Many clients involved in Highfields’ programs struggle with stress and anxiety. Highfields’ Multisystemic Therapy Supervisor, Becky Womboldt has seen positive changes in her clients using mindfulness techniques. She recently embarked on a new adventure to become a certified mindfulness teacher to enhance her skills to better serve clients.
In July, Becky attended a weekend mindfulness mediation retreat at Garrison Institute, where she dug deeper into the psychological boundaries that keep us from moving forward in our life. For the first two and a half days, everyone was instructed to be silent. This meant no verbal communications or similar sounds for 60 hours! People were even given the opportunity to place their phones in a basket, to avoid the distraction of learning from the retreat. Each day was spent with at least eight hours of meditation, whether it was sitting, walking small paths or yoga, where each student was required to reflect and be silent.
“I went through a roller coaster of emotions. I often found myself being overwhelmed by looking back on the past, then becoming happy with the revelations I found,” Becky said. “When we’re silent, everything we try to avoid comes to light.”
Becky reiterated that mindfulness is the practice of being in the present.
“The clients we serve often get caught up in past transgressions and memories, or even future worries, and neither are good for maintaining positive mental health,” said Becky.
Highfields believes in the importance of training staff in mindfulness and mediation techniques, so they can share their knowledge with clients and help enhance their lives. By including mindfulness into counseling sessions, therapists are able to provide a more unique approach to individuals, allowing them to recognize current problems and find strength in positive solutions.
“We need to remind each other to be in the moment,” Becky states. “Especially when helping clients and their families, our goal is to give them the opportunity to succeed in every aspect of life.”