Rate Peter Meilahn

I help clients improve attention (including ADHD), autism, anxiety, pain, improve sleep, and work with their careers or executive coaching. I work more on cognitive skills with clients.

I work with clients who want to use mindfulness and self-regulation tools like heart rate biofeedback or sound therapies to improve the way they regulate their attention, stress, and memory. The methods I use are proven in studies to generally increase memory 11-29% in healthy adults and adults with ADHD, lower anxiety reactions by 86%, lower chronic pain 77%, help people fall asleep faster (but these are general statistics in studies, and individual results vary). People that work with me learn to notice how they are speeding up or slowing down their heart and brain patterns to create more balance on purpose. We use a brain health assessment from a respected clinic to guide how you are creating more balance.

The way that I can help best is on a skills basis for learning to regulate heart and brain patterns easier for your needs and for more calm attention, sleep, and other things. It is very skills based, and less oriented to being a free flow relationship like some therapists.

Most people feel results right away, and It usually takes 12-20 sessions for people to develop a new "muscle memory" of how they balance their stress reactions and attention with their heart rhythms for attention (but they still need to think about it in most situations). It helps anxiety, sleep, work performance, memory, etc..

It also takes people about 30 sessions (including homework times that accelerate things) to feel a sense that they can do it intuitively or automatically in most situations.

We can also use brain health assessments from a respected neurology, psychiatry, and psychological testing clinic called The Amen Clinics. I can then recommend custom brain training or mindfulness techniques that fit your brain patterns. It also very clearly shows patterns in your personal life and the counseling that we can use to increase your sense of balance.

I also recommend people look at brain rhythms training with sounds with tools I can give that are free, or look at buying The Heart Math Inner Balance at www.heartmath.com. I have taught people how to use these as a way to increase their self regulation. I have taught at The University of Minnesota Medical Center and elsewhere.

I work with individuals around their general lifestyle too, with deeper insights in to their patterns. I enjoy helping people improve communication, emotional balance, anxiety, attention, sleep, and overall well-being. My style is practical, collaborative, and focused on helping insights come together naturally through conversation. I also incorporate brain science, mindfulness, and creative ideas that can help individuals and couples build greater connection, fulfillment, resilience, and healing.

The tools I teach and give are evidence-based tools that you can continue using between sessions so that progress extends beyond our time together. Many of these skills can become lifelong habits and have been studied for improving areas such as attention, memory, emotional regulation, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep, and overall well-being. Some have also shown promise in research related to trauma recovery, addiction, tinnitus, brain injury rehabilitation, and dementia.

Before becoming a counselor, I completed my undergraduate studies in Communication, which gave me an early appreciation for how people connect, misunderstand one another, and build healthy relationships. During graduate school and afterward, I received training and supervision in couples therapy from a former President of the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as another member of the Board. My primary supervisor was also a founding board member of the Center for Sexual Health and Healing at the University of Minnesota. Over time, he trusted me with referrals, allowing me to continue developing my work with couples while also maintaining a long-standing practice with individual clients.

One resource I sometimes recommend is the **Anatomy of Love** personality assessment, which is based on research exploring how temperament relates to patterns of thinking, motivation, and relationships. Many couples find it helpful because it provides a framework for understanding differences in personality, communication styles, and ways of connecting. If you're interested, you can take it here:

https://theanatomyoflove.com/relationship-quizzes/helen-fishers-personality-test/

I also sometimes use the **Brain Health Assessment**, which describes different brain patterns that may relate to attention, anxiety, stress, mood, sleep, and other areas. If you choose to complete it before we meet, please send me your Brain Type and Brain Fit score.

[www.brainhealthassessment.com](http://www.brainhealthassessment.com)

Although online therapy doesn't allow me to observe every aspect of body language that an in-person session might, many people find that meeting by secure video offers greater privacy and comfort. That increased sense of privacy often helps people speak more openly and honestly, which can offset some of the limitations of not sharing the same physical space. I'll also ask questions about your emotions, stress level, and reactions so I can better understand your experience.

I also developed a free mindfulness and brain-balancing website that teaches practical skills you can continue using long after therapy has ended. It includes educational resources related to memory, attention, sleep, stress regulation, anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, addiction recovery, tinnitus, brain injury rehabilitation, dementia support, and many other areas of mental wellness. Many clients appreciate having practical exercises they can continue using independently between sessions and long after counseling has concluded.

We can move at your pace. Some people prefer open conversation, while others enjoy a more structured approach with practical exercises and educational tools. Together, we'll find an approach that fits your goals, personality, and preferences.

I also have a background in art, including training in art therapy. I enjoy helping people discover creative ways to build connection, communicate more effectively, heal, and create a richer and more meaningful life together.

I look forward to meeting you.

Peace,

Peter Meilahn, Licensed Professional Counselor