Lucy K. Ziegler LPC, MBSR-QT, LLC 

What area of mental health do you specialize in?

I specialize in trauma and the normal reactions to abnormal events. My clients and I work together to address their experience of trauma, as it is for them, and the natural attempts to cope with trauma in order to provide choices for discovering what is helpful.

What changes have you seen in the types of issues your clients are experiencing since the outbreak of COVID-19?

I have had a number of clients calling for appointments to talk about anxiety since the Pandemic. Fears about finances and job security and worry about friends and relatives who are isolated could result in depression, and that is something we want to pay attention to as well. Talking about this can help. In addition to talking, the research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) supports the observation that the development of stress reduction skills increases resilience to immediate and prolonged stress through learning how to manage responses to stress by paying attention to sensations, thoughts, and feelings of the moment.

How can practicing mindfulness help people experiencing anxiety?

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction was founded 40 years ago by Jon Kabat-Zinn and defined as: “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally. By focusing on the breath, the idea is to cultivate attention on the body and mind as it is moment to moment, and so help with pain, both physical and emotional.” Jon Kabat-Zinn Oct 22, 2017. It is the learning and practice of self-managing the attention, in the present moment, in order to manage and to modulate the intensity of the physical feelings of anxiety as well as the mental thoughts and feelings that contribute to their rate and speed of development.

How have you adjusted your practice in light of the ever-evolving restrictions and your clients’ health concerns?

We have established and continue to uphold the higher level of protection in the offices. I am a sole provider in the Boerne office and the sole practitioner present on the days I meet clients in San Antonio. This allows me to schedule visits 15 – 30 minutes apart in order to wipe all sur-faces with sanitizing- bleach wipes before the next client and to liberally apply and provide hand sanitizer. I schedule appointments with clients to talk on the phone or FaceTime in order to provide No-Contact Appointments. Beginning in August 2020, I will offer group classes of MBSR on Zoom for 8 weeks, 2.5 hours per week.

How have you continued to stay current on the research and changes in your professional arena?

I am a member of the American Mindfulness Research Association and have recently submitted documentation of having met the requirements for certification as a Teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction from Brown University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and meet the 24 hours of Continuing Education Units acquired since the last renewal.

Southwest Counseling and Mindfulness Center SouthwestCounselingandMindfulnessCenter.com 

210.289.6066

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL RENDON