Body Mind Connection with Tracy

05/06/2026

This very happy person just completed her sixth semester at (!)

And this summer, I officially begin clinical work in my practicum — which means I can start seeing clients as a student therapist. 🤍

If you know someone looking for counseling services, DM me.
arts has been an incredible program, and my heart is bursting with gratitude and excitement for what’s ahead.

Hooray! 🙌🏼
ETA: if I were better at social media I would have mentioned that
(A) yes, I’m still seeing clients in Bristol for Body Mind Connection Work - this is different than clinical counseling.
(B) yes, I’m still doing Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster work online or in person - also different than clinical counseling.
(C) I can see clinical counseling clients in Rhode Island only but can do online or in person
(D) my intended focus for clinical counseling is grief, trauma, breast cancer, and life transitions (birth, death, graduations, retirements) but I’m open to working with anyone as I learn and grow in this first year of seeing clients officially.

12/15/2025

I found this really beautiful and helpful.

12/02/2025

This is where a body mind connection practice can be very helpful. Finding the space to notice is key.

“The Subtle Stress of Wanting Things to Be Different” - Buddhist psychology teaches that much of our suffering doesn’t come from what happens to us, but from the way the mind contracts around experience. We grasp at what we want, push away what we don’t want, and brace against anything uncertain. These habits—wanting, rejecting, resisting—create a quiet stress that shows up in the body long before it becomes a thought.

If you pay attention, you can feel the pattern.
Grasping leans us forward.
Aversion pulls us back.
Resistance hardens the chest, the jaw, or the breath.
Nothing is wrong when this happens. It’s simply the mind trying to manage reality.

The freedom comes in how we respond.

When you notice the tightening, the first instruction is simple: don’t correct it—recognize it. The moment you see the habit, you’re already not fully inside it. Pause. Feel what’s happening in the body. Soften around the contraction, even a little. Allow the experience to be here without immediately pushing or pulling at it. And then return to the present moment—the breath, the ground under you, the feeling of being alive right now.

From that small shift, something opens.
Awareness becomes wider than the habit.
The next step can come from clarity instead of tension.
You don’t have to eliminate your preferences or reactions—you just no longer have to be ruled by them.

Today, you might watch for the quiet moment when the mind says, “I need this,” or “I can’t handle that,” or “This shouldn’t be happening.” These moments are not obstacles. They’re invitations. They show you exactly where practice begins.

12/02/2025

“The Subtle Stress of Wanting Things to Be Different” - Buddhist psychology teaches that much of our suffering doesn’t come from what happens to us, but from the way the mind contracts around experience. We grasp at what we want, push away what we don’t want, and brace against anything uncertain. These habits—wanting, rejecting, resisting—create a quiet stress that shows up in the body long before it becomes a thought.

If you pay attention, you can feel the pattern.
Grasping leans us forward.
Aversion pulls us back.
Resistance hardens the chest, the jaw, or the breath.
Nothing is wrong when this happens. It’s simply the mind trying to manage reality.

The freedom comes in how we respond.

When you notice the tightening, the first instruction is simple: don’t correct it—recognize it. The moment you see the habit, you’re already not fully inside it. Pause. Feel what’s happening in the body. Soften around the contraction, even a little. Allow the experience to be here without immediately pushing or pulling at it. And then return to the present moment—the breath, the ground under you, the feeling of being alive right now.

From that small shift, something opens.
Awareness becomes wider than the habit.
The next step can come from clarity instead of tension.
You don’t have to eliminate your preferences or reactions—you just no longer have to be ruled by them.

Today, you might watch for the quiet moment when the mind says, “I need this,” or “I can’t handle that,” or “This shouldn’t be happening.” These moments are not obstacles. They’re invitations. They show you exactly where practice begins.

11/26/2025

"Just by practicing gratitude, we can find happiness. We must be grateful to our ancestors, our parents, our teachers, our friends, the earth, the sky, the trees, the grass, the animals, the soil, the stones. Looking at the sunlight or at the forest, we feel gratitude. Looking at our breakfast, we feel gratitude. When we live in the spirit of gratitude, there will be much happiness in our life."
-Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace Is This Moment)

11/07/2025

Join me for a session or a series of sessions designed to help you reconnect with your own inner knowing.

Each session blends mindfulness, movement, and can include creative practices to support emotional balance, reduce stress, and enhance overall wellbeing.

- 60-minute private sessions - Personalized and trauma-sensitive
- Offered at Karen Gieseke & Associates in Bristol

✨ Call 401-842-0009 to schedule
or visit tinyurl.com/bodymindwithtracymind.withtracy

11/06/2025

Exciting news — I am now officially certified to offer Peggy Huddleston’s Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster™ program!

This evidence-based, mind–body approach helps people reduce pre-surgery anxiety, use less pain medication, and activate our body’s natural healing response. Through guided relaxation, visualization, and supportive communication techniques, participants learn how to approach surgery feeling calm, confident, and empowered in recovery.

As someone who is dedicated to integrating yoga, mindfulness, and holistic wellness into healing, I’m honored to bring this work into my practice. Whether you’re preparing for a medical procedure or supporting a loved one, this program offers simple yet powerful tools for body–mind healing.

Sessions now available virtually or in person. To schedule, call 401-842-0009 or email me at [email protected]

10/03/2025

Take care of yourself

The nonstop cycle of bad news can take a real toll on our mental health.

Protect your well-being by setting limits: step back from constant feeds, avoid graphic content, and give yourself space to recharge.

Hear more on collective trauma from Dr. Cohen Silver on this episode from the Speaking of Psychology archive: http://at.apa.org/lx3

10/02/2025

Sound advice

09/21/2025

This weekend I’m in training to learn the Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster technique developed by Peggy Huddleston. I’m struck and inspired by how much this program reinforces what is taught in the holistic clinical mental health program at . Namely, that where we put our attention matters. I am excited to offer this work to clients who are preparing for surgery. Message me here or call the office to schedule a phone call to discuss the technique and how I can help you Prepare for Surgery and Heal Faster. Xoxox, Tracy .kgiesekephd_associates