Betsy Nelson - Counselor/Therapist - Sarasota, FL

About

I have been in practice since 1993, private practice since 1995. I also led groups at The Wellness Community of Southwest Florida for about 10 years. I am fortunate that my passion and my competence intersect when facilitating the interactions of couples as they take the risk of getting closer to each other, and when working with individuals who seek to transcend the challenges of cancer, depression, anxiety or other life challenges. Why a mindfulness-based, Cognitive Therapy approach? The science on the benefits of emotional regulation is clear. When our emotions are in turmoil, our higher brain centers go off line. Mindfulness practice gives us the tools to move from an emotionally chaotic state to one that we have control over. Cognitive Therapy practices are proven to work well with depression and anxiety, but only when you have control over your higher brain centers. This control consists of two equally important qualities: 1) that you are able to tolerate strong emotions, so that you don't fall into "fight, flight or freeze," and 2) that you are able to attend to your thoughts as they are happening, so that you can stop and change any rumination that increases your difficult emotional states.