Nikolai Blinow is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and yoga teacher in Cranston, RI. In her TED talk at the TEDxSalveReginaU event, Nikolai explains the similarities between mental health treatment and yoga practices.
Drawing specific instances from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Astanga 8 Limbs, Nikolai explains the ways that these can both be seen as treatment plans, or steps to take towards living a better life.
Though both have their benefits and disadvantages, Nikolai shows us how by bringing together yoga’s focus on self-awareness and insight, as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy’s professional support, guidance, and feedback, we can create truly holistic mental health care and space for healing and growth.
Setting goals for your mental health is a common practice in therapy. These goals – about a behavior you want to change or life milestone you hope to reach – guide therapy sessions and give your therapist an idea of why you’re in therapy.
For those considering therapy, you might still have a few questions about what it’ll be like before you book your first session. Here, we’ve answered your top therapy questions to give you an idea of what therapy could be like for you and how it can benefit you in all areas of life.