When Treatment “Doesn’t Work”: Reframing the Term “Treatment Resistant” 🌿

The phrase “treatment-resistant” is sometimes used in higher levels of care—such as intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospitalization programs (PHP), residential treatment, or inpatient settings—when someone hasn’t responded to multiple treatment approaches.

But what that label can communicate to the person receiving it is something very different.

I’ve had clients enter care and say things like:
“I’m probably a lost cause… but I’m trying again just in case there’s still a chance.”
Others have been told they may have treatment-resistant depression (or another diagnosis), and it can land like a verdict—something permanent. Something shameful. Something that means relief might not be possible.

And that can be deeply discouraging.

💚 Here’s a thought—rooted in the experiences of several clients once labeled “treatment-resistant” who are living and thriving right now:
Clinically, what is often labeled as “resistance” is not defiance or failure.
It is often protection—a nervous system doing exactly what it learned to do in response to trauma, chronic stress, overwhelm, or survival-based patterns.

Resistance is not refusal.

It’s communication.

It may be telling us that something about the pace, approach, setting, or modality doesn’t yet feel safe, accessible, or truly attuned. And when the nervous system doesn’t feel safe, even the most well-intended treatment can feel impossible to absorb.

For loved ones, this can be especially painful. You may see how much someone wants relief—and still feel helpless watching them struggle.

🌿 If care hasn’t been helping, it may be worth exploring:

• Fit: Is this the right provider and therapeutic relationship for you?

• Focus: Are you working on the right goals—or are you being asked to “cope” with something that needs deeper healing?

• Trauma: Are there unaddressed or unlocked trauma responses driving symptoms beneath the surface?

• Modality: Would a different approach be more supportive (EMDR, somatic therapy, IFS, Brainspotting, neurofeedback, etc.)?

• Integrative support: Are there nervous-system and mind-body supports that could strengthen treatment—such as mindfulness, breathwork, movement, sensory regulation, sleep support, nutrition, or creating a safer environment?

Sometimes, progress happens not because someone finally “tries harder,” but because the support finally meets the need.

💚 Encouragement:
If you or someone you love isn’t responding to care, it does not mean nothing will help.
It often means the body and brain are asking for a different kind of support—one that is more personalized, trauma-responsive, and nervous-system informed.

There is still hope.
And you are not a lost cause. 💚

#TreatmentResistance #NervousSystemCare #TraumaInformed #UtahTherapistCommunity #IntegrativeMentalHealth

Exploring Beyond “Talk Therapy” 🌿

Talk therapy can be incredibly powerful—and for many people, it’s an essential part of healing.
And sometimes… it isn’t the whole picture.

For many individuals—especially children, teens, and those with trauma histories—distress doesn’t always live in words. It often shows up as:
• behavior shifts
• mood changes
• shutdown or withdrawal
• hypervigilance
• emotional reactivity
• somatic symptoms (headaches, stomach aches, tension, fatigue)

If someone isn’t “improving” through talk therapy, it does not mean they aren’t trying hard enough. Often, it simply means the nervous system doesn’t yet feel safe enough—or resourced enough—to process verbally.

And for loved ones watching, it can be heartbreaking. You may feel like you’re doing everything “right” and still not seeing relief.

✨ Clinical insight: Verbal understanding doesn’t always equal nervous system regulation.
💚 Gentle reminder: Needing more than talk therapy isn’t a failure—it’s information.

Sometimes healing begins through play, movement, creativity, sensory support, or nervous system regulation. These approaches can be used alongside talk therapy (or sometimes instead), helping the body and brain feel safe enough for deeper healing to take root.

Supportive alternatives & complementary modalities:

🌱 Play-Based Therapies
Play therapy, sand tray, therapeutic games, and child-parent relationship work help kids process emotions without needing to explain everything in words.

🎨 Expressive Arts Therapies
Art, music, movement, and drama/story work support emotional processing and regulation through creativity and sensory expression.

🧠 Trauma-Focused & Brain-Based Therapies
EMDR, Brainspotting, and IFS can support deeper healing with less pressure to “talk it out.”

🌿 Somatic & Body-Based Modalities
Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, trauma-informed yoga, and body-based approaches help release stored stress and build a felt sense of safety.

🌬️ Nervous System Regulation & Mindfulness
Breathwork (gentle/trauma-informed), mindfulness, biofeedback, and HRV training support calm, resilience, and regulation.

⚡ Neurotherapies & Brain Regulation Support
Neurofeedback and related approaches can help reduce anxiety, sleep disruption, attention struggles, and reactivity.

🤝 Relational & Attachment-Based Support
Family therapy, parent coaching, attachment-based therapy, and group support help strengthen connection and emotional safety.

Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all—and it isn’t always verbal.
If talk therapy hasn’t been enough, it may not mean you’re doing it wrong. It may simply mean your system needs a different entry point.

Sometimes healing begins through play.
Sometimes through movement.
Sometimes through breath, art, rhythm, or relationship.
And all of it counts. 💚

#BeyondTalkTherapy #IntegrativeCare #TraumaResponsive #NervousSystemHealing #UtahMentalHealthSupport

When Conventional Mental Health Care Falls Short -“I thought we were doing all the ‘right’ things—yet we’re still struggling.”

When Conventional Mental Health Care Falls Short

“I thought we were doing all the ‘right’ things—yet we’re still struggling.”

There is a particular kind of overwhelm that comes from truly trying.

You may have a wonderful therapist.
You may be getting up and taking your walks every day, prioritizing sleep, showing up to sessions, practicing coping skills, and doing everything you’ve been told supports optimal mental health.

And still—you may find yourself facing depression, mood fluctuations, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion.

Or, just as painfully, you may be watching someone you deeply love—your child, partner, or family member—continue to struggle despite every effort, appointment, intervention, and resource you’ve put in place.

This can feel devastating and leave people feeling helpless.
It can leave you questioning yourself, the system, and diminish hope.

When conventional mental health care falls short, it is rarely because of a lack of effort or commitment. More often, it’s because the approach—no matter how well-intentioned—does not yet fully match the developmental stage, personal needs, timing, trauma history, nervous system, or communication style of the person receiving care.

Our upcoming Mental Health shares (posts like these) will explore thing you can consider if this happens for you or a loved one—and what else may be possible.

Gentle reminder: Struggling despite effort does not mean failure.
It means care may need to expand—not intensify—to truly meet what is needed.

There is still room for compassion, creativity, and hope. 🌿💚

#UtahMentalHealth #UtahTherapist #UtahTherapy #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaInformedCare #YouAreNotFailing

Welcome to Empath!!

Wow what an amazing journey this has been! It has been in our hearts and on our minds for years to offer a level of specialized and personal care that we hadn't quite seen elsewhere. Many of us, in some manner, whether personally or by way of a family member or friend, have a connected relationship to the world of mental health and the care that is readily available. Often times that care can seem like it is lacking pieces or elements that could help it be more effective for those people in our lives that are utilizing it. Mental health care should be empathetic, nurturing, progressive, competent and compassionate.  Our model is built upon these principals of care. We are so thrilled to be opening Empath Healing and Wellness and bringing compassionate comprehensive care to you. Following a combined 15 years in client and patient care we have gathered the elements that we feel will support you through your journey of care and emotional balance. 

We are now welcoming new clients to begin their journey with us!! If we can be of service to you or someone you know please reach out to us!

We are located central to the Salt Lake City area in the lovely and ever growing Sugarhouse neighborhood just a few blocks from the freeway entrance allowing for great accessibility for clients near or far!

Read a bit more about us below...

An Empath is a person who has the unique and intuitive ability to connect with the experiences of others…

Evolving ones life to a place of emotional balance, satisfaction and fulfillment is a very personal journey and experience. As a clinician I have always been honored to be invited into my client's journeys toward healing. Throughout my years as a clinician I have found a great passion for connecting with the experiences of my clients and being present with them as they heal, evolve and grow into a space that aligns with the life they want. I have found that beyond just the use of clinical training, skill and abilities is a tool that truly helps carry individuals further on their journey.  This tool is empathy and it allows a clinician to connect with their client on a level that truly leads to the healing and balance they so desire.

Empath Healing and Wellness, L.L.C. is a welcoming space that honors your process and your goals. We humbly join you in your journey and desire for change and will remain engaged with you throughout this experience. We pride ourselves in being present, available and mindful practitioners with the care of our clients and patients in the forefront of all we do.