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Turn wounds into wisdom.

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Services

Diana has over 15 years of experience counseling adults, youth, couples, groups and families. From treatment of a chronic mental illness, to court-referred counseling, to life coaching, Diana will facilitate change with you. ​

 

Individual/Couples Counseling

Children heal differently than adults and often need experiential therapies to work through their issues. Diana uses a variety of art, literature, game playing, music, and play to diagnose and treat children.

Play Therapy/Sandtray Therapy
Trauma Treatment

 Diana is trained as a clinician in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a technique effective in minimizing the residual effects of trauma.

​Mindful Parenting:
A Feelings Vocabulary



​​One of the most important skills in emotional literacy is the ability to correctly perceive feelings, both in oneself and others. If you misperceive feelings in yourself, it will cause you to react in a way that will not likely get you what you really want. If you misperceive feelings in others, it also can lead to aversive and unintended consequences.

 

In order to identify feelings in yourself, you first need to have words for those feelings, a “feelings vocabulary.” Many children are either glad or mad and miss all the subtle gradations of feelings in-between because they do not have labels for those feelings. Therefore, parents and educators have to make a conscious and deliberate effort to teach these words and their emotional definitions.

 

This can be done in several ways. One way is to paraphrase back to children in an appropriate manner what they are saying to you. For example, you might ask a child how he feels when his sister will not include him in her play and he replies, "She’s such an idiot. I hate her." The parent can then paraphrase this back as; "It sounds like your feelings were really hurt and that you are very angry with your sister." If you ignore how the child expressed himself, but indicate understanding of the underlying feeling, you not only reinforce the child for talking to you but also model an appropriate way to communicate feelings.

 

Children can learn about feelings when watching television, sitting on a bench in the mall, or reading. Point out the feelings that you see around you and talk about them. Talk about how the characters on TV or in books are feeling and why. Look at people you see and try to guess how they are feeling.

 

Another technique for teaching how to identify feelings is to watch if people are being their "BEST." This is an acronym for: B-- Body language; E-- Eye contact; S-- what is Said; T-- Tone of voice.In a sense, "feelings" are what it is all about. Being “emotionally intelligent” can indeed alleviate the stress of miscommunication, as well as increase self-awareness and confidence.

One of the best ways you can help someone with mental illness is by understanding what it is — and what it isn't. After all, myths about mental illnesses contribute to stigma, which in turn prevents those who are living with one from seeking help.
The fact is, a mental illness is a disorder of the brain — your body's most important organ — and 1 in 6 adults lives with a brain-related illness including depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and schizophrenia.
Like most diseases of the body, mental illness has many causes — from genetics to other biological, environmental andsocial/cultural factors. And just as with most diseases, mental illnesses are no one's fault. The unusual behaviors associated with some illnesses are symptoms of the disease — not the cause.
But most importantly, mental illnesses are treatable through medication and psychosocial therapies — allowing those who live with them the opportunity to lead full and productive lives.

 

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People Who Have Mental Illness Make Valuable Contributions to Society

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Teachers. Doctors. Politicians. Lawyers. Parents. Musicians. Actors.Business owners. Scientists. Artists. People living with mental illnesses work in all professions and make invaluable and endless contributions to our lives and communities. They are our friends,family, neighbors, and the people we interact with every day. Yet, only 42% of Americans believe people living with a mental illness can be as successful at work as others. Studies, however, indicate no differences when comparing the productivity of people with mental health problems to that of other employees. Stigma and discrimination, nevertheless, often keep them from applying for or being offered employment, despite their qualifications for a job.

Overcoming the stigma associated with a mental illness, seeking and getting treatment, and being part of a support network enable people to reclaim their lives, enjoy meaningful careers, and continue to make valuable contributions to society.

 

Discrimination Against PeopleWho Have Mental Illness Violates Their Basic Human Rights.

More than twenty years after passage of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, negative and harmful attitudes against people living with mental illnesses remain strong. Despite the provisions of the Act and other civil rights laws, people with mental illnesses continue to face discrimination in the workplace, at school, and in their communities.Breaking down the stigma of mental illness can close the door on discrimination, and open it to opportunity – the right to affordable housing, equal opportunity employment, and a public education.For those living with a mental illness, it’s a journey from shame and isolation to dignity and responsibility.

 

Discrimination Against People Who Have Mental Illness Keeps Them from Seeking Help.

Mental and physical health are important to the overall well-being of individuals and societies. Yet, of the one-in-four people living with a mental illness, fewer than half with serious illnesses seek treatment;and those who do expend considerable effort to keep their treatment a secret. Many have experienced discrimination in school, in housing situations, in the community, and at work. Fear of disclosure,rejection by friends, and discrimination are among the reasons they remain silent, instead of reaching out for help.

 

Things You Can Do to Combat Stigma and Discrimination

• Avoid disrespectful language about any group of people.

• Refer to the person, not the illness. “Sue lives with schizophrenia. She is not a schizophrenic.” Remember, the mental illness is only a part of the person, just as heart disease or diabetes is for people living with these diseases.

• Listen to people who live with a mental illness. Learn how stigma impacts their day-to-day life and what they, like you, need to live a fulfilled life.

• Emphasize people’s abilities, not their limitations.

• Challenge stereotypes about mental illness in the media or among the people you know.

• Encourage those you know who live with mental illness to share their stories.

• Contact your elected officials and demand that discrimination against people living with mental illnesses be stopped.

• Learn more about stigma and mental illness. Learn more about how you can combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses.

Become part of the solution!

Connecting with Kids.

 

By Diana Ayotte, CMHC

What the younger generations need is someone to connect with and inspire them in their growth. Ideally, parents and caretakers are the ones to offer that loving connection, however, the situation is not always “ideal” and the village needs to step up and make a difference. Here are ten simple ways to connect with kids, whether or not they are your own:

  • Show some respect. Youth deserve respect as much as any other person occupying the planet. The best way to urge respect with and among our youngsters is to model that respect for self, others, nature, and society at large. Far too often respect is conditional and our youth feel that inconsistency. Avoid stereotyping, snap judgments, and disregarding anyone based simply on age. You can make a difference.

  • Chat it up. Oh, the wondrous and enlightening conversations that can be shared with a child! Google offers myriad ideas of what to talk with kids about, from tobacco to sex to personal hygiene. How about we just “talk” and let the conversation lead to the interests of the little one?! Sometime after they stop asking questions about why the sky is blue we stop conversing with them altogether. Use open-ended questions or create a conversation jar or even make up knock-knock jokes together. Complimenting a teen on his selection while waiting in line at the mall can lead to improved self-esteem for all involved. The power of the word is unending.

  • Create a bond. The distinguishing feature of today’s youth is aloneness. Due to the social changes of the last few decades, kids today spend more time alone than any other generation. They are missing a coherent sense of community. Invite a child along to run your errands, bake cookies for a sick friend, form a coalition or plan and execute a service project in the neighborhood. We can ease the burden of dissociation by forging productive social bonds between youth and adults in every setting.

  • Walk the walk. In daily life, we must be clear that moral values are a priority to us. There can be no fence-sitting. As we consistently model the values we esteem, the youth see and emulate those behaviors. Which is more important: saving a buck or being honest? In this case, what we do is far more important than what we say.

  • Engage young people on issues that matter to them. Driven by a desire to bring about change, youth are ready and willing to gain the skills and take on leadership roles to revolutionize the world. We, as organizations and individuals, can capitalize on this interest and help them develop goals for a brighter future for all. Take kids on fieldtrips: to places of industry and government; to nature parks and soup kitchens; to landfills and universities. Put the world at their feet and allow them to explore and find their own strengths and passions.  

  • Be a student of the youth. The young generations of today possess a wealth of insights and understanding. Don’t rush to offer solutions for them or move on hastily. Listen. Learn from them and assist them in finding their voices, their missions. People listen to people who listen.

  • Fill the void. Help offset the effects of confusing messages with vibrant, life-affirming influences. Expose children and adolescents to good music, literature, cultural experiences, and interesting activities. Encourage them to try something new and participate right along with them.

  • Keep promises. Say what you’ll do and do what you say. The world is full of examples of broken promises and people letting people down. Give each child someone to believe in, someone to trust. They will learn to look at life a little differently when they know they can count on you. Cultivate trust.

  • Work it out through play. Play is a primary method for kids to expand upon their creative potentials, learn the feelings that accompany both winning and losing, and try on new aspects of identity. Promote traditional toys like building blocks, board games, and dress-ups over electronics to build their dexterity, imagination, and cognitive strengths. Model respect, honesty, and losing graciously as you connect in this way. So many times the real conversations take place while you’re dealing out the cards or setting up the Lego house.

  • Be patient. Building trusting relationships will not happen overnight. It takes time. Look at it like a savings account. If we just keep making withdrawals from the account, it will eventually be in the red. Continuously make deposits and you’ll find a positive balance.

  • As Kahlil Gibran said, “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness. For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He also loves the bow that is stable.” The benefits of adults connecting with youth are innumerous for all generations. They may not be your children, but they are OUR children.

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