By UB's Laura Brownstone, LCSW

In our busy lives filled with everything from work, kids, bills and running a household, it’s important for us all to find time to regroup—to become grounded and find your center in the universe. As an adjunct to providing more traditional and comprehensive psychotherapy, I routinely encourage my clients to find their own inner peace and sense of calmness through mindfulness techniques, deep breathing and meditation.

I regularly teach mindfulness techniques including a three-breath exercise by Jan Chozen-Bays, M.D. I guide clients through paying attention to their breathing and have them practice taking three breaths when they feel their anxiety increase. I help clients feel less disassociated or disconnected from their bodies through connecting to the ground and through consciously placing awareness between their feet and the earth. This is a Tai Chi technique that not only helps in martial arts but in everyday life as well. When my clients feel their connection with the ground underneath them, they also feel more present in their bodies.  This makes them feel more anchored and grounded and capable of balancing the responsibilities of work and home. 

In my years of practice, I find that when there is more space internally, there is less judgment our internal critics and more self-acceptance. This idea of self-acceptance is something I try to share with my clients through learning about mindfulness and meditation. In his book True Love, Thich Nhat Hanh writes about nurturing and supporting even our most judged feelings and thoughts. He suggests that we externalize them, and call them “Dear Ones” in order to allow these vulnerable parts of ourselves to feel mindfully supported.  This practice is something I teach clients to cope with negative thoughts and clear their minds for more positive and nurturing messages.  

Mindfulness and meditation are useful self-care and coping strategies for us all to use on a daily basis to successfully manage work/life stress.  

For more information about Laura Brownstone, LCSW or Urban Balance, please visit www.urbanbalance.org. 

Laura Brownstone, LCSW
Laura Brownstone is an LCSW with ten years of experience. She received her masters degree from Loyola University in Chicago. Laura uses a strengths-based, relational approach with her clients and tries to create a safe environment for them to move closer to a greater sense of self acceptance. She has worked with a wide variety of clients from adults in transition to families going through divorce. Laura has experience with trauma-informed therapies and has sensitivity with multi-cultural populations. She uses multiple modes of therapy including CBT, DBT, Solution Focused, creative therapies and motivational interviewing. Laura recently left a mental health program working with children, teens and their families. She has experience working with school systems for children/ teens with ADHD and ODD. She has experience running grief, life skills, empowerment and body awareness groups. Laura has practiced Tai Chi for more than 13 years and incorporates Taoist ideas into her practice. She has been trained in Basic 1&1 in EMDR and plans to be certified.