A holistic approach to counseling, mental health treatment, and wellness
We approach healing through the lens of aligning your four bodies:
Lauren Drake, our founder, created Meraki Counseling and Wellness after noticing a need in the field for services that can truly meet you where you are. This practice ensures that you will be meeting with a professional who has a unique understanding of mental health as she has both participated in therapy as well as provides it. She can empathize while also supporting you on your healing journey.
After providing therapy for over a decade, we have learned about, implemented, and analyzed many different treatment modalities. Because of this time and experience, we are fortunate to have these specific beliefs about what the therapy experience should be like:
You are the boss. Therapy should not be about co-dependency and an unbalanced relationship. Your relationship with your therapist is a partnership. You are the expert in your life and we are bringing our education and experience to help us in being able to support you.
Therapy is work. Because you are the boss and the expert of “you”, we also believe that the people who see the most progress from therapy are the ones willing to apply what we discuss in our time together to their every day lives. You will be held accountable as you hold the true keys to your healing. Your success and progress are often a direct reflection of what you’re willing to put into your healing.
Sometimes therapy goes off the rails. Although we have education and experience, healing is not textbook. You are unique and we treat you that way. Our approach is rooted in a balance of meeting you where you are, listening to your needs and symptoms, structured therapy approaches, and some good ole fashion problem solving.
Feelings are hard. That being said, they are also gifts. Our feelings are messages from a deeper place within. They tell us when our needs aren’t met and when we feel like we aren’t safe, cared for, or simply ok. In most cases, we have learned at some point in life that "bad" feelings should be hidden, fixed, or bypassed, instead of embraced. How often have you heard or thought that you need to “deal” with your feelings rather than to “feel your feelings”? Holistic healing will teach you healthy coping skills and how to work through your emotions. Further, we will find ways to embrace even the hardest of emotions. We explore them, we are grateful for them, and figure out the messages that they hold. Honoring and exploring feelings, while giving yourself some grace, is an invaluable piece to healing and wellness.
What we put in and how we treat our body matters. The symptoms that we experience such as chronic fatigue, pain, headaches, racing mind, irritability, and so much more tells us a story. Our body is speaking to us and asking for assistance. Our diet, nervous system regulation, exercise, and sleep all play a large role in our overall wellness. This will all be a part of our approach to wellness while working together.
You know how sometimes in life we can feel like it’s Groundhog Day (or week, month, year?) A lot of the same. Consistently frustrated with friendships, romantic relationships, overwhelming jobs that lead to burn out, and let's not forget toxic family relationships. Do you feel like life is just a repeat of stressful days? - This is where our unique and specialized approaches to subconscious healing comes in. We, in childhood, developed behavioral/emotional patterns and foundational belief systems that run on autopilot without our awareness. By taking a holistic approach, we can start to gain awareness of these beliefs and patterns which allows us to replace the maladaptive patterns with healthy ones.
This can come in a lot of different ways. You may feel strongly about your religion or faith. You may believe in a higher power. You might connect to the elements or the universe. Any and all beliefs are valid and valued in our approach to wellness. Energy is real. It exists and it matters. When our internal energy is out of balance, it affects a lot of different areas of our lives. This can be a large part of your counseling or it could be mentioned occasionally, but your ability to sense your inner guidance, gut feelings, or intuition are all gifts that we will value during your time in counseling.
You have all the answers to how to feel your best within. Our role is to educate, support, and guide you to understand and embrace all of your Meraki and inner beauty so you can be and feel your best. We provide you with tools and you become your own best healer. The goal is not to create forever clients, but rather to be your best guide on becoming the expert in your life.
At Meraki Counseling and Wellness we believe that training in current trauma treatment is imperative. Recent trauma research shows the importance of taking a holistic approach to healing. Further, the mental health field is redefining what “trauma” means. Complex trauma is when we have had our basic needs neglected or abused repeatedly over time. So, if we had a dismissive/absent parent, if we were parentified as a child, if we have any attachment style outside of “secure”, we likely struggle with the effects of trauma.
By staying up-to-date on current approaches to therapy and trauma research, we are able to support you on your healing journey. As of now, our favorite modalities to utilize are internal family systems therapy, we explore through a lens of attachment theory, and we are mindful of the somatic symptoms that present, in addition to mental health symptoms.