Taking time in the summer months to "move" and enjoy the weather is very important. Do your best to make some time to take a walk with a family member or loved one. This may just be what your body is looking for. You will never regret getting some exercise!

 

 

 

The BioMat is an FDA licensed medical device that combines state of the art of "far infrared light" and "negative ion" technology with the healing power of the Amethyst crystal. With this combination, the BioMat delivers professional therapeutic results! Can be effective for deep relaxation, stress reduction, sleep improvement, muscle relaxation, toxin removal, relieving headaches or minor joint pain, relieving minor muscular back pain, immune system boosting, and rejuvenation.

 

 

$25 for 30 minute sessions or $50 for 60 minute sessions. Call now and if you purchase 4 sessions, you get the 5th one free. Please call the front desk staff at 952-746-7664 for more information.

 

 

 

 

Reiki is offered at River Valley by Amy Stafford, owner and operator of Crystal Stone Reiki Healing. Amy is a certified Usui Reiki Master & Teacher.

 

Reiki is used to realign and balance the body.  It is effective in relieving stress, anxiety, and pain.  Assists the body in cleansing itself from toxins, aids better sleep quality, helps relieve symptoms of PTSD, and much more.

 

$50 for 30 minute sessions or $75 for 60 minute sessions. Amy also offers distant Reiki at $30 for a 20 minute session (with a 10 minute phone call following session). Just add $10 to use Biomat during the session.

 

Please call the front desk staff at 952-746-7664 for more information.

 

 

 

 

Ashley earned her PhD in General Psychology from Northcentral University in 2020, her MA in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University in 2013, and her MS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology from the University of North Dakota in 2009. Ashley has been working as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in IA for the past 7 years...find out more

 

 

With baseball season in full swing, it reminds us of a story of a wonderful team of 9 year old's that turned a losing attitude into a 1st place championship. This is a true story. This strategy isn't just for kids...or just sports, but any activity that may require us to perform with a level of confidence to be successful.

The kids were down by 4 runs in the 4th inning of the semi-finals. They had been playing hard the whole game but they still needed 4 runs just to tie the game. The score was 6-2. They all felt defeated. Some had not hit the ball well while some had made mistakes in the field. They felt that winning the game was a task that was insurmountable. As they came in to bat in the bottom of the 4th inning, their heads were down.

 

Grounding skills are a type of coping strategy that allow us to focus our attention away from what is bothering us most. We often try to think our way out of an emotional experience and use words to convince ourselves or others to “just stop feeling that way.” We say to our children, “Just stop it, it’s not that big of a deal, you’re overreacting.” We need to "regulate" or "act" our way out of it.
 
Think of emotional flooding as a small fire happening in the middle part of the brain (the limbic area) and your job is to put the fire out. As parents or care providers we grab the tools of language and conversation to squelch this fire, but find it often aggravates the situation or as I describe it to the parents I work with, "it’s like putting gasoline on a fire when we want it to go out.” A few examples of how we fuel the fire are when we say, “Don’t feel that way, stop it, it’s not that big of a deal, you’re overreacting.” When this rationalization does not work the child becomes more upset and the adult joins in and becomes emotionally flooded as well and now there are two fires to put out and no effective tools to do it.
 
Goal 1: To create a shift in the negative emotional experience in order to perform the best they can.
 
To change the negative thoughts that flood the brain and overwhelm the body, e.g., “We are never going to win, it’s over, We are horrible, I’m not good enough to play on this team, I feel horrible, I can’t do it.”
 
To learn how to manage big emotions and respond in a way where they are in charge of how they want to move through them.
 
Step 1: Awareness is key--we have to be aware of how we are responding in order to adjust it. Often kids need their elders to help them notice their shift. Hand them something sour and gently say here, try this and then wait for them to shift before you talk.
 
Step 2: Move through it with your child – less talking and more walking. Don’t put the gas on the fire, you are the extinguisher and teaching them how to regulate their internal system. This is a life-long skill!
 
Why it works: The acid in sour foods triggers a response on your taste buds which releases chemicals that relay a message back to your brain. The chemical released is the mood-regulating neurotransmitter Serotonin. That cringe that you experience at the back of the mouth is releasing a message to your brain which can create the shift you are desiring. Serotonin is responsible for many actions within your body but it is known as one of the happy chemicals.  There is no need to talk it out, let your body and brain use the magic it innately holds.