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Cultivating Gratitude and Integrating Mind, Body & Spirit into Therapy

Nourish Your Mind Psychotherapist, Amanda Karam, LMHC introduces you to the powerful positive effects of Gratitude on mental health. Learn a Step by Step Summary: How to Practice Gratitude throughout your day.
NYM Gratitude Message Board

NYM Gratitude Message BoardStoic philosopher Epictetus taught “men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them”. This quote has become the rallying cry for today’s cognitive-behavior therapists.

A number of controlled experimental trials have examined the benefits of gratitude and how practicing gratitude can impact ones perspective towards life’s stressors. Gratitude has one of the strongest links to mental health and satisfaction with life of any personality trait. Grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions, and gratitude as a discipline protects us from destructive impulses.

People who experience gratitude can cope more effectively with everyday stress, show increased resilience in the face of trauma-induced stress, recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy more robust physical health. These results indicate that gratitude is incompatible with negative emotions and pathological conditions and that it can even offer protection against mental health issues. Scientists say that practicing gratitude techniques shift our thinking from negative outcomes to positive ones and elicit a surge of feel good hormones like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, which help to alleviate depressive symptoms.

In the next section you will be introduced to a technique that you can utilize derived from psychologist Thomas J. Nardi, Ph.D. the originator of Eclectic Cognitive Behavior Therapy (ECBT).  The ECBT approach is a secular, but still spiritual, method of cultivating gratitude.  It can be used effectively by those with or without affiliation to a particular faith tradition and incorporates concepts drawn from cognitive-behavior therapy.

A Step by Step Summary: How to Practice Gratitude throughout your day

(1) Center Yourself – Take a few minutes to sit quietly, breathing slowly and deeply.  Become aware that you are entering into a special place.  If you believe in a higher power, now is the time to become aware of that presence and/or your connection to the benevolent universe of all living creatures.  Open your mind and heart to honest self-reflection.

(2) Review Your Day with Gratitude – The importance of gratitude is not restricted to the Western philosophical and theological traditions of meditation and prayer. One of the key principles of Reiki is to show gratitude for all that you have and for all living creatures.  This approach expands upon that concept.  As you review your day, express thanks and gratitude for all that has happened to you that day.  Be thankful for the successes as well as the challenges you faced.  Be grateful for the good that has happened.  Reflect and give thanks for the bad that could have happened but did not.  That is, things that could have been worse and bad things that you avoided.  Consider the challenges that occurred because they will contribute to you becoming stronger.

(3) Identifying an Activating Event and Consequence – Pick one troubling or challenging event that stands out in your memory.  What happened?  How did you feel in reaction?  What did you do in reaction?

(4) Challenge and Correct Faulty Self-Talk – What did you tell yourself about the Activating Event?  Were your thoughts logical and objectively accurate?  Were they too subjective, possibly too absolute or extreme?  Was their evidence to support the belief?

(5) Look Forward to Tomorrow – You don’t know what will or won’t happen.  You may not have control over the events you will encounter.  But, you do have control over your thoughts.  Debilitating fear, overwhelming anxiety, other strong negative emotions are the result of what you are telling yourself.  Resolve to face the challenges of the new day armed with the new way to challenge and correct your thoughts. Have no concern for the so-called “failures” of the past or “dangers” of the future.

Amanda N. Karam, M.S., LMHC – FNS – MBSR

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BIO

Cameryn (Cam) received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marist College. Prior to joining Nourish Your Mind, she worked in private practice, primarily serving children, teens, and their families. During this time, she developed a passion for helping clients navigate their unique challenges through the transformative power of play and expressive arts therapy. Cam believes that every individual deserves a safe, nurturing space where they can authentically express themselves. She is dedicated to empowering her clients by identifying and utilizing their inherent strengths to help them achieve their personal goals.

In her therapeutic approach, Cam integrates a holistic wellness model with strengths- and mindfulness-based methods. She employs a variety of evidence-based techniques, including DBT and Nondirective Play Therapy, and she recognizes the importance of tailoring interventions to meet the specific needs of each individual and family.

When she’s not in the office, Cam enjoys reading, traveling, weight-lifting, and immersing herself in music and films. She also values spending quality time with friends, family, and her cats.

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor
  • Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, Marist College
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, SUNY Geneseo
  • Member of the American Counseling Association (ACA)
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Brianna earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Siena College and her Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University. Throughout her education and early career, she worked with at-risk adolescents experiencing trauma and maladaptive coping as both a clinician and crisis interventionist. She later spent several years in emergency services, specializing in trauma-informed care for adolescents and adults. Brianna has extensive experience working with individuals struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, mood dysregulation, self-esteem, and relationship challenges.

Brianna takes a strength-based, integrative approach to therapy, empowering clients to discover their own path toward healing and self-acceptance. She believes that while we cannot change the past, we can change our relationship with it. She is passionate about helping clients develop effective coping skills, reconnect with their inner resilience, and build lives that extend beyond surviving trauma.

Brianna believes healing is not only a journey of the mind, but a whole-body experience. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and thoughtfully incorporates mind-body practices into therapy to support nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and emotional awareness. She is also certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an evidence-based trauma treatment that helps clients process distressing experiences, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), offering a holistic approach for individuals seeking deeper healing from trauma, depression, anxiety, and other emotional challenges. By integrating traditional psychotherapy with somatic approaches and specialized trauma treatments, Brianna helps clients create lasting, meaningful change.

Above all, Brianna is dedicated to creating a safe, compassionate, and authentic therapeutic environment where clients feel seen, supported, and empowered to reconnect with their truest selves.

Brianna resides in Orange County with her two rescue huskies. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time in nature, painting, practicing yoga, and cooking while surrounded by music, friends, and family.

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New York
  • Master’s of Social Work, Adelphi University
  • Master’s of Social Work, Adelphi University RYT-200
  • Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Certified, Journey Clinical
  • Accelerated Resolution Therapy Trained, Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Ashley received her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from SUNY New Paltz. While attending her graduate program, Ashley worked as a supervisor at a Crisis Intervention Program and interned at an Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, gaining valuable skills in crisis management and group therapy. Before joining Nourish Counseling, she spent several years working in a long-term outpatient care clinic specializing in children, adolescents and their families. Ashley has expertise in partnering with those suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, and personality disorders.

Ashley believes that each client is their own expert. She provides an integrative approach that focuses on both the thoughts and behaviors her clients may be struggling with in order to help them find balance and build resiliency. She works with clients in a person-centered and skill building approach to help determine and reach their own individual goals. Following a Dialectical Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach, she encourages and supports clients to reach their full potential.

Ashley lives in Middletown, NY with her husband and a very loved dog. She enjoys family time, cooking, and trying new things whenever possible.

  • American Counseling Association
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Amanda is a Certified Clinicial Trauma Professional with a deep commitment to guiding clients through their healing and discovery. She believes that you are the expert of your own life, and she is dedicated to building a safe, collaborative space where you feel both validated and motivated for change. 

Amanda specializes in treating those with Complex Trauma, Grief and Loss, Anxiety and Depression, Chronic Illness, Infertility, Infant/Pregnancy Loss, Women’s Health and Neurodivergent Disorders. She works with individuals aged 5 and up. 

Amanda’s unique, holistic approach to psychothreapy is rooted in evidence-based practices and tailored to fit your specific clinical needs. She seamlessly integrates practices like mindfulness and meditation with powerful theraputic modalities, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Internal Family Systems Therapy. 

After gaining experience in Baltimore – including intensive work in Residential Foster Care and as a Medical Social Worker – Amanda has been settled back in her home, the Hudson Valley. She enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her husband and two young daughters. She has journeyed with cleints for nearly 5 years at Nourish and is now ready to partner with you!

  • Cornwall Office
  • Middletown Office