We may have given up on love.  Perhaps we have waited for love to find us, only to be disappointed.  Maybe our loved ones have hurt us so badly that we needed to numb ourselves from the pain.  In the past our addictions helped to keep us numb, but now that we are in recovery, we have to deal with the issue of love once again.

It is God’s will that we love; without love nothing else matters (see 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).   Love is more than a feeling.  It is a choice of behaviors that grows in our life; it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, produced in our life as we yield to God. The bible defines it this way:

“Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude….  If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.  You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Life Recovery Bible, p. 1272

“The experience of forgiveness is so profound and refreshing!  When we do the thorough and gritty work that goes into releasing past trauma, we dissolve the stagnant weight of resentment and our bodies are flooded with new energy.  Forgiveness mends our tattered personal boundaries, and empowers us to move forward with hope and creativity.” 

-Mary Hayes Grieco

Wisconsin…
where the waters gather…
creating an abundantly beautiful landscape.

Nia…
where joy meets fitness…
celebrating the human spirit… cultivating human potential… creating lifelong health and pleasure.

Visions Counseling offers Solution-Focused Therapy to all who desire goal-centered support, with consideration for those who may be unable to afford counseling. Visions reasonable fees and consideration for those who do not have health insurance. Wendie Martell has a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW), is a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor
(CADC), and has a Certification in Trauma Counseling.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy

Moving forward with your life takes the decision to look forward. Solution Focused therapy looks at the past with a view to the future. When it comes to life’s challenges:

Simply talking about the cause does not create a solution
Talking about what keeps the problem going does not create a solution
Talking about and/or expressing feelings does not create a solution

Solution Focused Therapy starts with defining the problem then looks at the exceptions to the problem - "when is the problem not a problem?" It takes a next step- a focus on the goals you can set to create an environment that incorporates those exceptions in your future.  What has worked, or might work, so that you could wake up tomorrow, and the problem would be better, or even solved?  Change is always happening, and small changes lead to greater changes. 

Through constructive support, helping you create an action plan, feedback, and compliments on your progress, solution-focused therapy gets positive results!

Strengths Perspective Method

Each of us has areas of strength in our life. The Strengths Perspective method examines those areas and develops practical ways to improve the quality of life.

1. When there are struggles in life, all people have strengths that can be used to survive, manage, and overcome challenges. I respect your strengths and how you choose to apply them.
2. As you emphasize your strengths, your motivation increases.
3. Have you become discouraged and don’t recognize your strengths?  Together, we will become experts in identifying them.
4. As we focus on strengths, we lose judging and blaming, and we recognize how we have survived, even when things were most difficult.

The Strengths Perspective method helps you to explore, choose, and move out of the "victim" mentality. You do have the power to make changes, and when you look for it, you will find it - within yourself, your family, and where you live. You've got everything you need - this method helps you tap into it.

Unconditional Love and Forgiveness

The Unconditional Love and Forgiveness Process is a step-by-step “recipe” based on the work of Dr. Edith Stauffer.  She applied the ancient writings of the Essenes, who prioritized harmony, and Dr. Roberto Assagioli, a transpersonal psychologist.  With the process, Forgiveness is to cancel any expectation, condition; or demand that I am holding in my mind that prevents the free extension of unconditional love and forgiveness between myself and another being.

The process of forgiveness of others is facilitated with insight, supportive understanding, and lighthearted warmth.  There is also a sequence for self-forgiveness, that offers compassion and acceptance for any and all things you may be holding against yourself.  Nothing is too shameful to be forgiven.

For upcoming workshops on Unconditional Love and Forgiveness, visit the Circle of Joy website (Circle of Joy). Wendie Martell was certified in Unconditional Love and Forgiveness through spiritual director, writer, and consultant Mary Hayes Grieco. Visit Mary’s website for more on the Unconditional Love and Forgiveness Process at:http://www.maryhayesgrieco.com/

Imagery Rescripting & Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT)

The word "trauma" has been used in every day language to mean a highly stressful event. A traumatic event refers to extreme stress that overwhelms a person's ability to cope. What is stressful to one person may not be to another.  Traumatic events can include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, accidents, threats to one’s life, or significant losses (such as divorce or unemployment). 

An estimated 70 percent of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives and up to 20 percent of these people go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.  For more information about PTSD, visit the International Trauma Institute Website at http://www.traumainstitute.net/PTSD.htm.  Note that symptoms of PTSD may occur after the event, or may not surface until years later, with varying degrees of intensity.  

The impact of traumatic stress can extend far beyond the event.  Nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts or images can reoccur for years.  Emotional reactions of wanting to “fight, flee, or freeze” can be triggered as you encounter daily stressors.  Wanting to numb or escape the feelings can give rise to eating disorders, alcohol or drug abuse, sleep disorders, and relationship difficulties. Often, these related conditions are thought to be the problem, instead of the underlying trauma issues.  Untreated past wounds, if not revisited to be fully healed, may prevent you from having an emotionally healthy future.

One process that has had proven success for resolving trauma issues is Imagery Rescripting and Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT).  IRRT is a therapy method that carefully revisits the traumatic events of the past (with a certified trauma counselor) to bring healing and restoration through the re-writing of those events in light of a present understanding.  The process involves:

1. Imaging of the trauma, with emotional awareness
2. Mastery  imagery to release fears and empower, and
3. Self-nurturing imagery to provide a sense of safety and belonging. 

Accessing the painful feelings and then “scripting” a different outcome provides options for different thoughts and actions.  It can transform retraumatizing flashbacks into non-threatening memories.

Wendie Martell is a Certified Trauma Counselor, and has had training and  supervision with Dr. Mervin Smucker, clinical director of the Trauma Treatment Program at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee, WI, and director of the International Trauma Institute.   Elizabeth Vermilyea a counselor, author, and presenter through Sidran, a national foundation for healing traumatic stress, is another of Wendie’s mentors in healing trauma.   Vermilyea’s  books and workshops have provided practical perspectives and daily coping skills.  For additional resources and information, visit: The Sidran Traumatic Stress Foundation website: www.sidran.org

Nia, or Neuromuscular Integrated Action

Nia, or Neuromuscular Integrated Action, is a powerful movement therapy that will change your body and life!  Wendie Martell was introduced to Nia by instructor Barb Wesson, who envisioned that Wendie would teach Nia even before Wendie had ever danced Nia!   Through Barb’s Nia classes, Wendie recognized significant progress in stress reduction, improved body image and weight management, and improved mood (a major benefit to coping with being in college and working!) 

After graduating her Master’s program and leaving Milwaukee, Wendie desired to dance Nia regularly, and share it with those in northcentral Wisconsin.  Wendie became a certified White Belt Nia instructor in April of 2003, through trainer of teachers Winalee Zeeb.  Wendie teaches Nia as fitness and therapy, including inspirational music and fun in her classes.

Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas are the founders of the Nia Technique, and have spent the last twenty-two years developing a safe holistic fitness program that addresses more than the body. Practicing Nia is a way for you to learn about yourself. You will learn how to integrate your body, mind, emotions, and spirit into everything you do to become more expressive, dynamic, interesting, creative, and somatically-educated. Practicing Nia means you will learn to attract pleasure, become more multidimensional, and move safely and efficiently.

Nia  has been researched to offer benefits in that it...

1. Increases the pleasure of living in your body.
2. Creates weight loss and proper weight maintenance.
3. Strengthens muscles, improves muscle tone, and increases muscle definition.
4. Calms the mind and relieves stress.
5. Improves endurance.
6. Increases grace and flexibility.
7. Balances the autonomic nervous system.
8. Improves posture and can even increase height.
9. It improves organ function -- particularly that of the heart and lungs.
10. Enhances sensory awareness.
11. Heightens sexual function.
12. Builds reservoirs of chi.
13. Alleviates emotional problems including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and anger-management problems.
14. Improves circulation of blood and improves lymphatic drainage.
15. Strengthens immunity.
16. Improves concentration and cognitive function.

Nia- Neuromuscular Integrated Action - is “fusion fitness”, a blend of martial arts, dance, and healing energy.  Nia is about “the joy of  movement”, and through that movement, we find health. Nia benefits include healing from  Nia empowers, energizes, and enables you to enjoy being in your body, moving in “the body’s way”.  All are welcome to participate in Nia at Circle of Joy, from beginners to athletes, regardless of ability to pay. For more on the Nia Technique, visit  http://www.nia-nia.com/ or http://www.niawisconsin.com/.

Circle of Joy

The Circle of Joy is a Community of Wellness located in Merrill, Wisconsin, on 69 acres of field and forest. We feature a variety of events and activities designed to aid people in the pursuit of health, wholeness, and happiness.

Please visit the Circle of Joy pages for more information:
Visit Circle of Joy