Thrive Therapy Blog

Meet Lauren Spinelli, LCSW

6/19/2019

A note from Thrive's founder, Dr. Erica Wollerman:
Welcome to our latest blog series! Since I am often the one writing our Thrive blogs, I wanted to make sure that our readers would be able to also get to know the amazing team I work with at Thrive. I am so grateful to work with each of these therapists and they each offer our clients something special. Since we have a team of 6, we will be sharing these blogs over the coming summer weeks!

Tell us about you and why you wanted to become a therapist. My name is Lauren and I am excited to be a therapist at Thrive Therapy Studio! I knew I wanted to become a therapist from a very young age. My interest was sparked as I was growing up with my brother and learned of his diagnosis of autism and anxiety. Since then, I have become increasingly interested in what made my brother different and his various methods of coping and treatment. I was always so intrigued with what went on behind closed doors when he was with his therapist. It was incredible to see the positive impact that therapy had on him, and I was inspired to help others in the same way.

What do you love about being a therapist? I absolutely love being a therapist; it fills me with so much joy and gratitude! This career is designed to improve individuals quality of life, and I cannot think of anything more rewarding. I love that I get to do work that is meaningful and transformative for others, while simultaneously supporting and facilitating my own personal growth. I feel so privileged to be part of their journey as I watch my clients grow and share in their obstacles and successes. Their strength and resilience is truly inspiring.

How would you describe yourself as a therapist? I am supportive, empathic, engaging and collaborative. I utilize warmth and authenticity to create a non-judgmental environment. I help clients create a toolbox of skills to use in times of distress, and provide a safe environment for self-exploration and growth. I am here to challenge, support, and empower my clients!

Who do you love working with in therapy? I absolutely love working with all ages, and have experience doing therapy with individuals from age 5 to 75! It is so exciting for me to watch people at all stages of life change, heal, grow, and achieve their goals. My areas of specialization include anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, substance use, relationship issues, school/work issues, social skills, self-esteem, stress, and overall self-growth.

Do you have a particular theory or framework that guides your work as a therapist? If so, describe it and tell us why you use that. Because every individual is unique, I utilize various evidence based modalities of therapy customized to meet my clients needs. My therapeutic approach is integrative, as I blend elements from different frameworks, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions.

Share one thing you are passionate about in your professional or personal life. I am extremely passionate about traveling; I have visited 25 countries! Some of my favorites include Iceland, Morocco, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Norway and Cambodia. It is fascinating to explore various cultures, meet new people, and immerse myself in completely different environments. Through my travels, I have discovered a lot about myself and I am excited to continue to explore new places!

For more information about Lauren, please check out her bio here! If you would like to schedule an appointment with Lauren, please also feel free to call our main number and ask for her or fill out our contact form here and note that you would prefer to work with Lauren!

Life Reminders

12/15/2018

By: Lauren Spinelli, LCSW

It’s important to remember that every day can be meaningful. It’s truly a new chance to reflect, grow, and make small changes as we navigate through life. Over the years, I have jotted down little reminders, affirmations, quotes, and expressions that I've heard, read, or made up. They seem to really help me when I'm looking for more strength. I wanted to share them with you in the hopes that they will help you, too.

Stick to the present. Rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past, focus on what is actually happening now and what is actually in your power to do now. It’s important to understand that happiness does not lie in the past or the future. It lies in the present moment.
Pain is out of your control. Self-compassion is in your control.
You’re imperfect, like everyone else, and that's OK. Your self-worth is not dependent on an accomplishment, number, or status.
You have already overcome so many things.
You need to ignore what everyone else is doing and achieving. Your life is about breaking your own limits. You are not in competition with anyone else. Plan to outdo your past, not other people.
You are constantly changing; your world is constantly changing; everything you experience (physical, mental, and emotional) will come and go.
The longest relationship you’ll have in your life is the one with yourself. Other people will come and go, but you’ll be with yourself from birth until death. The sooner you decide to start being kind to yourself, the longer you have to live life supporting rather than undermining yourself.
Whatever it is that you’re going through, chances are there are thousands of others going through a similar experience. Being perfect is not what connects people. Vulnerability brings us closer together.
To ask for help is not a sign of weakness; it's actually a sign of strength, courage and intelligence.
Just breathe. You got this.

Lauren is welcoming new referrals and enjoys working with children, teens, and adults of all ages! For more information about her approach to therapy, check out her bio here!

At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients. If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304.

As always, thanks for reading and comments are always welcome regarding any issues around child or teen psychotherapy services in San Diego by Thrive Therapy Studio.

To stay in the loop on the services offered and to receive updated information about Thrive, please feel free to sign up for the newsletter through the following link: http://eepurl.com/cvGx5n.

5 Workplace Wellness Tips

10/12/2018

By: Lauren Spinelli, LCSW

We all know about the importance of self-care - setting aside that “me time” to focus on improving our mental, emotional and physical health. However, between children, work, relationships, or just life in general, it can be hard to make it a priority and fit it into our busy lives. On average, people in the United States work almost 2,000 hours per year! That’s a lot! Since we are at our place of work so much, it’s important to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves while we’re there! Here are 5 easy, simple tips to weave self-care into your daily work routine!

1. Meditate
Now, I’m not talking about setting aside thirty minutes or an hour in quiet room at work. That’s probably not possible...but I bet you have 16 seconds! That’s all it takes! 16 beautiful, simple seconds to clarity. Not only does it have a significant de-stressing impact in the moment, but it can also serve as the foundation for greater clarity of thought, heightened creativity, deeper intuition and aid in making better choices! Setting aside 16 seconds each day to meditate can actually change your brain waves and have a positive influence on your emotional health. Let’s try it right now! Observe your breath as you slowly inhale through your nostrils to the count of four. Then hold that breath in your belly to the count of four. Gently release the breath and follow it out to the count of four. Then hold the breath out to the count of four. Now return to regular breathing.

2. Schedule breaks
Taking regular mental breaks throughout the day improves productivity and creativity. Long periods of concentration fatigue your brain, and giving it downtime restores your ability to problem solve and concentrate. Try to actually schedule multiple 5-10 minute breaks throughout your day. If you don’t put it in your calendar, it’s easy to skip it! Skipping these breaks and trying to plow through your work can leave you exhausted and stressed.

3. Drink water
Did you know 75% of our brain is made up of water? Even the tiniest levels of dehydration can affect factors like your mood and cognitive functioning. Next time you feel that after-lunch sluggishness creeping up on you, there’s a good chance it’s due to dehydration! Actual amounts of water that you need vary person to person, but aim to drink 0.5 ounces of water per pound on a daily basis! Bring that water bottle to work and leave it on your desk so there’s no excuse!

4. Walk outside
We spend about 2,000 hours a year at work, and most of that is inside at an office! Try to get outside during lunch, or even hold walking meetings. Have a phone call? Take it outside! A 2015 study done at Stanford University proved that being outside in nature “showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression”. The study also found that that those who walked outside experienced less anxiety, rumination, and negative affect, as well as more positive emotions, such as happiness.

5. Ask for help
We are all human. We all need help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength and intelligence. Ensure you have a solid support system at work. You spend so much time there, it’s important to surround yourself with trusted colleagues!

At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients. If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304.

As always, thanks for reading and comments are always welcome regarding any issues around child, teen, or adult psychotherapy services in San Diego by Thrive Therapy Studio.

To stay in the loop on the services offered and to receive updated information about Thrive, please feel free to sign up for the newsletter through the following link: http://eepurl.com/cvGx5n.

Meet Lauren Spinelli, LCSW

Life Reminders

By: Lauren Spinelli, LCSW

5 Workplace Wellness Tips

By: Lauren Spinelli, LCSW

Blogs from the Thrive Family!

Categories

Archives

Call Today! 858-342-1304

Contact Us