“It’s all you, every bit of it you”!
First, I want to congratulate you. You have just made a remarkable decision! You’ve made a commitment to improve your life by improving you! A bold, rare, and courageous choice. One that I have found, as a mental health professional for over two-decades, most, including myself, will do just about anything to avoid!
The majority of us will resort to nearly any alternative but to have to face the reality that we have to make a change. In addition to asking others to change for us, we will turn to Netflix, social media, money, sex & love, rage, magic pills, sports, substance abuse, food, sugar, jobs, careers, television, podcasts, geographic changes, exercise, gambling, Amazon, 24/7 news coverage, podcasts, anything to feel better while not having to exert energy towards changing us. That is, until we endure enough pain, suffering, or discontentment to see no other option left! Having a great deal of experience with pain & suffering, and gifted with an obsessive nature, I found this deep pain to be the greatest gift of my life. The gift that drove me to desperately search for a way out!
In the years to follow, I would venture through science, spirituality, history, and psychology in an effort to understand what happened to me, how such a miraculous change was possible, and how to help others to do the same. That was how I would uncover the remarkable truth, that within each of us, we have unimaginable power! Our mind and body systems, governed by the brain, holds an ability beyond our human capacity to fathom. One that I would spend the rest of my life seeking to understand.
This truth, however, also exposed a widespread ignorance. An ignorance that is built deep into the fabric of our culture regarding the power we possess to construct and re-construct our lives.
Throughout this course key bits of learning from these years of personal and professional discovery will be carefully woven into the fabric of this course.
Most importantly, by having the courage to be honest with yourself, to acknowledge the way things are today, clear away what lingers from the past, and learn how to walk into the future you want (and deserve) differently, you will claim the power you already possess to be the architect of your new life.
Samantha Benigno is a highly sought after therapist, educator, and scientist with over 20 years of experiencing working as a mental health professional. She is empathetic, and holistically oriented individual who brings a grounded psychological mind, evidence-based techniques, and a track record of commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of those whom she serves. Her academic journey, combined with decades of hands-on experience in various clinical roles has well equipped her to serve a wide array of clinical needs. She has worked with clients ages 11-85, from diverse backgrounds, across the spectrum of clinical diagnoses. She is fortunate to have received training in modalities of treatment that include, CBT and MBCT, DBT, biofeedback, yoga therapy, attachment, family systems, hypnosis, EFT, and more. She is passionate about ensuring clinical work is informed and supported by the current mind/body science and evidence-based research, and, of course, believes in fostering a supportive and trusting therapeutic environment where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to thrive.