Katherine Malavenda Counseling and Psychology Services

When dating someone new, look out for people who are critical, defensive, withdrawn, or contemptuous. The use of these behaviors doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be in a relationship with them, but it does mean you need to get curious about how they respond when you set boundaries around those behaviors.
Learn more on the Gottman Relationship Blog: https://bit.ly/3arbPNw

Moore Police Department offering EMDR trauma therapy to officers The Moore Police Department is offering its officers a special type of therapy to treat trauma. It’s called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR.

what does EFT stand for?

Want to improve your mental health? Eat your greens. Studies show that eating more vegetables can give you a mental boost equal to finding a new job or taking a daily walk.

emdr works!

Don’t downplay mental health, your mind is just as important as any other part of your body!

https://www.emdrsolutions.com/2016/01/19/cras-suscipit-ante-erat-eleifend/

Breathing Ooouuuttt to Create Calm 38 years ago, when I did my first meditation retreat with Stephen Levine, we would do long OMs at the start of many other kinds of practice. Last night, 35 years after my last class, I started another meditation class, this time with Jamal Rahman, a Sufi teacher. With each of the nearly 40 OMs

The pandemic has been difficult on all of us, weighing especially heavy on mental health. With 2021 behind us, prioritize your mental health this year.

http://katherinemalavenda.com/2022/01/01/happy-new-year-2/

Happy New Year The pandemic has been difficult on all of us, weighing especially heavy on mental health. With 2021 behind us, prioritize your mental health this year.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157843112990865&id=149200885864

Opinion | In lockdown with your partner? Here’s how healthy couples survive. With coronavirus shutting off our normal escape valves, how do we release the lid and turn off the heat before our relationship with our partner has all but melted down?

https://www.facebook.com/149200885864/posts/10157842079150865/

Yep, we’re all fighting with our partners right now Solidarity. But also—here's how to help make it better.

I am offering tele-therapy through video and/or phone to all who want to be seen during this time. Please contact me for more details : 787-414-3048

WHAT IS EMDR AND HOW CAN IT CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.

More than thirty positive controlled outcome studies have been conducted on EMDR therapy. Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions. Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy. Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years.
(EMDR INSTITUTE, 2020)
FAQ's
Will EMDR be covered by insurance?
Yes, EMDR is empirically validated and billed the same as a standard psychotherapy session. Insurance companies that allow for mental health coverage/benefits will allow of EMDR to be billed as a regular session.

What does EMDR work for?
Anyone who has ever experienced an upset that they have not recovered from. Often these people have one or more of the following symptoms in varying degrees: feeling “stuck”, excess stress/tension, depression, anxiety, restlessness, sleep trouble, fatigue, appetite disturbances, addictions and ongoing physical health concerns despite treatment. In the more severe cases: panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, obsessions, compulsions, eating disorder, and suicidal tendencies.

Click here to make an appointment online:
https://kmalavenda.mytherabook.com/appointments/new

TheraNest Client Portal Software - kmalavenda

You may now schedule your own appointments! Please click here to make an appointment online:
https://kmalavenda.mytherabook.com/appointments/new

TheraNest Client Portal Software - kmalavenda

Why are some people secure in their intimate relationship and seem to have a healthy happy bond, while others seem to be constantly worried their partner will leave them, or doesn't love them enough? Why is it that others seem to avoid intimacy and seem to be afraid of getting too close to their partner? The answer lies in Adult Attachment Style. [ 441 more words ]
http://katherinemalavenda.com/2019/02/06/attachment-style/

Attachment Style Why are some people secure in their intimate relationship and seem to have a healthy happy bond, while others seem to be constantly worried their partner will leave them, or doesn’t love them…

As the holiday season descends upon us, it is no surprise that many people begin to feel an increase in stress. Maybe you are feeling pressure or concern about family get-togethers or perhaps you really miss your family and you won't see them this year. For some, holidays bring up some not so jolly memories from the past. Add shopping, decorating, traveling, traffic and financial concerns to this mix and it is clear how some people can feel a mix of anxiety, frustration, and depression during the holidays. [ 274 more words ]
http://katherinemalavenda.com/2018/11/28/happy-holidays/

Happy Holidays As the holiday season descends upon us, it is no surprise that many people begin to feel an increase in stress. Maybe you are feeling pressure or concern about family get-togethers or perhaps you r…

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” — Carl Jung
Our judgments about others are often the last things we want to see about ourselves.
Instead of judgment, observe and be curious.

Spent the past last five days with this amazing group of people learning and training in EMDR.

Still smiling after an Intense 5 Days of EMDR Basic Training! Thank you to host agency Aspire Health Partners and to the incredible clinician participants who made this training awesome! Next Basic training is in Lakeland, FL September 14-16 and November 9-11. Register at https://connectemdr.com/emdr-regional-institute-basic-training-lakeland-fl/

Welcome to my website. My name is Katherine Malavenda. I am a mental health practitioner in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. I offer a variety of services including individual counseling and therapy, couples or marriage counseling and family counseling. I use an eclectic approach to therapy combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness techniques to adjust treatment to meet your specific needs. [ 46 more words ]
http://katherinemalavenda.com/2018/07/02/welcome/

Welcome Welcome to my website. My name is Katherine Malavenda. I am a mental health practitioner in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. I offer a variety of services including individual counseling and therapy, coupl…

Self-Love Self-love and acceptance goes a long way in maintaining mental health and wellness. Even if you only have a few minutes a day, you will reap amazing benefits if you commit to one small act of self …

It is normal to argue and disagree with those that are close to us, but its important to discuss disagreements openly and outweigh them with positive interactions.
Research shows that healthy relationships have at least five positive interactions for every one negative interaction. Positive interactions show your loved one that you care for and support them. They do not have to be huge over-the-top gestures. In fact, small daily interactions are more important in terms of relationship health than grand gestures. Negative interactions are hurtful behavior towards your loved one, or ignoring their attempts to connect. Positivity breeds more positivity. This is true for relationships with spouses, children, extended family and friends. What is your ratio?

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” —Howard Thurman author, philosopher, theologian, educator, civil rights leader.

If you do not create and control your environment, your environment creates and controls you. -M. Goldsmith