Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Carey, Psy.D, M.S, HTCP.
Sandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Becoming a psychologist has been a life long dream of mine, but I spent the early part of my career as a professional musician, performing throughout the United States and Europe. After while being on the road and teaching, I decided it was time to pursue my deepest desire, psychology.
As I embarked on my education, I was faced with a debilitating illness that made daily living a challenge, to say the least. After several attempts to find relief through traditional Western medicine, I met a Doctor of Osteopath who put together the pieces of my physical symptoms with some emotional trauma that I had experienced maybe 12 years prior. My treatment with him included addressing physical symptoms, but I also got back in therapy to address the emotional trauma and started to change my dietary habits to support my health.
My own journey inspired me to gather the knowledge and skills of holistic care. This led to the completion of my doctorate in Clinical Psychology, while I obtained a Masters of Nutrition and Health Education to help people understand the intricate balance of nutrition and mental wellness. I also obtained a certification in Healing Touch, an energy medicine modality that serves as an adjunctive treatment to address emotional stress, physical pain, and address symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma.
As I gathered these tools, I began to form a vision of a center that could serve individuals in a client-centered way. Everyone’s path to healing is unique and the Center for Vitality and Balance offers the services of traditional psychotherapy, individual and group nutrition, and health education and the energy work of Healing Touch. As each person who comes to the Center identifies their needs and goals, a specific plan is formed to address the needs and hopes each person carries. I work with clients holding the belief that each person holds within themselves all the resources they need to heal, grow and become. Our job at the Center is to help equip individuals to do just that.
Our doors officially opened in April 2016 and we continue to grow. The next phase to expands our space to include on-site cooking classes with a holistic chef, restorative and trauma informed yoga, group psychotherapy, classes and experiences with meditation and much more. We are excited to be developing and expanding the ways in which we can journey with people towards their best self.
Has it been a smooth road?
As with any creative endeavor, it hasn’t been without challenges to develop the programs and services we believe best serve people in their healing journeys.
Because the current space at the Center is limited, I have worked with some wonderful people in the community to find places to hold yoga sessions, cooking classes, and meditation experiences. Sometimes, we have had a great turn out and everything works together to be supportive for everyone. Other times, we have had a hard time finding the right space, or the word about our wonderful classes and experiences don’t reach the right people at the right time. Every experience is just another opportunity to assess how we can serve the community and equip others to be their best, body, mind and spirit.
The best advice that I can offer, cultivated from lots of starts and stops, is embracing the process. I wish I could say everything I’ve done has been a huge success, but it hasn’t been that way. Some of the most ego-crushing feedback I’ve gotten from people has been the spring board to some of my greatest growth professionally and personally. As I work to refrain from judgment of my self or my efforts, I can better learn from every experience. I can discover more about my motives, skills, limits and strengths. And then take all that and create again. Success is not a static experience, but a constant ebb and flow of creativity, patience, perseverance and love.
We’d love to hear more about Center for Vitality and Balance.
The services offered include traditional psychotherapy, individual and group nutrition and health education, and energy medicine.
Therapy is a collaborative experience and I work from a client-centered, emotion focused approach. This creates a safe space for the individual to explore their goals, needs, and to process the barriers to their best self. We work together to create meaning from the past, hope for the future and get practical about how to make that happen. Not everything happens as once, as healing is definitely a journey, but we strive together to move towards the places that will best serve the client at whatever place they are in their life.
Nutrition and Health Education services provide assessment and guidance around any issues about dietary patterns and lifestyle goals. This may include looking at weekly eating plans, or it may address thoughts and feelings about food or exercise and how that impacts their well-being. My doctoral and continued research focuses on dietary patterns and it affects on mood and mental functioning, but there is always a rich emotional component to how we relate to food, nourish our bodies and support our health. Nutrition services can be integrated into the therapy process or be used separately to address only those specific needs related to food and lifestyle goals.
Healing Touch is a heart centered practice where the practitioner uses their hands in an intentional way to help the client’s energy clear and balance and place the client in a position to self-heal. This method can help address areas of emotional, mental, psychical and spiritual well being. It is considered a complimentary approach and is not meant to replace care prescribed by a physician. It does serve as a wonderful adjunctive treatment for issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and physical pain.
My areas of specialty include depression, anxiety, binge eating disorder, grief and loss, women’s issues, life transitions, relationship wellness and spirituality.
I am most proud that we offer holistic treatment individually, but that we also support the community through quarterly classes and experiences around nutrition, meditation, yoga and managing stress. I believe this sets apart from other therapy practices as we work hard to support the whole person on their journey to wellness.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I love that women are complex beings. By the very structure of our brains, we easily access both the linear/logical parts of our selves with the creative and feeling parts. I think this puts us in a great position for compassionate leadership, creative problem solving, community building and working together with others to create a rich and healing network.
Contact Info:
- Address: Center for Vitality and Balance
24W500 Maple Avenue
Suite 203D
Naperville, IL 60540 - Website: www.pathwaysofvitality.com
- Phone: 630-286-0993
- Email: sandra@pathwaysofvitality.com
Image Credit:
Pexels.com for images, Michelle Kaffko, Organic Headshots
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
