At Thrive In Life Therapy, we understand the importance of holistic wellness. We believe that addressing the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—leads to more comprehensive and lasting healing.
When it comes to trauma therapy and EMDR, we recognize that trauma affects not only your mental and emotional well-being but also your physical and spiritual aspects. That's why our approach goes beyond traditional talk therapy. By taking a holistic approach, we can help you reconnect with your body, build resilience, and restore a sense of safety and empowerment.
Wellness therapy is a crucial component of our approach. We believe that by nurturing your overall well-being, you can experience greater balance and fulfillment in life. Our therapists in San Diego integrate various modalities, such as mindfulness, and meditation, to support your wellness journey. By addressing all dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, and social—we help you achieve optimal health and vitality.
In addition, our holistic psychiatry services in San Diego recognize that your mental, emotional, and physical health are deeply interconnected. We take into account factors like nutrition, exercise, sleep, and social support to provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan. By considering the whole person, we can uncover and address the root causes of your concerns, leading to more meaningful and sustainable healing.
Almost every person will encounter trauma in their life. In fact, about 70% to 90% of adults have experienced a traumatic event at least once. Trauma occurs when we encounter deeply upsetting or distressing events—things like grief and loss, abuse, neglect, violence, accidents or disasters, and myriad other things, including smaller or persistent stressors. Sometimes we experience these events first-hand; other times, we might be exposed to them through the experiences of people we’re close to. Sometimes trauma is cultural, historical, or passed down from generation to generation. Regardless of how we encounter trauma, our minds and bodies are affected. You can learn more about the different ways we respond to trauma on our Education page.
When we work with people, we work with trauma. This understanding informs every aspect of our therapy practice—from our knowledge of the many ways people process traumatic events, to the therapeutic environment we create with you, to our focus on your individual experiences and your path to healing.
Our practice is shaped by the Five Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Care.
Our TeamSafety comes first. We will work with you to co-create an environment where your physical and emotional safety is always prioritized.
We honor self-determination, and we acknowledge your right to make decisions in your own care, including choosing the fitness programming that’s right for you.
We know it’s our responsibility to earn your trust, so that you can feel comfortable participating in your care. We will always maintain professional boundaries and practice consistency and transparency.
We honor the fact that this is your journey, and we will work with you as you move through it. We also know that your path to healing may extend beyond our practice, and we will provide appropriate referrals for treatments that are outside of our scope.
We recognize your strengths and resiliency, and we are excited to help you build on this foundation to advocate for your needs and discover what is right for your body.
When we work with people, we work with trauma. We are a trauma-informed practice, and above all we value your safety and comfort. We will work with you to create a space in which you feel empowered and can build resiliency.
We combine therapy with physical movement and nutrition, and work collaboratively with a fitness coach and a dietician to create a practice that considers the whole person.
We know that the things we encounter in life shape us differently. We meet you where you are and provide empathetic and compassionate care on your path forward.
One thing that sets our practice apart is our focus on physical movement. Traditional talk therapy offers extensive benefits for healing and well-being, and we have a wealth of experience working with clients in this space. But physical fitness is also an integral part of mental health. Physical movement has been shown to be helpful in treating issues like anxiety and depression. It’s also particularly important in addressing trauma.
While we often think about trauma as something emotional, something that happens inside our heads, the reality is that trauma lives in the body. Traumatic events are often imprinted as bodily sensations, and long after we encounter trauma, our bodies remember and show evidence of it. Movement can help you understand the ways in which trauma is stored in your body, and it can start the process of calming and re-regulating your nervous system so you can begin the path to healing.
There is no right or wrong way to move. For some people, gentle exercise outside in nature feels best. For others, it might be a hard workout that requires focus and intensity. Part of our work as therapists is to help you find the type of movement that works for your body and helps to heal your brain. We’ll also help you be more mindful in your eating. Nutrition is an important component of physical fitness, and the chronic stress caused by trauma can break down our tissues and wreak havoc on our digestive tract. Eating the right foods can help our bodies fight inflammation, rebalance the bacteria in our gut, and begin to repair damage.
We like to think of our approach as a ‘top-down, bottom-up’ approach. Talk therapy—the ‘top down’ part—helps us understand and process what’s happened to us. Physical fitness and nutrition, meanwhile, helps us address how our experiences and emotions live in our bodies, from the ‘bottom up.’ Working with the whole person is the best way to heal.
