Union Therapy is pleased to announce that as of August 2019 the Seattle office will be relocating to the Securities Building downtown Seattle.  The address for the new office is:

Union Therapy
Suite 309
1904 Third Ave
Seattle, WA 98101

The Securities Building is located at the NorthEast corner of Third Avenue and Stewart Street.   It is directly across Stewart Street from the Macy’s Building.  There are many convenient ways to get to the Securities Building including several bus lines, Link Light Rail (Westlake Station), paid parking garages and street parking all within a couple of blocks.   If you ride your bike to the building it can be parked in the parking garage that is located on Third Avenue.    You need to walk the bike up the ramp and there are bike racks to lock and store your bike.   The Securities Building does not allow bikes or pets inside the building.   

After practicing for 15 years in the Grand Central Building in Pioneer Square, Atta is very excited to begin this new chapter of his practice in the Securities Building for many years to come!   

Click HERE to sign up for the Union Therapy  newsletter:   The Check In

WELCOME

Hi!   We hope this check in finds you well as spring has hit its full stride.  Union Therapy continues to grow and evolve in both our Seattle and Minnesota locations.   

In Seattle, Atta is currently looking for new office space.   He has been in the Grand Central Building in Pioneer Square Seattle since 2004.    The Grand Central will be going through a rehabilitation phase requiring all tenants to move out.   Atta is currently looking at spaces in the downtown Seattle area that will provide an easy transition for current clients and be conveniently centrally located for both new and current clients.   Being near public transportation is a top priority as the city of Seattle continues its booming growth.  As soon as a space is found and a lease is signed there will be an email update with the new address and location.    

A. G. is proud to announce that he is now licensed in Minnesota and in Washington state!   Being licensed in both states will allow him to meet with clients who live in Minnesota in office and online.   He is also now able to meet clients online who live in Washington state.   Online counseling continues to become a larger part of both of our practices and offers the opportunity for effective services even at great distance.   Both A. G. and Atta use doxy.me to meet with clients in online video streaming sessions.   Sessions can be held for clients individually or with an additional person (partner, spouse, family, etc.).  Clients can even be in multiple locations at the time of the session.   All that is needed is a device that can live stream video and a strong internet connection.   Contact either A. G. or Atta directly to set up an online or in person appointment:  uniontherapy.com/contact  

Checking In

For this months check in Atta has prepared a meditation that deals with some of the more difficult feelings that we all go through:   Resentment and Resignation.   Too often we are told to just focus on the positive and are rarely invited to consider that even the more troubling feelings and thoughts we experience have a place.   By naming these emotions and mind sets we can avoid denying that they are there or suppressing them.  We can practice accepting them as part of life and learn to keep them in their place so that they do not prevent us from realizing our current power and ability to keep moving forward.   

When you have a few  moments of quiet time, put on your headphones and listen to the meditation below.   Numerous listens will be helpful as you calibrate to what it means to keep resentment and resignation from clouding your perspective.  We are most powerful when we are present with who we are now.   Take a deep breath.  Open your mind and your heart.  Allow this meditation to be a part of your continued growth and healing.  

Moving Forward

Keep up the great work and don’t forget to take care of yourself!   Investing in your own well being will prepare you for the joys and hardship that are with you now and are yet to come.   

Remember you are in process.   Your growth is inevitable.  Through the practice of being mindful of yourself and your surroundings, you have the opportunity to influence and nurture the direction of your growth.   Know that Union Therapy is here to help you along the way.   Take care!

Click HERE to sign up for the Union Therapy  newsletter:   The Check In

Welcome

This is the inaugural Union Therapy Newsletter:   The Check In.    Our goal is to send this out quarterly with the invitation and guidance to check in on your life to live more powerfully in the present moment.

Checkin In

It is now December 2018.   The days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder.    Time to take a moment and become a bit more aware of how your core needs are doing.    Why not start with your D.R.E.A.M.S.?

D – Drinking Water
R – Resting
E – Eating
A – Air (Breathing)
M – Movement
S – Social / Sensual

As the winter solstice approaches you may find yourself sleeping and eating a bit more while your movement and social may be on the decline.   Take note of ways you may be inadvertently beginning to neglect taking care of yourself.   Be intentional and correct course.   You will thank yourself for it later.   

The following is an audio meditation on D.R.E.A.M.S. that was created for you to listen to when you have a quiet moment.

Moving Forward

As 2018 comes to a close and we enter into 2019 take some time to reflect: 

How have I grown 2018? 

How would I like to grow 2019?  

Remember you are in process.   Your growth is inevitable.  Through the practice of being mindful of yourself and your surroundings, you have the opportunity to influence and nurture the direction of your growth.   Know that Union Therapy is here to help you along the way.   Take care!

Since Union Therapy began in 2002, we have been committed to wholistic health.    Caring for one’s biological self is just as important as caring for one’s psychological self.   There is an intrinsic relationship between one’s biological and psychological well being.

Perhaps the most fundamental way you can have an impact on your biological self is to have awareness and choice in what you eat.    With advances in the study of nutrition and the way our bodies interact with food, we now have the the ability more than ever to discover and implement a diet that works with your body to create well being.

Just as a therapist can help you navigate issues of perception, an allergy advocate can help you navigate and implement a healthy diet.   My friend and colleague Imei Hsu does both.   In addition to her practice as a mental health counselor, Imei has just launched her new project My Allergy Advocate.  Imei has passionately pursued this project for many years and she knows what she is talking about.  Check out the website and let Imei help you make food fun again!

Krista Tippett Interviews Alain de Botton

Here are some of the books that have been influential in our understanding and approach to therapy.   These books have also been helpful to many clients seeking further study and insight.

**Click the image of the book cover to be taken to the item an Amazon Affiliate page.**

Relationship Agreements: A Simple and Effective Guide for Strengthening Communication, Reducing Conflict, and Increasing Intimacy to Design Your Ideal Relationship by Eri Kardos

Quick Review:  Eri Kardos brings a fresh perspective and vision for relationship growth and navigation.   This book provides sound advice and guidance for more powerful, intimate and personalized relating.

Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Quick Review:  Dr. Siegel is on the forefront of research on brain science.  This book provides practical insight into the developing mind of the adolescent.  I find this book also useful in understanding adults that still perceive the world as if they are in a much younger developmental stage of life.  I also recommend his books on the developing mind of a child:  No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind and The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind.

No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering by Thich Nhat Han

Quick Review:  This beautifully written book is very effective in helping readers to begin to learn how to transform suffering into joy.  The imagery and thoughts presented here have a lasting impact.

Loneliness:  Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo & William Patrick

Quick Review:  The sensation of the human experience of loneliness comes from the same part of the brain as our experience of pain.   The key to dealing with this pain?  Perception.

Die Wise: A Manifesto of Sanity and Soul by Stephen Jenkinson

Quick Review:  As a culture we are failing miserably in coming to grips with how to deal with the reality of death.  Stephen Jenkinson invites the reader to engaging with the reality of death in such a way that brings about a more profound engagement with life.   Also highly recommended is his film Griefwalker.

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma by Pete Walker

Quick Review:  When a person has gone through intense trauma as a child, the impact can last a lifetime.  Pete Walker provides an understanding and practical direction for moving forward in a way that actually helps reduce the negative impact of childhood trauma. Also recommended is his book The Tao of Fully Feeling: Harvesting Forgiveness out of Blame.

The Fate of Gender:  Nature, Nurture and the Human Future by Frank Browning

Quick Review:  This book looks both intimately and broadly at the ever evolving perception of gender in the world today.  To better understand the nature of gender is to have a better understanding of oneself.

Psychomagic:  The Transformative Power of Shamanic Psychotherapy by Alejandro Jodorowsky

Quick Review:  Jodorowsky dives head first into intentionally using imaginative acts to address and heal psychological wounds from the past.   This book takes courage to engage with and pays off for those willing to step out of the bounds of normal expectation.  Also recommended is his autobiographical film The Dance of Reality.

Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha

Quick Review:  This book challenges many standing cultural perceptions of how we perceive relationships, sexuality and how things got to be as they are now.

More Than Two:  A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory by Eve Rickert, Tatiana Gill and Janet Hardy

Quick Review:  This is an excellent guide for those who are currently or are interested in engaging with open relationships.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Quick Review:  Environment, Environment, Environment!   In this book you will learn a simple yet meaningful approach to decluttering your space.   This can be extremely helpful in moving on from the past.

“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.”
― Anaïs Nin

I see mental health therapy as the process of helping people grow. Growth, in this sense, begins with awareness of one’s self-perception and one’s perception of others. When a person realizes it is possible to adjust perception, new possibilities arise that were not previously known. Individuals mature to be able to have more influence and ownership over choices in life. This leads to personal empowerment and the ability to heal psychologically. It takes time and practice.

Our bodies can hold a tremendous amount of stress and tension. I recently was introduced to the following relaxation script. I have found it very useful to help clients get in touch with the tension in their bodies and to help them release it. I encourage you to take about 15 minutes out of your day and use the audio below to help you relax. I recommend you lay down, dim the lights, and follow the script to find a deeper since of relaxation for your body. Do not over exert yourself and take into consideration any physical restrictions you may have. Relax. You deserve it.

Source:

Adapted from: Wolpe, J & Lazarus, A.A. Behavior Therapy Techniques. New York: Pergamon, 1966.

Love it or hate it Facebook is an easy way to share resources. So we now have an official Union Therapy Facebook Page. Give us a like to follow interesting articles and recommendations that we find as we continue to learn and explore the world of psychological growth and healing.

What is Couples+?  If an individual is 1 and couple is 2 then couples+ is 3 and beyond.  Many people have begun the process of establishing intimate relationships beyond the standard narrative of two.  Like anything else, relationships are negotiated and can be structured in a wide variety of ways.  Union Therapy has experience in helping people establish and maintain non-traditional relationship styles (Open, Poly, Kink, etc.).  No single form of relational structure works for everyone.  We desire to help you negotiate and establish relationships that work for you and your partner(s).

Here is a very helpful diagram from Information is Beautiful.