Jenae Spencer, LMHC, BCB, RYT

As a licensed counselor and registered yoga instructor, I believe our physical, mental, and spiritual bodies are intrinsically connected, and incorporating techniques that address the whole person is key to this meaningful change. I utilize interventions focused on regulating nervous system functioning, decreasing anxiety, enhancing emotional regulation, and improving stress management and sleep. What Does it Mean to Regulate the Nervous System? Nervous system regulation is a “bottom-up” approach that addresses what is going on in the body and its impact on how we think, feel and respond. Techniques such as grounding, breath work, and biofeedback work to train increased self-regulation and decrease anxiety.  As a biofeedback practitioner, I use Thought Technology medical-grade instruments to assess respiration, heart rate, HRV, muscle tension (EMG), skin conductance, and body temperature. During the initial assessment, we will conduct a complete profile of your autonomic nervous system functioning. We utilize the initial profile and then “feedback” in real time during sessions to learn techniques to train increased self-regulation and mind body resilience. For continued training outside of the office, we will use Optimal HRV to assess and improve heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is a measure of the beat-to-beat changes in our heart rate, and it is a strong indicator of both physical and psychological strength and resilience. HRV reflects the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, improving HRV helps regulate our autonomic nervous system. Stressors on the body, whether physical or emotional, can lower our HRV. For example, a chronic illness, head injury, psychological trauma, anxiety, or depression. The higher our HRV, the more efficiently we can manage emotional and physical stress. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, is a powerful protocol that the American College of Physicians recognizes as the first-line treatment for adults with chronic insomnia and sleep issues. CBT-I is a holistic treatment that focuses on psychoeducation about sleep, cognitive interventions that address thought patterns that impact sleep, and behavioral interventions such as sleep efficiency training, stimulus control, and relaxation training.