Therapies
Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Laguna Beach
Mindfulness-Based Therapy at Third Street Counseling in Laguna Beach
Third Street Counseling offers mindfulness-based therapy in Laguna Beach with Michele Hall-Preston, LMFT. Mindfulness here is a practical skill for staying present with difficult feelings, not a performance of calm. Begin with a free consult.
- Quick facts
- Who it is for
- Adults working with anxiety, trauma, or chronic stress
- Formats offered
- In person in Laguna Beach and telehealth across California
- Clinician
- Michele Hall-Preston, LMFT
- How to start
- Free consult to match you with the right clinician
What This Looks Like
What does mindfulness look like in therapy at Third Street Counseling?
In Laguna Beach or by telehealth across California. You would see Michele Hall-Preston, LMFT.
Mindfulness in therapy is not about emptying your mind or achieving a particular state. It is the practice of noticing what is here, in your body and your thoughts, without immediately reacting to it. Michele Hall-Preston, LMFT, uses mindfulness as a practical skill, not a performance of calm. That pause between feeling and reacting is where most of the work happens.
For people living with anxiety, trauma, or chronic stress, the pull to avoid difficult feelings is strong. Mindfulness-based therapy works on building the capacity to stay with those feelings long enough to understand them, rather than pushing them away or being swept up by them.
Sessions are held in our Laguna Beach office or by telehealth across California. The first step is a free consult.
Anxiety and mindfulness are closely connected. The worry that anxiety generates is often a future-oriented loop, a body and mind bracing for something that has not happened. Mindfulness builds the capacity to notice the loop without being consumed by it, to feel the worry in the body without immediately acting on it. Our anxiety therapy page has more on how we work with anxiety.
Trauma and mindfulness also intersect. Trauma can pull you out of the present moment, into a memory or a body response that feels like it is happening now. Mindfulness helps build the capacity to notice when that shift happens and to ground yourself back in the present. Michele Hall-Preston, LMFT, also offers EMDR, and the two approaches can complement each other. Our trauma therapy page has more.
Chronic stress is a common reason people seek mindfulness-based therapy. The constant pressure to perform, produce, and hold it together can create a baseline of activation that feels normal until you slow down enough to notice it. Mindfulness is not about eliminating stress but about changing your relationship to it, building the capacity to respond rather than react.
Mindfulness is a skill, not a personality trait. It can be learned and practiced, and it gets stronger with use. You do not need to be calm to start, and you do not need to have any experience with meditation or mindfulness practices. The therapy meets you where you are.
Free, no obligation. No pressure, no sales pitch.
Is This You?
What brings people to mindfulness-based therapy
If any of this sounds familiar, a free consult is the place to start.
You react before you think
The gap between feeling and reacting is so small that you are caught before you can choose a different response.
You push feelings away
The pull to avoid difficult feelings is strong, and you are ready to build the capacity to stay with them.
You want practical skills
You are looking for mindfulness as a real skill, not a performance of calm or a meditation app.
Free, no obligation. No pressure, no sales pitch.
How to Start
How do I get started with mindfulness-based therapy?
You talk with a clinician, we learn what is going on, and we match you with the right therapist.
Every new client begins with a free consult. You reach out through our contact form or by phone, and we schedule a short call to understand what you are looking for and whether mindfulness-based therapy fits. There is no paperwork to fill out before this call, and no commitment to continue.
If it is a fit, we schedule your first session at our Laguna Beach office or by telehealth. If it is not, we will help you find someone who is, here or elsewhere. You can also learn more about what to expect on our insights page about your first therapy session in Laguna Beach.
Common Questions
Common questions about mindfulness-based therapy
Four questions we are asked most, answered before you call.
Do I need to know how to meditate?
No. Mindfulness-based therapy does not require any prior experience with meditation or mindfulness practices. Michele Hall-Preston, LMFT, teaches the skills as part of the therapy. You do not need to be calm to start, and you do not need to sit in a particular posture or achieve a particular state.
Is mindfulness-based therapy the same as meditation?
No. Mindfulness in therapy is a practical skill for noticing what is happening in your body and thoughts without immediately reacting. It is integrated into the therapeutic work, not practiced as a separate activity. The goal is to build the capacity to stay present with difficult feelings, not to achieve a particular state of calm.
Can mindfulness help with anxiety?
Yes. Anxiety is often a future-oriented loop that pulls you out of the present. Mindfulness builds the capacity to notice the loop without being consumed by it. Our anxiety therapy page has more on how we work with anxiety using mindfulness and other approaches.
Can mindfulness-based therapy be done by telehealth?
Yes. Telehealth works well for mindfulness-based therapy. You can practice the skills in your own space, which for some people is more comfortable than an office environment. You can read more about telehealth on our telehealth therapy insights page.
Related
Related to mindfulness-based therapy (3)
Nearest to this one: EMDR therapy, Gottman Method and EFT, and anxiety therapy.
Free, no obligation. No pressure, no sales pitch.