Mental Health

Music has been used for thousands of years to treat psychological disturbances and physical illnesses. Research continues to demonstrate that this traditional knowledge has merit; music is an effective therapeutic intervention for mental health disorders and addiction. Clients can get multiple benefits from participating in this group therapy offered at Avalon Malibu. Learn a brief history of music as a therapy and how it can help individuals seeking treatment.

Life is full of a thousand different distractions. When you are caught up in the distractions of life, it can be hard to prioritize what you actually need to move forward in important areas of your life, such as mental illness and addiction. Reflecting on what is most important to you in this season of life can help you discern between what is essential and what is not.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a type of therapeutic framework therapists can use with clients to assist in the healing process. To experience healing and reconnect with our authentic selves, we must approach healing through an integrative lens. IFS aims to do this by helping us gain awareness of our inner parts and integrate them into our present-day experience.

True self-care is not just about using face masks and having days at the spa. In fact, this type of self-care might be inaccessible for you and many others. Self-care that truly improves your well-being from a holistic perspective is not just about what you want. It looks different for everyone.

Experiencing anxiety can be debilitating and exhausting. It can take the pleasure out of living and replace it with feelings of fear and doom that get overwhelming. It is important to remember that anxiety is not the problem—it is the way we have learned to relate to it. By shifting the way we view anxiety, we can experience space and relief from it to feel more at peace with ourselves.

When experiencing periods of substance abuse or mental illness, it is normal to feel disconnected from yourself. Perhaps you are not sure what it feels like to be the true you, or maybe you are unsure if you will ever feel at peace with yourself. Healing creates space for you to rekindle a relationship with your authentic self. Addiction and mental illness can make you feel and act like someone you are not. Below are things you can do to get back in tune with who you are and who you want to be.

When beginning a healing journey from addiction and mental illness, it can be helpful to have a personal mission statement to help you remember what your goals are, make decisions in alignment with your values, and ground you in your vision for your future.

Beginning to break from familiar patterns, such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, stress, anxiety, overthinking, and self-preservation is not easy, but it does lead to inner peace. Building awareness around practices you reinforce each day, doing the opposite, and offering yourself compassion can help break these cycles to give you more peace.

If you are reading this, you might be someone who feels like following your dreams is hard. Maybe you do not know what you want or what your dream is. Maybe you know what you desire, but your inner voice of self-doubt pops up anytime you take action toward this reality. Regardless of what your relationship is like with achieving what you desire in life, know that you are worthy of experiencing and creating the life you feel called to live.

Slowing down is a radical act of self-compassion when today's societal narrative overtly and covertly communicates to try harder, achieve more, and be better. As important as it is to sometimes push our comfort zones to reach the goals we have for ourselves, it is also important to allow ourselves to slow down and rest without thinking that means we are not doing “enough.”

Many Americans do not get the sleep they need to support their essential functions. Sleep deficiency can lead to physical and mental health conditions that reduce the quality of life.  To find some relief, some get prescriptions like Ambien from their doctor to aid them in falling asleep. It is important to learn more about sleep deficiency and why medications like Ambien may cause more harm than good.

The way control works is strange—grasping for control is often the very thing that makes you feel as if you do not have control. You might underestimate the amount of control you have in any given situation. While it can be helpful to focus on things that are in your control, such as taking actions that align with your goals and desires, grasping for too much control can cause anxiety rather than inner peace and stability.