Wendy Ball, LMHC
Family Wellness Center
100 Great Oaks Blvd.
Suite 106
Albany NY 12203
(518) 813-8524
wendy.ball@yahoo.com
Individual Psychotherapy, Group Counseling and Coaching
Wendy Ball is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in alternative approaches to working with trauma based disorders and problems of living. She is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Hakomi Therapies. She is a graduate of the Collaborative Leadership Institute's Professional Coaching Apprenticeship.
Over the years Wendy has developed a deep commitment toward finding safe, effective and emotionally nourishing ways of healing the imprint of psychological trauma that keeps people locked in self-defeating behavior patterns and struggling with painful symptoms. Wendy brings together body centered, brain wise, trauma-informed and ego state approaches along with expressive arts, psycho-education and stress management to create therapy programs responsive to the unique styles and needs of her clients. She has over 25 years experience working privately and in agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
Wendy considers the practice of therapy as both spiritual practice and peace-making. She is a long-time spiritual seeker, was a disciple of OSHO, spent time in India in the late 70's where she received a foundation in meditation and experienced cutting edge alternative approaches to therapy and body work. When OSHO transitioned in 1990 Wendy felt moved to take ownership of her spirituality and come into her own authority to express her spirituality actively in every area of her life as a natural expression of self. She has continued to read widely and to explore in areas of spirituality, the new physics, neurobiology, energy healing, healing through art and divining the self.
Wendy is also a long-time student of astrology, tarot and other methods of divining such as Aura Soma. She has deep respect for tarot as a codex of knowledge pertaining to the human condition and the process of individual and collective human evolution. Wendy loves to draw on Tarot wisdom along with Astrology symbols and concepts to honor the universality of problems of living along with ancient wisdom concerning paths to healing and liberation.
Wendy finds creativity to be one of her greatest sources of joy and nourishment. She paints, engages in visual journaling, loves taking her camera into nature, and designs wearable prayer-bead strands out of gemstones to anchor the energy of Metta or Loving Kindness prayer practice. She has many happy customers who have found themselves drawn to her unique designs.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an extensively researched therapy for processing traumatic memory and is highly recognized for its effectiveness. Life issues, maladaptive beliefs and problem behaviors are traced to touchstone experiences which are reprocessed, resulting in the development of positive beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. The emotional impact of traumatic memory is resolved. EMDR is considered a treatment of choice for post traumatic stress disorder. It may be used in the treatment of anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, eating disorders, complicated grief, pain disorders, performance anxiety, stress reduction and addictions.
Hakomi
Hakomi uses loving and mindful presence to current embodied experience to increase awareness of issues, negative beliefs and painful experiences. It works with the body, using little experiments in mindfulness, to deepen awareness of the meaning and impact of personal experience and of what is needed to feel whole, relaxed, empowered and happy. Hakomi is used in trauma treatment, in individual therapy, couples counseling, personal growth groups and in coaching. Hakomi is loved for its non-invasive, attuned and respectful approach and emotionally nourishing methods.
Ask about Wendy's Hakomi and Parts Work Group: Small group sessions provide an ideal environment for doing Hakomi. Group members gain from witnessing how others process. Group members can also assist each other. Parts work, or ego state approaches such as Internal Family Systems and Hakomi are natural partners in the endeavor to become aware of the meaning underlying behavior patterns and negative, self limiting beliefs, resolving inner conflict and embracing more nourishing attitudes and behaviors. Wendy is offering weekly Hakomi and Parts Work small group sessions. This is an open group. Those interested are asked to contact Wendy for more information.
Coaching
Wendy maintains a commitment in all of her work to enroll her clients in full engagement and participation in their process. She believes that as much as her investment in information and skills adds value to her clients, equally so does empowering her client with information and supporting them in developing skills and practices that will enable them to bring themselves forward in ways they have identified as important. As such Wendy integrates an element of a coaching approach in all of her work with clients.
In 1997, Wendy had the opportunity to participate in the Collaborative Leadership and Transformational Coaching program designed by Dorothy Hutt and Gilles Brouillette. She ultimately graduated from their Professional Leadership Apprenticeship. Wendy's interest has been to apply her coaching knowledge and skills in the area of self leadership and life transition coaching. We are faced with the need to adapt and change and create direction for our lives naturally during stages of our life cycle and in response to life circumstances. The ability to embrace change, make decisions, create goals, create support for follow-through and develop the skills of self-leadership are crucial skills in improving quality of life throughout the life cycle.
Wendy is particularly interested in providing support to mature adults in conducting constructive life review, defining direction for a richly contributing period of later life and in supporting getting this process on the road. This process is indeed important for anyone who is facing the need to re-order their life due to changing circumstances. Wendy designs coaching programs in collaboration with her clients to inform and support this process.
Testimonials
"Working with Wendy allowed me to address a couple of issues that were blocking me from moving forward into a loving relationship with a new man in my life. Old hurts and patterns had made me doubt myself. In just a few sessions she helped me to resolve some fears and uncertainties, to trust myself and to move forward. Now, a year and a half later, I am deeply grateful to say that I have found my way to being a loving partner while honoring myself.
Specifically about EMDR: I've participated in conventional therapy in the past, and I prefer working with Wendy, who uses EMDR and other techniques. Instead of spending years sloshing through pain and releasing anger, hurt, and fear, working with Wendy allowed me to change old patterns and forge new ways of being in just a few weeks."
A.F.
"After being stuck for years in destructive patterns, doing EMDR with Wendy helped me change my beliefs about myself and the way I approach my life. Her compassionate nature created a safe environment to move through grief and loss, and into healing."
C.M.
"Wendy has provided me with a solid foundation of awareness, skills and a safe environment for me to do the work I need to grow, learn and heal, in order to move forward and achieve my life goals."
R.R.
"I had been in an abusive relationship for a very long time. When I left I was lost. I can remember making statements to different people and the stunned expression on their faces. I made no sense. Wendy worked with me in various ways and was very patient. I always refer to EMDR as my shock treatment, because it worked! Finally I see the light! Wendy brought me back to reality. Now I am the happiest I have ever been."
D.M.
"I was fortunate enough to do one-on-one counseling (as well as support group sessions) with Wendy Ball on and off over the course of 2 years, to deal with the emotional trauma of domestic abuse. I'd seen other counselors previously, but it was just me talking and the counselor listening and nodding his or her head occasionally. With Wendy, it was totally different and completely effective. This was "roll-up-your-sleeves and work REALLY hard" therapy, so that my issues weren't just discussed and shelved safely in a closet, they were dissected, processed, and discarded from my soul! Wendy gave me insight into my relationships, boundary issues, fears and insecurities, how my childhood relationships colored my adult relationships, and - most of all - how to find, soothe and strengthen MYSELF, which has been buried under emotional baggage for years! I'd say that Wendy saved me - but she really helped me learn how to save myself! I owe my serenity and my sanity to Wendy Ball."
K.C.