Emotional Wellbeing and Stress Reduction

Life can be challenging. We have all, at some point, or will, inevitably, be faced with loss, suffering, grief, a personal or family illness, traumatic event, or difficult relationship that can cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness that threatens to rob us of our joy. These feelings can cause shame and make us doubt our own capacity for resilience, hope, and healing. We want you to know that you are not alone and that you have the power to manage these negative emotions.

Let our providers offer you the support that you need to move through the difficult emotions of depression and anxiety and see the overall improvement in your health when you do.

Emotional Wellbeing

The most important thing we do is listen. Feeling emotionally exhausted? Depressed? Anxious? Stressed?  Tell us about it. We incorporate alternative therapies like acupuncture, float therapy, tapping techniques, and meditation into our appointments.  Most importantly we offer un-rushed, active listening to assess what contributes to your mood and how you handle stress.  We will  develop a plan to help you improve both! Telemedicine appointments are conducted via a HIPAA compliant virtual platform.  These visits will allow us to build a trusting relationship without you having to leave the comfort of your home. 

New Patient Appointments, 60 minutes: $210

Follow-up Appointments, 30 minutes: $105*

*$25 for additional 15-minute increments, as needed 

In-home visit: additional $50

We are Moms!

Brooke Fields and Rachel Sposito are both mothers of young children. They know the stress of motherhood first-hand. They experienced the potential for chronic stress often while taking care of their families, running a business, caring for their patients and supporting their households. They have gained both personal and professional experience in helping to find a life balance that allows for management of stress. 

They understand, through personal experience, how easily the ‘busyness’ of life can so quickly and subtly begin to cause negative physical, mental and emotional consequences. We can help you develop strategies to self-monitor and manage your stress levels to minimize the health effects that chronic stress causes and keep you functioning at your best!

The Stress Response

Your “fight or flight” response is important for survival. That being said, the same hormones that keep us alive in times of stress can wreak havoc on our bodies if we are constantly in a state of preparedness.

Depression, Dysthymia (Low Mood), Anxiety and Panic Disorders

In general, about 1 out of every 6 adults will have depression at some time in their life. Depression affects about 16 million American adults every year. Women report symptoms of depression twice as often as men. Some people experience depression seasonally or in response to a change in life circumstances, while others experience it long term, and no matter how well life seems to be going. Dysthymia, sometimes referred to as low mood, is a less severe but longer-lasting form of depression that is less often reported by patients but just as impactful to quality of life. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment (superscript 10). These can include panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and others. 

There are many ways that depression and anxiety disorders can be managed: medication, therapy, coaching, mindfulness and self-care strategies, supplements, exercise therapies, biofeedback, dietary changes, and more. At LEAP, our job is to help you assess which methods work specifically for you, provide high-level care including medications, lifestyle, and stress management and connect you with the proper resources if your needs exceed our expertise. We will stay connected as your primary care provider and advocate, making sure your treatment is coordinated and collaborative. See the sections on “Patient Advocacy” and “Care Coordination” to learn more!

The Collaborative Care Model in Treating Mental Health Disorders

Rachel Sposito, DNP, FNP-C and Brooke Fields, MSPAS, PA-C had the opportunity to take part in a clinical study that incorporated mental health into primary care visits during their work in a nonprofit setting. They were so impressed and impacted by the success that patients experienced, that they decided they would incorporate the spirit of the model with them for the rest of their careers. 

The best way to assess a patient’s mental wellbeing is to offer a safe space, ask questions, give time to respond, and listen intently.  You can be assured that our providers will offer the chance for connection and resources for healing. We understand the courage that it takes to be vulnerable and honest about how you are feeling, especially when that goes against how you think you ‘should’ be feeling. Collaborating with mental health professionals, care coordinators, health coaches, and others to ensure that you have a comprehensive team supporting you is your prerogative.

“Integrated care programs try to address this problem by providing both medical and mental health care in primary care and other clinical settings. Offering mental health treatments in primary care is convenient for patients, can reduce the stigma associated with treatment for mental disorders, builds on existing provider-patient relationships, and can help improve care for the millions of patients who have both medical and mental disorders.”  – AIMS Center, Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions

“As we were able to improve the mental and emotional wellbeing of our patients, we also found that their physical health improved in areas like blood pressure, diabetes, chronic pain, and weight management… areas the patients had previously not shown sustainable improvement in. The results supported the mind~body connection in an undeniable way!” – Rachel Sposito, DNP, FNP-C

Grief

In this life, we will all face loss…loss of a family member, a friend, a life partner, a career that we loved, a sense of purpose and meaning…the list goes on. Grief is a normal response to loss. How well we progress through the stages of grief depends on many factors such as our support systems, our resilience capacity, whether the loss was traumatic, whether there is regret, and so on. While we all feel grief at some point, the experience can be an isolating one. Grief can feel overwhelming and consuming, but there is hope. Let us at LEAP help connect you to the resources that you need to work through your grief in a healthy way. You are not alone!

What You Need to Know About Your Appointment