EP# 282: Ivana Ayala-Esslinger's Path to Healing: Transforming Lives through Therapy and Wellness with LilyPad Counseling and Wellness Center

What makes Ivana Ayala-Esslinger with Lilypad Counseling and Wellness Center a good neighbor?

Discover the transformative power of therapy and self-care with our inspiring guest, Ivana Ayala-Esslinger, a licensed mental health counselor from LilyPad Counseling and Wellness Center. In this episode, Ivana shares her journey into the mental health field, driven by her passion for helping others navigate anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. She tackles common misconceptions about therapy, clarifying that it's a gradual, individualized process meant to foster a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Ivana's dedication to her clients, ranging from adolescents to adults, is truly inspiring and offers invaluable insights for anyone considering therapy.

But that's not all—Ivana also delves into the significant impact of lifestyle changes on overall well-being. Learn how improvements in diet, meditation practices, and prioritizing rest can greatly enhance both physical and mental health. Ivana shares personal anecdotes about her own wellness journey and how it shapes her approach at LilyPad Counseling and Wellness Center. This episode is a heartfelt invitation to address issues like grief, loss, and self-neglect, providing pathways to personal empowerment and stronger relationships. Don't forget to connect with Ivana through the center’s website and social media channels for further support and consultations.

To learn more about Lilypad Counseling and Wellness Center go to:
https://www.lilypadcounselingandwellnesscenter.com/

Lilypad Counseling and Wellness Center
561-203-5377

Transcript

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The Good Neighbor Podcast

Speaker 1 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast , the place where local businesses and neighbors come together . Here's your host , Garfield Bowen .

Speaker 2 0:14

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast . Are you in need of a mental health counselor ? Well , one may be closer than you think . Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor , ivana Ayala-Slinger , with LilyPad Counseling and Wellness Center . Ivana , how are you doing today ?

Speaker 3 0:32

I'm great . Thank you , Garfield . How are you ?

Speaker 2 0:35

I am well Listen . We're excited to learn all about you and your practice . Tell us about your company .

Speaker 3 0:42

So I am a licensed mental health counselor and so I provide psychotherapy . So , for those people who are new to the counseling world psychotherapists including licensed mental health counselors , social workers , some psychologists , psychiatrists we work to help people with mental health issues . Psychiatrists we work to help people with mental health issues , and they can be a range of anxiety , depression , everyday life issues that are impacting them , causing them suffering , and for some other people , they really do struggle with severe and profound mental health issues , such as self-harm , wanting to hurt themselves , wanting to hurt others . So there's a big range of people we support . So it's super interesting and exciting For me and my work . I typically end up serving ages 10 to up , so adolescents , preteens and adults who are struggling with the different facets of anxiety , depression and also , in addition , grief and loss , such as divorce , moving , trauma , families who are struggling with someone who has an addiction or they're in rehab . So there's a range of supports that I offer . So it's super exciting .

Speaker 2 2:06

So how did you get into this business ?

Speaker 3 2:11

Oh , a funny story . Actually , I've always wanted to be a counselor . So when I was young , in middle school , I was super fascinated by my school counselor and how loving and sweet and present and available she was and I was like I want to be that . So as I got older , I went to school . I got my master's in school counseling . So I was a school counselor for about eight years and then I transitioned into mental health counseling and got my specialist degree in mental health counseling . Because I wanted , as much as I love working with children in the academic setting , I wanted to spend more time with them one-on-one and adults as well , really expand how I work with them in supporting them and helping them reach their goals and especially their mental wellness goals .

Speaker 2 3:00

Okay , in terms of misconceptions , what are some of the myths and misconceptions of that mental counseling industry ?

Speaker 3 3:08

I love that question . It was kind of hard to come up with an answer for that , so I would say two . So there's two of the big ones that come up to me . One is that if you go to therapy one time , all of your problems are solved and you're going to feel amazing right away . Two times , right , right , right , that's like anything else . Right , when we're suffering or when we're in pain , especially if we're in physical pain , right , we go to a doctor and we expect them to make it better , right , to cure it in that moment . And even with antibiotics you're taking antibiotics for five , six , seven , eight , nine days right , or in any long-term illness , you're slowly receiving treatment in order to treat them .

Speaker 3 3:54

So I look at mental health , very similar as physical health , where it varies on a spectrum to what you're dealing with . If you have a cold , you're going to recover very quickly . So for some people you know they're stressed out , work , something happens at work and they're like I don't know what's going on . I don't know if I should quit , not quit my job . All I know is I don't , even I can't get up tomorrow because I don't want to go to work . Right , and so they might see a therapist for a few weeks just to kind of work through that transition so that they can navigate what they want , you know what's working , what's not working , while for other people they suffer an extreme loss . You know the loss of a partner , the loss of , you know , their child is terminally ill . So these are things that are , you know , more potent and cause so much suffering , and so they may need more ongoing support , and that's okay , right . And so I feel like there's this misconception that , like you go and you take a pill , there are no pills really that cure , other than probably antibiotics . Most of them kind of help you with the symptoms along , but most people in therapy don't take medication . They don't need it .

Speaker 3 5:02

So I think therapy gives people an opportunity to get to know themselves and the things . They're going to give us advice we don't want um , and that typically isn't found in a therapeutic setting and he's not in my , in my office , right . So , um , with me it's non-judgmental . Um , I've got a great sense of humor . There's probably a , not that you can tell me that I would be very surprised or shocked by . But in my work with the people I work with my young people , my adults , it is really meeting them where they're at and helping them to navigate their best and highest self , their strengths and what they need , what they would like to work on , essentially right um , and then helping them get there , and sometimes it's a few sessions . On average , though , I think most people's about 15 ish sessions . Some people need longer , some people need shorter . So I think that like kind of clears out misconceptions that some people go to therapy for the rest of their life . They might not need it . Some people do , but that's that's also a misconception . So I feel like anything else is .

Speaker 2 6:28

So , Ivana , when you're not so busy running your business , what do you like to do for fun ?

Speaker 3 6:37

I dance a lot . I like to dance all kinds of dance . You name it , I'll do it Ballroom line dancing , dancing under the full moon , salsa dancing , hip hop dancing you name it , I'll be doing it . Take me to a Polish festival , I'll do that too . You take me to a Greek festival , I'll do that too . So usually , when I'm not working , I'm hanging out on the couch watching TV , snuggling with my kids , or I'm dancing .

Speaker 2 7:04

Okay , so we can all close our eyes and visualize that , yeah .

Speaker 3 7:10

You know you bring a great thing Like . Part of me , too , is very integrative . So even though I do traditional talk therapy , like people are mostly used to , I integrate a lot of other things like mind , body , soul , stuff . So you know I'm really a big proponent on physical health . So me and my clients talk about that , Like what is your physical health like and what are you eating and what are you doing and how's your sleep right , In order to get a big picture on . Like sometimes just sleeping more helps a lot of stuff right . Sometimes taking a nap helps a lot Right . Sometimes eating well helps a lot of things In addition to , like , the mind stuff that we work on .

Speaker 3 7:47

So I do meditation and guided visualization and nervous system kind of yoga nidra . I don't want to go too much into it , We'll talk too much , but there are things that I help my clients do that are practical and things skill based that they can do to help regulate their nervous system . So I do a lot and , of course , their soul right . Their soul is important and their spirit so , whatever that means to them , how can I best support them ? Because that's important right , your purpose and what you want to do and how you want to show up in the world .

Speaker 2 8:14

So my work kind of stops there , let's change gears a little bit . Life often does us curveballs . Let's talk about one hardship , one life struggle , something that you overcame and could look back today and say you're better and stronger because of that . What comes to mind ?

Speaker 3 8:35

The one thing that comes to mind that I feel has helped me tremendously , and probably would be helpful for a lot of other people , is I was actually diagnosed with vertigo and chronic fatigue Shortly after my son was born . I became very ill and debilitated , and started me on this healing journey to where I had to pay attention to what I was doing to myself . I wasn't eating well , I was not focusing on my own health , I was taking care of my children and my family and working , and really and I had been my entire life working like three jobs and school , and like never really stopping and that was my value like no work is important , and I had no problem working

Healing and Empowerment Through Counseling

Speaker 3 9:18

. What I didn't understand , though , was that I was neglecting my body and neglecting myself , and so it really forced me to slow down and work with practitioners who were like listen , you know , these are the things that you're going to need to do in order to feel better . Are you willing to do it ? And I did right .

Speaker 3 9:34

I changed my diet and I started spending more time learning to meditate and listen , and learning to put myself first sometimes , you know and resting and acknowledging that I'm doing a really good job and that I'm working really hard and that I do deserve to enjoy my time , my money , my house . I didn't have to work as hard and that was like a big , a big thing for me that I can still work . But I didn't have to burn myself into the ground anymore . And so once I started you know , taking vitamins and eating well and exercising more regularly and taking timeouts and enjoying myself more and following my passion , so things I really love to do I started noticing my health start to improve , not just physically but also mentally , and so that's a big thing and I kind of help my clients with that too , like little things that we do , even though they don't seem little , have huge impacts on our mind , body and wellness .

Speaker 2 10:29

Okay , I'm going to put you on the spot a little here , if that's okay . Make you a little uncomfortable , is that all right ?

Speaker 3 10:38

Bring it , bring it on .

Speaker 2 10:39

I know there's a lot you want to share about LilyPad Counseling and Wellness Center , but we want you to narrow it down to one thing .

Speaker 3 10:55

One thing that you want our listeners to take away from this interview I know it's so hard , right to narrow it down . The one thing I think that probably sets me apart and I'm going based on , probably my peers I , my lens of how I view supporting my clients is through the lens of grief and loss , and what is it that we are struggling to let go of , or what are we still holding on to ? What parts of us are we like kind of really like neglecting , what parts of us we don't like ? You know what are the blocks that we're having around healing , around loving ourselves , around , you know , believing in ourselves . And so I use the different techniques not just talk therapy to really access that with my clients so that they can feel empowered in themselves and be like I got this , like I feel good again and now I can go out into the world and be of service . Right , Because actually I find , like a lot of my clients are very service orientated people , even the young people , right , they want to make the world better , they want to change the world .

Speaker 3 12:09

So I feel like I resonate with that and so when they come to me and they're feeling deflated and deflated and struggling , they're doing all the things and they're still things . They're not happy , they're just not okay . I feel like the work I do , we work through that and they tell me that you know they've met their goals and that they're feeling good and that they're really happy with the work we've done and then they can move on with their life and graduate . They all call it like graduating so that they can you know , they can move on in the world and be better and honestly , that like resonates . They can see differences in their families , they can see differences in their relationships and I don't know if that sets me apart from other people , but like that's what I noticed with my clients that they see better things happening around them once they've done the healing within themselves .

Speaker 2 12:58

So my listeners now have one question now , and that is how can they get more information on Lily Lily pad counseling and wellness center ?

Speaker 3 13:16

So they anybody who's interested in checking out my website and obtaining a free consultation . I typically will talk to potential clients 15 to 30 minutes and they can go to my website , wwwlilypadcounselingandwellnesscentercom . They can call me 561-203-5377 . I'm also on Facebook and Instagram , so there's a lot of ways that they can reach out and then we set up a consultation . I kind of see what they want and what they're looking for and if they're a good fit for me because I really feel like the therapeutic relationship is like number one and also a client's willingness to do the work , those are like top things . So if you feel comfortable with me , we're going to do great work . If you're like not sure , then I I have people that I can refer to , so I'm open to helping people and meet them where they're at , and if I'm not the person , I'll find someone who can support them .

Speaker 2 14:20

Well you found it . It's been a pleasure having you on the show . I wish you and your business the very best moving forward .

Speaker 3 14:25

Thank you so much , garfield . It was a pleasure and I appreciate you .

Speaker 1 14:29

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Port St Lucie . To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show , go to gnpportsaintluciecom . That's gnpportsaintluciecom , or call 772-362-3840 . 2 , 3 , 6 . 2 3 , 8 , 4 . 0 .