Counseling Practice To Offer Restorative Yoga
New private practice Metanoia Counseling Services will open its doors to the local community on November 4, owned and operated by mental health counselor and yoga instructor Jeneba O’Connor.
A spokesperson said, “Metanoia Counseling Services is a new private practice in Hamilton, owned and operated by clinical mental health counselor and yoga instructor Jeneba O’Connor. It will open its doors to the local community on November 4th.
“Metanoia offers adult clients from the age of 18 and up a unique mind-body approach to effectively cope with life transitions, mental illness, anger, addiction, grief, personal or work-related stress, relationships, ADD, and much more. Clients also have the option to integrate mindfulness meditation, breathing techniques, and simple but effective yoga poses with traditional counseling.
“The bodywork of yoga and the calming techniques of meditation both help to address and treat not only mental illness but also somatic complaints such as back problems, pain, tightness in the chest, fatigue, or headaches.
“Ms. O’Connor felt it would be beneficial to add yoga as a treatment modality in her counseling practice as it promotes overall mental and physical well being and is relaxing and accessible for many people. Ms. O’Connor can adapt yoga poses to suit all body types and abilities.
“Ms. O’Connor supports her belief in yoga as a therapeutic intervention with clinical research. She explained that a 2010 study of twelve random controlled trials compared yoga to various forms of exercise, such as biking, walking, or jogging.
“Results from these trials showed that when yoga was used as a long-term treatment approach for clients suffering from depression, their progress was equal or superior to exercise in almost every outcome conducted [Ross & Thomas, 2010].
“A 2019 study was carried out on students at The University of Rhode Island in the U.S. and results showed a marked decline in anxiety and stress after six weeks of weekly yoga and meditation [Lemay, Hoolahan, & Buchanan, 2019].”
“Ms. O’Connor feels that a holistic approach to solving mental health issues and life challenges is important, as there is an intricate connection between the mind, body, and emotions. Chronic stress, drug and alcohol misuse, and past trauma can all cause physiological changes in the body and also adversely affect the central nervous system.
“Left untreated, this can contribute to depressive and anxiety symptoms and may manifest into physical pain. Ms. O’Connor added that often people prefer to push through this on their own instead of seeking help. In some cases, individuals may not engage in the services of a counselor or psychologist until they actually experience a mental or physical health crisis.”
“As the demands of employees’ workloads increase, so do their stress levels. When people struggle to meet financial and familial responsibilities, they may not always have the tools or resources to navigate these difficulties effectively. In addition, the stigma of seeing a counselor or psychologist for mental health issues often prevents people from talking about their problems.
“Metanoia Counseling hopes to shift the community’s mindset to one in which going to a counselor for sadness or anxiety feels as natural as going to the doctor for asthma, the flu or another medical issue. The ethos of Metanoia is to promote growth and transformation. To this end, clients are encouraged to consider and act on other beneficial alternatives to change unhelpful habits, thoughts, and behaviors.”
“Ms. O’Connor offers 30 and 50-minute counseling sessions, as well as 30 and 60-minute individual yoga sessions. Brief mindfulness meditation and breathing techniques can also be infused into a counseling session if clients wish. Insurance coverage is available.
“Metanoia is located in a private section of the Washington Mall on the 1st floor. Ms. O’Connor can be reached by calling 704-1097, or sending an e-mail to metanoiacounselingbda@ gmail.com. For further information on services provided, visit metanoiacounseling.net.”
