Wellness Wave Wisdom

By Tammah Watts(she), LMFT 111562 Tammah is a licensed therapist certified as a SMART Recovery Facilitator, Domestic Violence Advocate, Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide and Clinical Trauma Professional. She provides individual, relationship, and family counseling, and facilitates Health Services’ Recovery Group. As we come to the end of the Spring semester -first, CONGRATULATIONS for making it through! It's also a good time to consider what your recovery support will look like during the summer. To help you stay grounded and focused on your recovery goals -Consider these Tips and Tools and attendance at meetings -in person or online, local or national. Below, you'll find Resources to continue your recovery journey in ways that fit best including apps, meetings online and in-person, and more. Recovery Mutual Support Groups Don’t give up on recovery if one type of support group doesn’t work for you. Try another one! Secular and Non-12-Step Groups SMART Recovery (Self-Management and ...

By Ilan Navah (he), Mental Health Counselor Ilan Navah is a graduate student at Bastyr University, pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nursing from California State Polytechnic University and brings over 13 years of diverse nursing experience including emergency medicine, public health, hospice, and integrative medicine. Guided by a belief in the mind–body–spirit connection, Ilan takes a holistic, integrative approach to care, supporting individuals in cultivating wholeness and well-being. In many communities, substance use is often seen as a matter of poor choices or lack of discipline. Gabor Maté, a physician and author who has worked closely with people struggling with addiction, offers a different way to understand it. He suggests that substance use is often connected to emotional pain, stress, and past trauma. In this view, addiction is not only about the substance. It is also about a person trying to cope with difficult...

By Julie Choi Trepkau (she), AMFT 147728 Julie is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) who holds a Master's in Counseling from National University, and is dedicated to supporting individuals from diverse populations as they navigate life’s challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relationship concerns.   Julie’s background is in yoga and education, having taught yoga internationally for over two decades as well as elementary school in Encinitas.       Understanding the bidirectional relationship between trauma, shame, and substance use helps explain why substances are often used as a way to cope. Shame can be described as an intense, deeply negative feeling about oneself, often tied to beliefs of worthlessness or inadequacy. It is closely linked to a range of unhealthy coping strategies, including substance use. Research has shown a strong connection between trauma—particularly experiences rooted in Adverse Childhood Ex...

By Abigail (Abby) Burd, LCSW, LCS 26867 Full-Time Faculty / Licensed Mental Health Counselor Abby is a bilingual (English/Spanish) clinical social worker with over 25 years experience in mental health. Abby is trained as a trainer in creating LGBTQIA+ safe zones, suicide prevention, and mindfulness. Abby has been a clinical supervisor on campuses and through her private practice since 2008, guiding the next generation of pre-licensed social workers, marriage and family therapists and clinical counselors. She is a culturally-humble, integrative clinician, drawing upon Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solutions-Focused Therapy, mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches. Abby is certified in Brainspotting (a somatic therapy for trauma and more) and Perinatal Mental Health. The New Year is a popular time to “reset” our drinking habits, especially after an indulgent holiday season. Have you ever set a New Year's Resolution to stop or cut back on drinking? Many p...

By Tammah Watts, LMFT Tammah is a licensed therapist certified as a SMART Recovery Facilitator, Domestic Violence Advocate, Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide and Clinical Trauma Professional. She provides individual, relationship, and family counseling, and facilitates Health Services’ Recovery Group. Many of you are in the final stretch of the semester and all that comes with this time of year -preparing for and taking your finals and completing other assignments; the holidays are in full swing and plans you may or may not have with family and friends. To help you staying grounded and focused on your recovery goals - Consider these Tips and Tools and attendance at meetings -in person or online, local or national . This email is a tradition now -a final one (pun intended) for the end of the Fall semester. You'll find Resources for you to continue your recovery journey in ways that fit best. Recovery Mutual Support Groups Don’t give up on recovery if one type of support group doesn’t wo...

Natasha Jackson, LMFT Natasha has worked in the mental health field for the past ten years, with experience in both residential and outpatient settings, treating adolescents, adults, families, and couples. As a Black Therapist, she sees the value of representation in the mental health field, and finds unique opportunities to support her clients who can often feel misunderstood by therapists who may not share this aspect of their identity. Natasha is also passionate about working with members of the following communities: body positivity, LGBTQ+, racial justice, military spouses, and single mothers The holiday season is one that can evoke cheer, the spirit of giving, the anticipation of making memories and hopes that everyone enjoys what you brought to the holiday potluck. For others, the holidays can mean increased substance use due to heightened stressors, potentially linked to financial, family, loneliness and unrealistic expectations. Societal norms surrounding gathering and communi...