Tag Archive for: MA

Marriage Enrichment Workshop

One Thursday, January 19, 2017. 7:00pm-8:30pm

Free and open to the public. Registration required.

Do you know …

  1. Half of all marriages that end, do so in the first 7 years.
  2. Four behaviors predict divorce with 94% accuracy: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
  3. Two behaviors predict divorce at 16 years of marriage.
  4. Unhappy couples have a 35% increased chance of serious illness.
  5. Happy couples live 4-6 years longer.
  6. Trying to solve conflicts when you are too stressed only makes things worse. It is kind of like talking to a drunk. You won’t get anywhere.

Couple Middle Age BrunettIn this workshop, you will learn practical tools to become a master of marriage.

  1. Discover the 4 most deadly behaviors that kill marriages so you can stop doing them.
  2. Communicate, listen and empathize so you develop emotional intimacy, physical intimacy and spiritual intimacy.

Who Should Attend

  • Married couples and pre-marital couples: engaged, co-habitating, dating.
  • This workshop is inappropriate couples with severe relationship distress, significant emotional or physical abuse, serious emotional or mental health problems, relationships where one or both partners are actively addicted to drugs or alcohol, and relationships with serious compulsive behavior with gambling, sexual acting out (including affairs), and other disruptive behaviors. If these situations are discovered during class, a referral will be made for individual or couples psychotherapy.

This workshop does not include sharing problems publicly. Since the class involves couples doing exercises together, both partners must participate.

This workshop is based on these books:

  • The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work by John Gottman, PhD. Three decades of research on what makes masters and disasters of marriage.
  • Biblical Reference Guide for the Gottman Method by David Penner, PhD
  • Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson, PhD. (Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy)

Want a Preview? Watch this TV interview. Search YouTube for Benita Esposito

Where: United Community Bank, Community Room. 177 Highway 515 East, Blairsville, GA 30512

When: One Thursday, January 19, 2017. 7-8:30pm. Please arrive by 6:45pm.

Format: Lecture, interactive exercises and Q&A discussion.

Tuition: Free

Registration required by 1/17/17. Space is limited to 10 couples.

Call Benita Esposito, LPC at 770-998-6642. Email: Benita@EspositoInstitute.com, or complete the Contact Form on this website.

Facilitator: Benita A. Esposito is a 29_BenitaEsposito2011 69KB closeupLicensed Professional Counselor with a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She has practiced psychotherapy for three decades, helping individuals and couples in private sessions, groups and intensive retreats. She belongs to Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and lives in Young Harris, Georgia. Psychotherapy in Georgia, in-person, telephone and videoconference. Spiritual Counseling worldwide.

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9 Meditation Tips

Research shows that meditation helps reduce anxiety and stress. It helps reduce blood pressure and enhances focus, memory and learning. It helps you get a better night’s sleep and increases your creativity. You will have a deeper sense of inner peace. Most likely your physical health will improve as well. Mine does every time I meditate.

To get the most out of your meditation, try the following things. Read more

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12 Agreements for Healthy Relationships

1.  Vulnerability + authenticity + empathy = safety and intimacy
2.  Tell the truth faster.
3.  Ask: What can I do to love my partner in more purity?
4.  Increase your ability to love yourself deeply.
5.  Find the innermost pain, be non-judgmental. Stay present. Breathe! Read more

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Marriage Story: From Cold War to Resurrection


“Our Journey Together With Benita A. Esposito”

 In the following story, you’ll see how a distressed couple on the verge of divorce transformed their marriage in six months. The story is told by the wife. If you want to skip the details, scroll to the end to read about the breakthroughs and what worked in therapy.

The Wife’s Side of the Story

We started our journey with Benita just over eight months ago. Our 15-year-old marriage was hanging on by a shredded string.  Read more

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“A Journey into Wholeness” CD

Do you want to reduceAKD0563 insert mcwP001.art stress?  You may never become a black belt karate master, but you can master your mind and emotions. Read more

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Marriage Counseling Story. Healing the Physical Heart and Emotional Heart.

square04Research published by the American Medical Association indicates that 90% of all disease is stress-related. Our mind, body, emotions, spirit and relationships intricately affect each other. When we heal the emotional or spiritual root of dis-ease, pain can ease up. Sometimes other physical symptoms vanish completely. I’ll show you what I mean in the following story. Emily’s heart condition and her emotional pain healed when her husband joined her in counseling. Psychotherapy can accelerate healing, and is used as an adjunct to medicine. Read more

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Stress Management at Work ~ Checklist

In many organizations, chronic stress is the most significant health problem facing the employees and managers. Often daily activities appear to be a never ending series of too many things to do with insufficient time and resources to allow acceptable job performance, let alone the level of professionalism which is desired. Read more

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Marriage Counseling, Increasing Marital Intimacy: Carol’s Story.

Carol’s heart was racing. She thought it could be a heart attack so she went to the emergency room. An MRI revealed no heart dysfunction so her doctor diagnosed it as a panic attack. She came to therapy because she wanted to discover the underlying cause so she could heal the condition without drugs.

Session 1. Carol opened our first session by explaining her recent medical emergency and then announced, “Let me tell you what I think is really causing this. It’s my relationship with my husband!”

Read more

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Stress Management Workshop

Stressed WomanAre you a conscientious worker but you’re tired because there aren’t enough hours in the day to get your work done? Do you have trouble balancing the demands of your job with caring for your loved ones? Is stress taking a toll on your health and coping ability? Do conflicts wear you down?

Stress and Productivity Statistics
Approximately 40% to 50% of all adult workers experience the negative effects of stress (American Psychological Association, 1997).

Consequences of Workplace Stress

1. Absenteeism, turnover and diminished productivity
2. Substance abuse
3. Anxiety, depression and accidents

You’ll learn 4 Stress Management Tools to Help You Feel Better Immediately.

(1) Explore beliefs that either increase or decrease stress.

(2) Breathing exercises to calm your mind and body.

(3) Learn the single most important thing that will help you create work/life balance.

(4) Take breaks so you don’t get burned out.

Olympics athletes do these things. We should, too.

When and Where: Call to schedule a customized workshop or speech for your organization.

Facilitator: Benita A. Esposito, MA is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Office: 48 Haralson Place, Suite, Blairsville, GA 30512. For details about Benita’s work, read the articles at www.Flourishing-Lives.com.

Stress Management Radio Show WJUL 9Aug12 Pam Roman, Director of Clay County Chamber of Commerce and Tim Rose, Manager of WJUL Radio in Hiawassee, Georgia interviewed Benita A. Esposito, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor.

 * * *

Benita A. Esposito, MA,Licensed Professional Counselor has 2 Offices: Atlanta and Blairsville, Georgia. Life coaching is available worldwide via the phone and skype.

Psychotherapy: www.Flourishing-Lives.com
Life Coaching: www.YourAuthenticLife.com

Specialties: Marriage and Couples Counseling, Pre-marital Counseling, Divorce Adjustment, Success Skills, Eliminating Self-defeating Patterns, Stress Management, Anxiety, Healing the Emotional Roots of Disease, Depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorder.

Services: Corporate Wellness Workshops, Psychotherapy, Life Coaching, Speaking Engagements, Intensive Retreats

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Newsletter July 2012: Why Retreats are So Effective.

I know your path is not always easy. I know you are intelligent, conscientious, and you have a big heart. I know you are courageous. Every time you take a step toward your goals, every time you speak up for yourself, every time you extend compassion to yourself or someone else, I applaud you.

Part of me cries when my you cry. Part of me aches when you feel stuck.  Part of me wails my tigress roar when people mistreat  you or neglect your needs. You are not alone. We are in this life together, connected through the web of humanity.

I’d like to tell you a little about my own transformational journey in the article below. I have struggled with some of the same issues you have, and I’ve grown and healed. I hope my story inspires you.

I’d also like to invite you to our Beach Retreat: “Your Authentic Self: Create the Life of Your Dreams” September 13-17, 2012. You’ll find several links at the end of the newsletter which will give you a fuller picture.

My Transformational Journey: An Overview

When I was doing my heavy-duty inner healing work in the 70’s and 80’s, there were two things that made the biggest difference for me:  (1) having 2 long-term teachers I trusted and (2) attending multi-day retreats. My teachers saw dynamics in me that I couldn’t begin to understand, let alone heal. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help.

In order to break free of my past programming and the emotional wounding that held patterns in place, I had to go deep, real deep. I would never have gone there without my teachers. I had to trust them to take me into the unknown. I soaked in their love for me, and because of that I felt safe enough to let go and explore my inner wilderness. Sometimes I challenged them, and they were strong enough to let me ask tons of questions.

The toughest thing was for me to drop down into my emotions and my body, and stop being so intellectual. I had to learn how to get in touch with emotions and stay fully present in my body. That can only be learned experientially, not from reading a book.

I was willing to do that in retreats because I had enough time to pussy-foot around, and stick my toe in the proverbial water. I watched other people as they were coached by my teachers, and I learned vicariously before I asked for healing. I had plenty of time to deal with my anxiety instead of shrinking back. I was scared of the unknown, but I didn’t let it stop me because I saw other people making major breakthroughs. They’d come out smiling, even radiant.

I knew I was playing too small in my life. I felt God prompting me to unfold more of my divine blueprint.  Private counseling sessions were great, weekly groups were wonderful, but my biggest changes occurred at retreats because we had three full days to go deep. “Deep” is what I needed.

What About You?

Are you feeling an inner prompting to go deeper like I did?  Do you have a sense that God designed a blue print uniquely for you, and you want to fulfill it?  Are you feeling the need to break out of the patterns that have kept you stuck?  In my mind’s eye I see the picture of a chick tap, tap, tapping from the inside of the shell, and finally breaking it open. It is the beginning of its new life. I really want this for you, and that’s why I am writing to you today. I want you to break free.

Personally, I love to lead retreats more than any of the work I do because of the deep bonding we experience over three days and the remarkable changes that occur.

To view the current list of Retreats, click here.

If you feel your spirit urging you to explore these opportunities, please contact me now to arrange a complementary phone interview.  Phone 770.998.6642.  Or email me at Benita@EspositoInstitute.com. Tell me 3 good times to speak with you, and I’ll do my best to match one.

The tuition increases on August 1, 2012 so register early to receive a discount.  Final decisions for enrollment must be made by mid-August. There are pre-requisites to complete so if you are interested, it is important to contact me now to see if this is a good fit for you.

Links to Retreat Stories

1)    If you’d like to read about one of the first times I participated in a retreat and how I learned to be vulnerable in public, click here.

2)    To read a story about how I facilitated a client’s healing trauma in a retreat, click here.

3)    To read about a participant’s reflections after a Retreat, click here: Topic: The holy connection between body and spirit.

4)    Click here to read details, testimonials and logistics for our September 2012 Annual Beach Retreat: “Your Authentic Self: Create the Life of Your Dreams”

5) To read about Breathwork combined with our Lake Lanier Yacht Retreat with amazing Nature and animal stories, click here.

Author and Facilitator:

Benita A. Esposito, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor

The Esposito Institute, Inc.  / Counseling and Life Coaching

 2 Offices

  1. 48 Haralson Place, Suite 3, Blairsville, GA 30512
  2. 3188 Atlanta Road, SE, Smyrna, GA 30080

Psychotherapy Website: www.Flourishing-Lives.com

Life Coaching via telephone and Skype, blog: www.YourAuthenticLife.com

Specialties: Marriage counseling, divorce, emotional roots of disease, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, grief, bipolar disorders and success skills. Combining intuition and evidence-based practices, Benita gets to the bottom line quickly to help clients create flourishing personal and professional lives. Psychotherapy is available in Blairsville and Atlanta. Life coaching for high achievers is available worldwide via telephone and skype. Retreats are facilitated by Benita A. Esposito as spiritual therapy which includes hands-on-healing. Benita is an ordained minister with the AIWP.

 

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