotions 101 Class At Crystal River Counsellors

Because the traumas we experience lead to unprocessed emotions, it’s important to have a safe and open atmosphere where we can grow the emotional regulation skills needed to name and fully tap into our feelings. 

Emotions 101 allows you to induce sensory experiences in a group setting with a trained clinician who can aid in healing and emotion regulation. As your facilitator, I will use gentle experiential exercises to facilitate emotional awareness, such as guided imagery and expressive activities. As you’re encouraged to explore the emotions that come up in the session, you can learn how to authentically express yourself and adjust your emotional response in times of distress. 

The focus of Emotions 101 at Crystal Rivers is to explore and identify how emotions physically show up in our bodies. As you move toward a more openhearted state, you’ll be able to experience what we call the seven C’s—calm, curious, connected, compassionate, confident, courageous, and clear—which can help you feel better on a daily basis.  

The Emotions 101 class at Crystal River Counsellors is based on Hilary Jacobs Hendel’s award-winning book, It’s Not Always Depression, and the foundational Change Triangle tool developed by AEDP founder, Dr. Diana Fosha. These models come together to offer a step-by-step guide that can help you move beyond defenses and inhibitory responses, including shame, anxiety, and guilt. By coupling Dr. Fosha’s Change Triangle tool with Hendel’s experiential therapy exercises, you can learn to work with your emotions—instead of avoiding them. 

Your body has the ability to heal on a foundational level as you process your experiences and develop emotional awareness. With Emotions 101 for either individuals or mental health professionals at Crystal River Counsellors, you can ground yourself and become more present to make decisions that align with your values. 

Maybe You’re Curious About Emotions 101, But You Still Have Questions… 

I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t work. 

Emotions 101 is actually a class rather than group therapy. What this means is that, during Emotions 101 classes we do not discuss or process issues from participants’ past. Rather than bringing up past traumas, Emotions 101 classes use education, gentle experiential exercises, and meditations to looks at how you experience and process emotions. This approach is beneficial because it allows you to tune into your feelings in real-time and develop a more open and compassionate relationship with yourself. Attending an Emotions 101 class does not necessarily replace the need for therapy. However, the skills you will learn in Emotions 101 can provide a beneficial foundation should you decide to pursue further counselling afterwards.

If you are uncertain which would be most helpful, an Emotions 101 class or counselling, feel free to contact me for a free consult. I would be happy to talk to you about what would be a good fit for you.

I can’t afford counselling.

The great thing about Emotions 101 classes at Crystal River Counsellors is that it’s a more affordable option for our clients. Not only do you get the benefit of working with a trained clinician who can give you essential skills to develop emotional awareness and regulation, but you receive the added bonus of sharing and gaining insight from others. 

I don’t experience my emotions strongly/my emotions aren’t what’s contributing to my distress. 

Trauma often leads to unprocessed emotions, and when we’re not fully able to process those emotions, distress gets stored in the body in ways that may not always be obvious. Recognizing and learning how to respond to these emotions productively can be a transformational healing process that will give you insight into your experiences. 

Classes grounded in AEDP theory gives you a chance to heal and start authentically tuning into your emotions in a safe, supportive environment specifically designed to not re-traumatize you.

If you are an individual seeking greater emotional awareness or a mental health professional looking to recharge your emotional battery, classes at Crystal River Counsellors can help you find support and community as you learn elements of AEDP and develop skills for emotional regulation.   

For more information or to schedule a free, 20-minute consultation, please contact us.