Join MysticMag and step into the healing realm with Edna Balboa, a Psychotherapist from Houston, Texas. Breaking barriers, Edna combines traditional counseling, yoga, and sound baths at Mind Flow Wellness, fostering a holistic approach to mental health. Embrace a transformative journey guided by Edna’s expertise, where self-discovery and well-being converge.
Who is Edna Balboa? What can you tell me about your personal story?
I am an Indigenous/Hispanic woman. I was the first female to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in my family. I am a mother to a son and a daughter who both work with me. I was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. I moved to Houston in 2009 and now Houston is home. When I was younger, I struggled with depression, I sought out therapy but never found someone that I could relate to. I often felt even more lost after speaking with professionals who could not see me as an individual. At 42, I decided to go back to school to become a Psychotherapist. I have been a yoga teacher for 20 years and through that work, I knew helping people with Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD was what I was meant to do. I have a small private practice in the Montrose area of Houston. Along with counseling other services that help improve mental and physical health. At Mind Flow Wellness, we offer traditional counseling, walk-and-talk sessions, yoga classes and workshops, book clubs, sound bath healing groups, and individual private sessions.
My goal as a practitioner is to assist clients in shedding the behaviors and beliefs about themselves that hinder them from being authentic and genuine with themselves and those they care about. I work with clients from diverse backgrounds and experiences. I have clients that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and BIPOC. The ages range from early twenties and up, with the majority in their late twenties and thirties. I love how younger generations value mental health in a very open and integrative way. My office is in a 1930s duplex that was once an apartment but has been converted to commercial space. It feels like coming to a friend’s house. Each room is decorated like a living room, cozy, inviting, and comfortable. Plants are in every room to add softness and a sense of being in nature. My son Ryan Evan is the one who cares for the plants and is overall the handyman for us.
What are the benefits of sound healing?
The goal of using non-traditional therapeutic modalities is to assist the clients to find self-care tools that support their mental health journey. To be able to look within, connect the mind and body, be present in each moment. Sound baths elicit the relaxation response and in the relaxation response the body relaxes, the blood pressure lowers, heart rates can lower, and the body basically goes into healing mode.
Can you walk me through a sound healing session?
A typical Sound bath consists of setting intention, saying a mantra or affirmation, and doing a few breathing techniques. Clients generally lay on a yoga mat with pillows and a blanket. The sound bath practitioner then plays the crystal bowls to activate the chakras. There are seven chakras that relate to different parts of the body and the different emotions that we hold in our bodies. For example, the root chakra is at the base of our spine and is related to safety and the emotional and physical things we need to be safe. A typical sound bath lasts about an hour. My daughter Rachel Elaine is the sound bath practitioner at Mind Flow Wellness.
What are the benefits of practicing yoga on a regular basis?
Yoga’s movement, meditation, and breathing can help improve a person’s mental well-being. Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns; relaxes the mind; centers attention and sharpens concentration. I offer small group yoga classes where we focus on the physical benefits of yoga such as balance, strength, and flexibility. As we age balance and range of motion are the first things we lose if we do not actively work at maintaining them. Small classes also provide a sense of community- the clients become friendly and look forward to seeing each other. In counseling sessions, yoga can be used to help connect the mind-body experience, cope with panic/anxiety attacks, and regulate our survival response when discussing difficult experiences.
What ideas do you base your counseling, coaching, and Consulting services on?
In my practice, I have found that many clients come to therapy wanting to overcome the symptoms of anxiety or depression. What I usually find is that anxiety and depression are often symptoms of adverse or even traumatic experiences in early life. We learn ways to continue to move forward but often in unhealthy ways that perpetuate coping behaviors that go from helpful in childhood to maladaptive in adulthood. I teach grounding and breathing techniques in the first few sessions to help provide tools and build rapport before diving into the hard issues. The goal is not to focus on blame but on clarity and resolution.
Using traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, I teach techniques that empower clients to face their negative thoughts and beliefs. I currently accept some insurance and have evening appointment times available. I also offer Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy sessions (KAP). Kap is now available in Texas, and I am one of the few who are in Houston offering this type of medicine. Psychedelics such as Ketamine have been scientifically research proven to be effective in treating Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, and Addiction. I have found these sessions to be very powerful in getting to the roots of negative thoughts and unprocessed trauma. I feel like every person I assist on their healing journey becomes a better version of themselves and that in turn builds stronger healthier communities.
To learn more about Edna and Mind Flow Wellness, you can visit www.mindflowwellness.com
