Exercise 4: Mindfulness of an Object

Thank You!

Thank you so much for your sincere interest, patience and professionalism in helping my to build confidence and overcome warped reasonings.

I was grieving but also with PTSD and quite a bag of nerves.

The therapy and SSP have calmed me down, helped me to listen better and focus my thoughts.

This has helped me spiritualy as it’s easier now to take in and apply counsel.

I really do feel a lot more emotionally stable and understand better certain symptoms that I have had all life but now no longer affect me.
I have even applied for SKE and feel this wouldn’t have been possible without your help. Thank you !

Anonymous

I’m myself again!

I had some issues with being able to say NO and draw boundaries with people, especially those who wanted something from me. I had lost myself because I was trying to be what everyone else wanted and to only please them and their wishes 100% of the time. Dez helped me to stand up for myself especially when it comes to people abusing or trying to take advantage of me. It feels so good to be free of that chain around my neck!! Thank you Dez!

Nik

Beyond Grateful

CBT has been very helpful for me in learning to cope with past trauma, as well as current anxiety problems and OCD tendencies. Deseree is great to work with and provides the needed support and guidance to work through these very difficult and sensitive issues. I am extremely grateful for the help she has provided me. Even though I was nervous to try CBT at first, I am so glad I did.

Brittany

No More Panic Attacks!

After experiencing trauma that drained me mentally and emotionally, panic attacks were a regular part of my life for years. It amazes me that I no longer have panic attacks. CBT with Deseree has helped me to finally be in control of my thoughts and anxiety. She tailored tools/techniques to me and listened carefully to everything I said. What I especially liked is that everything she taught me was in harmony with Bible principles. I’m forever grateful for her help. ❤️

Anonymous

Life Saver

Deseree was kind and gentle when helping work through underlying trauma issues. She was able to connect my spiritual growth and goals along with working through emotional issues. The whole family appreciates so much what she did for us and how I can continue to use the homework tools on my own when needed. Highly recommending.

Jimmy Lorsung

Grateful to Jehovah

I’m so grateful to Jehovah for allowing me to find Deseree. She was able to give me an accurate diagnosis after a few sessions. She is very knowledgeable, as well as very experienced in working with dissociative disorders. She has helped me to stay the course as I go through a difficult but needed process. She provides a safe space to process trauma and to deal with flashbacks and post traumatic stress.

Virginia

Helped my PTSD in ways I didn’t think possible.

I’ve seen therapists on and off for over 25 years. It helped to some degree with my past trauma and current distorted thinking. However I was pleasantly surprised that Desere helped me learn new ways to deal with current issues from my distortions, and also my past trauma. She taught me new ways to cope that I never heard of before, and I continue to use them successfully. I felt safe and understood during every session. And one more very important thing that sets Desere apart is, I feel cared for. I know she cares about me as a person and I’m not just another client in a file, which is how I often felt during therapy before. I am so happy that my friend recommended her to me. I continue to recommend Desere to many of my friends, because I have complete confidence she will try her best to help them too, and she will care about them just as she does me.

Stacie W.

Help after years of struggling from bad therapy

Years ago a situation I dealt with led me to seek therapy. The things the therapist told me over time, caused me to distrust others and created severe social anxiety that made serving Jehovah feel near impossible. After just a few sessions with Deseree the social anxiety began to lift. I had always been very social before this situation happened to me. Now I am able to be social and happy and close to my brotherhood again. No longer viewing them as a threat. Deseree is a blessing from Jehovah!

Anonymous

Best Therapist Ever

I’ve seen many therapists over the years… each time I was left feeling like therapy was only a band aid to help for a short period of time but never provided lasting or far reaching results. With Deseree it was totally different. She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced… but even more importantly she is patient focused!! Her number one priority is helping you feel better and gain tools that you can continue to use to maintain your mental health for life. Her method is very practical, logical and efficient. I especially like that you are prescribed a number of sessions rather than feeling like you’re paying week after week for maybe years and never being cut loose. To top it all off Deseree is personable, caring and never fails to make you feel safe during sessions. I just can’t say enough good things about her and the difference she has made in my life!

Jess M

As a music-loving 13 year old…

As a music-loving 13 year old with anxiety and depression, the Safe and Sound Protocol was the most effective therapy I’ve had to date. I no longer feel like I’m living in survival mode, or constantly on the verge of a breakdown. I would recommend this therapy to anyone. Deseree has helped me so much!

A B

SSP experience

I think SSP is worth the investment. The questionnaire you fill out before and after is very informative. My scale of anxiety and depression dropped more than I realized after completing the SSP program. I feel like I still need to do the vagal exercises, but that the SSP has helped me make progress faster than just the exercises and therapy sessions alone.

Tandra Nishimoto

Happy I Tried It

I’m really happy I tried SSP and recommend that you try it if you’re thinking about it. I was struggling with depression, anxiety, and OCD. There were a lot of days I wasn’t coping well. Going to meetings made me feel worse, and the tools that help when I’m feeling well weren’t working on my OCD thoughts. Now, about a month later, I notice that my nervous system isn’t getting stuck like it was. I’m more able to handle stresses without spiraling. And the tools work better to get me out of my OCD thoughts. For me it works better than vagal exercises and is more enjoyable. I’m really happy to have found this other tool and grateful to Deseree for finding it and teaching it!

K F

So I used to be…

So I used to be a warm and friendly person. I used to make eye contact and smile at people, basically I would talk to strangers.

I went through a dark period where I was pretty depressed, it didn’t make me sad, I became angry and aggressive. This isn’t who I want to be.

Turns out I was constantly in fight or flight, I couldn’t get out of it.

Deseree suggested the safe and sound protocol, when I finished it i didn’t notice any difference, but my wife did. It was gradual, but after a few weeks I was just feeling good. In fact I started smiling at people and making eye contact. I started talking to strangers again.

My family and I benefited from ssp. I encourage anyone to try it

Zach

Amazed

Before I started the SSP, I was stuck in a very deep depression, despite making great progress in my CBT sessions with Deseree. I had learned so much in my therapy with her, so why wasn’t I feeling better? Because my nervous system was stuck, that was why. Deseree could see it, so she recommended the SSP several times to me before I finally decided to try it. I was very skeptical of this therapy, thinking it probably wouldn’t have any effect. But I was so wrong! Now that I’m in my last few minutes of listening to the program, I can honestly say that I feel better than I have felt in a long time. I’m not just back to my old self, I’m better than my old self!!

I realize that everyone’s experience with the protocol will be a little different but I can say honestly that it works!

Can’t say enough good things!

Since completing my SSP I have noticed some big changes. My anxiety levels have gone down, I don’t feel so easily overwhelmed. My depression rating was cut in half. In moments where I would normally panic I’ve had a clear head. I haven’t been obsessive or so intent on perfection (from myself or others). I haven’t been as reactive with my children.

I have my appetite back after not having it for years. For so long the only way I could tell that I needed to eat would be getting dizzy or almost passing out. Eating often made me feel sick though, so it didn’t come naturally. But now my stomach actually growls and I can eat without an automatic stomach ache.

Learning about my nervous system and having the tools to help me regulate it has been a game changer. It feels like SSP was an investment in my future. I’m so thankful that it was recommended to me.

P M

Safe and Sound Protocol

Recently I completed the Core Program for SSP. Truth be told, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Can’t hurt, might help, right?! I just hoped it would do something for me. The program didn’t make everything better. And the results didn’t happen right away. Here’s what I’ve experienced:

Just shy of completing the Core program I started noticing I felt a little more calm. Also, I noticed change in my sleep. I felt like I was sleeping more sound, not waking up as much. Interestingly, my Fitbit confirmed it. I check my Fitbit most days to see how well (or not) I sleep. And what I saw was that my deep sleep and REM sleep improved noticeably. So that’s cool! I figure that with improved sleep that everything else will feel better.

So the results of SSP were not crazy awesome. BUT…it certainly has helped. Considering I didn’t know what to expect I am pleased with the results. I continue to do the ‘maintenance’ program with SSP. I usually listen for a few minutes right before bed, a couple times a week.

Anonymous

Thank You

Deseree,
Thank you. Thank you for caring about others, thank you for the time you take to help others, thank you for just being willing to listen to “wild talk” when someone is hurting and just needs to get it out, thank you for knowing and trusting Jah.

Thank you!

Anonymous

I’m getting my life back!

I was so happy to have been referred to Mended Mind. I was always in fear of getting wrong advice from someone without Bible Principles and not in line with Jehovah’s thinking.

When I first started CBT I wasn’t sure what to even expect.

Rochelle was so kind and attentive, she really helped me understand the process each step of the way. At times I struggled to understand questions or thoughts and she was so patient in explaining in a way I could understand.

This therapy changed my life in just a few weeks time!

Just an example: I have struggled with sleep and being in fear my whole life, not understanding the depth of what was really going on. Through this therapy, Rochelle’s skills, and putting into practice the tools given , I am now able to fall asleep and stay asleep without severe anxiety or panic. There are many more things that have improved in my life since working with Rochelle and I am so thankful for ones like her that give themselves in this way to help Jehovah’s people serve him better and to be happier despite the anxieties of this world around us.
Thank you so much!