News and Updates at River Valley BHWC

You may have been noticing an announcement in the clinic that Reiki is now a service available to you, but what is it?

In simple terms, Reiki is a form of energy healing. More specifically, Reiki is a Japanese method of energy healing of intentionally channeling Universal Life Force energy. The term “reiki” comes from the Japanese words “rei,” meaning universal, and “ki,” which means vital life force energy that flows through all living things. Others believe this to be the energy of Unconditional Love. Regardless, Reiki is not connected to any spiritual sect or religion. We are all Life Force Energy and every material or living thing is energy. A healer attuned to Reiki just means that individual is trained to intentionally channel the purest life force energy for the sake of supporting and aiding one's innate healing. We all have the capacity to access our own inner healing naturally. What gets in the way are the multitudes of stressors, tensions, worries, past traumatic experiences, mental blocks, unsupportive core beliefs, grief, shame, and other situations and experiences within our bodies that block one’s ability to access this within ourselves easily. Traumatic memory and stress store within our bodies, often mimicking the original pain and/or disconnecting from various parts of our bodies that remind us of the difficult experiences. Reiki is one way to direct healing to these areas and assist in gaining a greater sense of peace and connection with our body once again or for some, for the very first time.

I find that the most important part of our work together is building a trusting and honest working alliance together. Utilizing a trauma-informed approach, my therapeutic style is grounded in person-centered therapy and incorporates aspects of cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practice. I specialize in providing therapeutic services to adults and adolescents...find out more

Kate Schurman - PsyD (Savage Location)

Kate earned her doctorate degree in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at North Memorial Mental Health Clinic in conjunction with the Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services. She has experience working with adults with a wide variety of presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, adjustment disorder, interpersonal difficulties, trauma, survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence, and substance use....find out more

The school year has begun and it has forced most of us into new routines. Many times, the summer can bring loose schedules, especially by the end of summer. Do you ever notice kids saying they are bored in August or they are just plain crazy!? That's because they are longing for a routine. They don't feel like they have a purpose. That can happen to adults too!

So if we want to break bad habits or create good ones, it's going to start with setting up a routine. You can get really specific if you'd like. Sometimes we don't list the "obvious" things but you have to remember those items take time too. For instance, we may list our workout, but you have to add in the shower afterward (if you do after working out, if not...no judgement!). We may not list "lunch", but that also takes a piece of your day!

There are many "list" or "scheduling" apps you can download on your phone. Some even come with the phone. Take the time to write out what a normal routine would consist of and the timeline along with it. Here are some tips on creating your daily or weekly routine:

• Here are some daily activities you may list:
  • Breakfast
  • Workout
  • Walk the Dog
  • Journaling
  • Lunch
  • Meditation
  • Respond to Emails
  • Dinner Prep
• These are some open ended time slots that may change from day to day:
  • Work tasks - this is where you refer to your work to-do list
  • Home tasks - this is where you refer to your home to-do list
  • Most Important Tasks
• Don't answer emails all day long, try to answer them at 1-3 scheduled times during the day.
• Make sure you add in a little leisure time!

There is so much that you can get done by having a daily routine. So, start simple, start small, and you'll feel better and more productive every day.