Close-Up Talk Radio Welcomes Back Dr. Alison Caldwell-Andrews

Middlefield, CT – Many people hold long-term beliefs about themselves. For example, one of these beliefs might be that no matter what they do, they’re not enough. They’re stuck looking down at a bottomless pool, frantically trying to fill it up, but no matter what they do, it’s never full.

According to Dr. Alison Caldwell-Andrews, the solution is that you simply walk away from the pool. Rather than frantically continue to try to fill the pool, change your behaviors to instead do the things that create the kind of life you want.

Dr. Caldwell-Andrews is a licensed clinical psychologist and expert in mind-body health. As a former member of the research faculty focused on Mind-Body Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Caldwell-Andrews employs a data-driven, holistic approach to therapy.

“Insight alone is not a catalyst for change," explains Dr. Caldwell-Andrews. "Feelings are like the caboose on the end of a train. The engine is your behavior. You have to change your behavior first and the feelings will follow along.”

So as a part of evaluating depression, Dr. Caldwell-Andrews will ask about a person's diet, sleep and exercise. All these things are relevant to a person’s state of mind. According to Dr. Caldwell-Andrews, exercise is one of the most effective means of reducing anxiety and depression. Studies show that exercise actually creates new brain cells as well as brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which nourishes brain cells and brain connectivity.

“The world you create through your thinking prevents you from changing your behavior,” says Dr. Caldwell-Andrews. “I push people’s boundaries because I want them to have a different neurotransmitter experience in their brain. Often no therapist has ever done this for them before and I’m 100% committed to them getting the message.”