The Way of the Willow is Powerful

For too long, our personal needs and feelings have been overlooked. Discovering how to care for ourselves has been difficult since most of us care for so much outside of us.

The Way of the Willow is a powerful community resource. It is a peaceful refuge, a place to refresh yourself, renew your spirit, heal and improve your life with tools that teach, inspire and connect with the true you. The Way of the Willow opens your heart to a new way of seeing as you explore all aspects of your life.

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Depression
It’s normal at times to feel sad, lonely, blue. But if the feelings last more than 2 weeks, making you unable to sleep, eat or enjoy what you love, you may be experiencing depression. Depression is a mind, body, mood experience. Blaming yourself for not “fixing” it on your own can keep you from getting help. What’s happening to you may be scary, but giving it a name can bring relief and direction for finding help. Meeting with a counselor is an opportunity to begin feeling better and regaining a sense of yourself.

Trauma
We often say that trauma is in the eye of the beholder. It may be abuse – physical, verbal or sexual. It could be a car accident, a natural disaster, violent physical assault, or military combat. Traumatizing events can become stuck, frozen inside us, keeping us in a loop of hyper-vigilance that may include physical pain, fear, even flashbacks. These experiences can be troubling and create difficulty in relationships with yourself and others. It even may be difficult to recognize your emotions are connected to a traumatic event. Because of this, it is easy to be confused about how to begin healing.  Working with a counselor trained to deal with trauma is the first step to finding a sense of internal safety and new perspective to life.

Grief
Loss comes in many forms. Your loss may be a death, a divorce, loss of your job, even loss of self-meaning and self-purpose. Grief is a natural response to loss. But when your grief is unresolved, it can compromise your ability to engage and take part in life. When anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness and despair increase in intensity and persist, making you feel incomplete, it is time to reach out for professional help.

Relationship Counseling
Relationships are an intricate part of our lives. They happen between family members, couples, parent and child, even coworkers. Is a relationship you are in overwhelming, conflicted and mired in old patterns? If the goals you once shared with another have been lost, and communication has broken down, it is time for help. Counseling can help identify and turn your challenges into agents of change and healing.

Vocational/Work Issues
Where are you with your life’s work, your chosen profession? It’s normal, at times, to feel uncertainty over our careers. But too much disconnection, loss of purpose, uncertainty, fatigue and burnout can erode your desire to be productive and of service. Working with a therapist who understands vocation and work-related challenges can help you rekindle your commitment and support you in finding a new life path.

Addictions
Addiction is a frightening word. It is difficult to admit that there may be something in your life that is obsessive, driving choices for you, in spite of you. You feel compelled to engage in a behavior despite its consequences. Addiction can include substances such as alcohol or it can live in relationships, gambling, or food. There are many addictions. The saddest aspect of an addiction is that it robs your life of meaning, stealing the connection to what matter most - your family, friends, work, freedom, financial security and health. Addiction erodes self-esteem and self-respect, leaving you ashamed and afraid. A trained addiction counselor can increase your understanding of the cycle of addiction, helping you see what barriers are keeping you from interrupting this cycle and stepping into recovery.

Life Transitions
A life transition can be an abrupt, unexpected or even a planned change in the course of your life, or may be a movement from one life stage to another. Regardless, transitions can be stressful, frightening and confusing experiences outside your comfort zone. Making decisions during life transitions can be difficult. You’re in an unfamiliar place. But transitions can also be an opportunity for you to re-examine your life goals and life choices. Willow offers the space and expertise to explore the challenges and gifts of the transition and define the helpful tools to create a more meaningful outcome.

Spiritual Counseling
For many of us, our beliefs and faith are the foundation of our lives and the decisions we make. Spiritual counseling is supportive counseling based on your beliefs and your value system – supporting your essence and the facilitation of your spiritual growth. Willow provides spiritual counseling that takes into consideration your entire person – physically, mentally, emotionally – from a spiritual perspective – regardless of how you define and practice your faith.

Premarital Counseling
Deciding to marry is life changing, and one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Premarital counseling helps couples to do so with consciousness, intention, compassion and preparedness. It can assist you in ensuring a strong, healthy and caring relationship – giving you the opportunity to create a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling also helps you to identify weaknesses and strengths, so that you can set realistic life direction and goals. Our premarital counseling experience includes an opportunity to create a significant and meaningful ceremony, representing who you are and will be as a couple.