Celeste Ballard

Celeste Ballard, MA, LCPC, LMT

With 20 years of experience, I practice as a body-centered psychotherapist and work with the philosophy that events effect our whole being - physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. Because of this philosophy, I work to help one understand how their history impacts them on a variety of levels. I combine traditional counseling psychology with Mindfulness Based psychotherapy for a more complete approach to change.

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I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, have a BS in Human Services, and Master in Psychology with a Counseling Specialty. I have been in the field of counseling since 1994. In addition to being a Licensed Massage Therapist, I have completed a two-year body-centered psychotherapy training called Hakomi. Included in my areas of work are concerns with depression, anxiety, trauma, relationships, spirituality, sexuality, chronic pain, and parenting. I work with the awareness of cultural, gender, and diversity issues.

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As a body-centered psychotherapist, I teach my clients to dialogue with the body, which allows clients to access unconscious material that automatically affects their current emotional and physical health. This essential avenue to emotion and spirit is often left behind during more traditional therapies. The holding of emotions can be seen physically in the forms of depression, anxiety, back pain, migraines, and many other chronic illnesses. As they understand cognitively what is happening, they are also able to shift the pattern or habit from the physiology of their body. This is particularly helpful with long term patterns, as the neuropath have adopted to the cognitions that have been running for years. Physically having a new experience, allows the neuropathways to run a new course and therefore allowing one to assimilate a new pattern more easily.

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An essential part of my technique involves mindfulness, which is the cultivation of moment-to-moment awareness. In the office, this allows for compassionately assisted self-discovery. Outside of the therapy session, clients can apply this method to a personal practice that includes learning how to meditate. Through mindfulness clients to learn to take an active role in creating a life that they desire, which may include more abundance, joy, and fulfilling relationships. Mindfulness based psychotherapy guides clients on a path into the inner realms and leads to the discovering, reforming, and unlocking of who we are before all the defenses were created.

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Therapy may involve discussion of current events that feel problematic as well as talking about how ones history has impacted them. It is helpful to talk about relationships and communication patterns. We may also work by bringing attention to tone of voice, movements, gestures, posture, energy, or facial expressions. Visualizations, movement, art, breath, and working with a sand table may also be used to gather information. By identifying the root of the patterns, Celeste’s clients access inherent knowledge that can lead them on a more direct path to healing.

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Contact Celeste:

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Via email: info@chicagoholisticcounseling.com

Via phone: 773-226-5603

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