Dwell
I’ve been blogging since 2014 at www.TheMindfulChristian.com, but here we are on a new website for my expanding private practice, Dwell Psychological Services (woohoo!). As a bridge between the two sites, here’s the post I wrote a year ago to announce my practice opening. If you’re wondering “why the name Dwell?,” here’s where you get to find out. Thanks for reading!
I’ve started a new private practice, providing psychological counseling and consultation to clients in West Michigan (in person) and around the United States (in PsyPact states via teletherapy) – it’s an exciting venture! I chose the name Dwell Psychological Services for the business, which has helped deepen my delight for the concept of dwelling. It has a lot to do with mindfulness, and a lot to do with faith, which prompted me to share some thoughts & practices here related to dwelling.
Mindfulness teaches us to dwell in our lived experience, noticing when we are pulled toward avoidance and instead being intentional about inhabiting the life that we have been given. With mindfulness, we learn to be at home in our bodies, in our relationships, in our senses, in nature. We recognize our creatureliness, dwelling in creation by sensing connectedness with all of God’s other creatures.
To ponder: How at home do you feel in your own body, and how in touch are you with your moment-to-moment physical experience? Does your body feel familiar and safe to you?
To practice: Use a mindful body scan practice as a way of dwelling in the present moment as you come home to your own body. Or if that feels too uncomfortable, practice instead tuning into one sense (such as hearing or sight) as a way of experiencing your interconnectedness with the world around you.
Christian faith teaches us to dwell in God, to abide in him like a branch in a vine. We learn to center our hearts, our identities, our hope, our wellbeing in divine love. We are brought home to faith communities, to buildings of worship, to the spiritual nourishment of prayer, Scripture, and Christian tradition. We are called to fix our attention on that which is beautiful, to dwell on the goodness of God even in times of difficulty.
To ponder: What was a time when you felt a deep sense of home in God’s presence?
To practice: Meditate on Psalm 84 through the practice of Lectio Divina: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.”
Psychology teaches us to dwell in healthy habits of thought and behavior that support our thriving. We notice where we are dwelling – sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively – and we become more intentional about these choices. We learn that where we spend our time dwelling has a big impact on our mood and behavior, and we practice shifting to places, people, thoughts, and actions that strengthen our mental health.
To ponder: What early experiences shaped your views of home, and where do you feel most at home now?
To practice: Set aside some time to write in a journal about your thoughts related to a situation that is challenging for you. Be curious about patterns, noticing where your mind is dwelling and what other interpretations or thoughts exist as options (ex. What might someone who loves you unconditionally say about the situation?).
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!' For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper and from the deadly plague. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and wall.” -Psalm 91:1-4
Through Dwell Psychological Services, I provide psychotherapy for adults seeking relief from the pain of depression, anxiety, grief, family challenges (such as estrangement or conflict), and difficult life transitions. In addition to being licensed as a psychologist in the state of Michigan, I am available virtually to clients living in PsyPact-approved states (click here for a list).
More information and office photos available on Psychology Today at bit.ly/IreneKraegel.
