Mental Health Archives - Artist Weekly

Navigating New Horizons in Mental Health: How Guidance Teletherapy is Transforming Care Across States

Artist Weekly Staff on April 8, 2024

Ever stopped to wonder who’s lighting the way in the twisting, turning journey that is mental health care? Enter Guidance Teletherapy. Under the adept leadership of Clinical Director Ariel Landrum, it’s a game-changer slicing through the jungle of barriers that keep folks from the mental health services they need. It offers a lifeline to those who might otherwise be left adrift. With a commitment to reaching clients across multiple states, Guidance Teletherapy champions accessible solutions through its teletherapy platform, catering to a diverse client base, including military families, the LGBTQIA+ community, sexual assault survivors, and individuals across all age groups seeking support for their mental health.

At the heart of Guidance Teletherapy’s approach is a unique blend of therapeutic techniques—Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Art Therapy—all delivered through a virtual platform, allowing the numerous clinicians in the cooperative to transcend limitations to access often endured by geographical constraints. This trifecta of methodologies ensures that treatments are evidence-based and deeply personalized. Incorporating clients’ passions and fandoms into therapy sessions via Geek Therapy stands out as an innovative strategy that fosters a deeper connection and understanding between therapist and client. It’s an approach that embodies the organization’s belief: “Let our clinicians be your guidance to a balanced life.”

The cooperative specializes in providing support for substance use disorders (SUD), gender affirmation surgery assessments, emotional support animal assessments, and mental wellness training for Fortune 500 companies. By embracing a culturally humble approach—meaning they strive to understand and respect each client’s unique cultural background and identity—they tailor treatments to reflect each client’s unique story and interests. This commitment to personalized care demonstrates their dedication to meeting and exceeding the specific needs of everyone they serve.

The integration of clients’ passions into therapy sessions is particularly innovative. Known as Geek Therapy, this method leverages the power of narrative and characters from various fandoms that clients identify with or are passionate about. This creative approach demystifies therapy and makes it more engaging for clients by connecting through shared interests.

Moreover, by extending its services virtually across multiple states, Guidance Teletherapy addresses one of the significant challenges in mental health care today: accessibility. For individuals in remote areas or those with mobility issues, traditional face-to-face therapy sessions can be challenging, if not impossible, to attend. Teletherapy eliminates these barriers, ensuring that anyone with internet access can receive high-quality care.

The benefits of teletherapy extend beyond mere convenience; they include anonymity for those who might feel stigmatized by seeking mental health support and flexibility for individuals juggling busy schedules. For military families constantly on the move or members of the LGBTQIA+ community seeking understanding therapists sensitive to their experiences—virtual therapy offers an invaluable resource.

Guidance Teletherapy’s work with Fortune 500 companies underscores another critical aspect of modern mental health care—addressing workplace well-being. Providing mental wellness training tailored specifically for corporate environments, they’re helping organizations recognize and mitigate stressors affecting their employees’ performance and satisfaction levels.

This cooperative’s culturally humble approach further distinguishes its service offerings. Recognizing that a myriad array of cultural influences shapes every individual’s experience means treatments are not just tailored to personal interests but also consider cultural sensitivities—an essential factor in effective therapy.

Through their social media channels on Instagram (@guidanceteletherapy, @airyell3000, @happiestpodgt, and @geektherapy) and their website, Guidance Teletherapy maintains active engagement with its community. These platforms provide valuable resources on mental health topics while fostering a sense of connection among clients—and prospective ones—illustrating how digital tools can complement therapeutic goals beyond session confines.

Looking toward the future of mental health care amidst an increasingly digital world, initiatives like Guidance Teletherapy represent hope—not just for those seeking services but as proof that innovation can bring genuine change when guided by empathy and understanding. In navigating new horizons in mental healthcare delivery through technology without sacrificing personal touch or clinical integrity—Guidance Teletherapy isn’t just providing services; it’s setting new standards.

Are you ready to start your journey towards a balanced life? Whether you’re seeking support or just curious about our innovative approaches, Guidance Teletherapy is here to light the way. Connect with them on Instagram or fill out their New Client sheet on their website, www.guidancett.com.

Published by: Khy Talara

Dr. Evan Johnson Shares How Artists can Find Deeper Levels of Flow State.

Artist Weekly Staff on February 15, 2023

Dr. Evan’s story is a fascinating one. He found himself in the darkest moments, mental health crisis and emotional turmoil. And by finding himself again, he found art and, more importantly, became art. Not like a typical painting, but rather the meaning of life, to live as art, to play, to connect, to share & express all that life has to offer and become the medicine we seek in the process.

But what does it mean to live life as art!? The great mystery of life. To create as we live. With every word we speak, every action we make, and every breath we take. We imagine that to truly be art is to be so immersed & engaged in life that the process of living is the process of creation. A state that ancient gurus & modern-day science still study to this day. It’s the exploration of human performance.

Yet, we know that it doesn’t have to take radical reorganization to get to this state; we can hack it. And, high-level performers, artists, and musicians are in this peak flow state more often than not. That’s the power of art.

We asked Dr. Evan Johnson what he thinks of this topic and what’s happening when our favorite artists, musicians, and performers are “in the zone.” Here’s what he said,

“Flow state occurs between alpha & theta brain wave states. This is the opening to the subconscious mind. When the brain wave states start to shift, an attunement happens, and the neural networks are primed for creation, expression, and even beyond. At the same time, gamma brain waves initiate, and the individual enters heightened consciousness. The gamma brain waves draw information in from the field & different edges of consciousness, and actual ganglia in the cortex to make sense of more complex experiences. Societal expression, learning, systematic & procedural memory, and self-expression start to find a coherent rhythm. Next, there is synchronization between the hemispheres of the brain. The right & left hemispheres find coherence. And lastly, transient hypofrontality reduces the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This is part of the brain that houses our perceptions of self, the inner critic and the voice inside of us that wants to close the door to the subconscious mind & prevent a new reality from coming to life.”

This is probably why artists state the feeling of being alive like nothing else matters, the seismic shift & time dilation of high performance & a whole lot of fun!

As a former two-sport college athlete, Dr. Evan explains the biggest of stages brought out the most extraordinary levels of stillness & serenity. Experts say that flow & peak performance arises when a person’s skills, talents, and gifts are challenged just enough to put them at the edge of focus, presence, and levels of expansion that take them to the next level of who they are and how they show up. Art & performance is no different. Each show is different, each album & stage with a new swagger, and each year the evolution of someone’s passion is directly connected to who they become in the process.

Dr. Evan, one of the world’s leaders in flow & peak performance, explains that this is a typical process, and we’ve found ways to hack it, accelerate it, and do it in a way that’s specific to each artist and their most significant expression.

Now, he has dedicated his life to a greater mission, to help people understand that they are the medicine. There comes a point when people no longer have to rely on the outside world for the answers. We are all the doctors of the future. Sometimes it takes a while to remember this, yet it happens at the right time, in the right place, for the right reason.

So now we can choose what is next as humans and become art. As Dr. Evan would say, it’s time to take our mind, body, and spirit and turn it into the medicine we seek. So what kind of art will you live as today?