How Mindfulness Therapy Helps Heal Trauma and Relationships

Giselle Jones: From Actress to Trauma-Informed Psychotherapist

Giselle Jones is a Toronto-born psychotherapist with a unique career path. After 17 years as an actress in New York and Hollywood, she:

Earned a master's in social work from UCLA
Served as education director for a youth literacy group
Now specializes in treating trauma, sexual anxiety, and addiction through mindfulness-based therapy

Discovering Mindfulness: A Turning Point

Jones first encountered mindfulness meditation in 2012 during her UCLA internship at a Watts neighborhood school. Facing daily trauma disclosures from students, she found solace in a free mindfulness course at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center.

"It was delicious for me," Jones recalls. "I learned to identify emotions in my body first, then understand them mentally."

3 Key Ways Mindfulness Supports Therapy Work

Building Emotional Resilience
- Helps therapists stay present with clients' trauma
- Develops capacity to tolerate intense emotions
Creating Safe Spaces
- Uses brief meditations to establish group safety
- Reduces defenses in intimacy therapy groups
Treating Sexual Anxiety
- Incorporates sensate focus therapy (developed by Masters and Johnson)
- Teaches partners mindful touch techniques

Making Mindfulness Inclusive

Jones challenges the perception that mindfulness is only for privileged groups:

Adapts practices for diverse populations
Avoids oversimplified "just be present" approaches
Volunteers with homeless populations experiencing PTSD

"Mindfulness helps people inhabit their bodies safely," she explains, noting its value for trauma survivors and marginalized communities.

The Ripple Effect of Mindful Therapy

For Jones, the rewards are profound:

Creates authentic connections in therapy groups
Builds community among participants
Provides personal fulfillment through service

"There's a thread that runs through the room—I call it love," she says. "And I get to be part of that."

Articles tagged "inclusive-mental-health"

Articles tagged "inclusive-mental-health"

Mindfulness Therapy for Trauma & Relationships | Giselle Jones