Welcome to Your Balance Psychology
Get Unstuck from Chronic Stress and Reactivity
Resolving painful anxiety, depression, insecurities, self-berating and devastating reactivity in relationships is possible. Thanks to breakthrough science and evidence-based therapies, we have more influence over balancing and calming our emotional nervous system (and our lives) than we thought. It starts with learning — and experiencing results you can actually feel.
As a psychotherapist, I offer individual sessions and groups, providing a powerful blend of therapy, skills-building and practices to balance your nervous system and get unstuck from maladaptive stress patterns — fight, flight, freeze and fawn.
Athena McKee MS, LAC, CCTP
Evidence-based methods to experience less anxiety (flight), reactivity and anger (fight), insecurities and people-pleasing (fawn), fatigue and depression (freeze) and more calm, focus, confidence and health.
Emotional Processing and Nervous System Regulation
Learn to Process Emotions and Get Unstuck from Fiight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn
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Deactivate fight-or-flight system
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Access focus and calm
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Reduce cortisol, stress chemicals
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Reduce chronic stress and inflammation (#1 cause of chronic disease)
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Boost 'feel good' neurochemicals, serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin
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Improve immune system function and overall well-being
What Are Your Stress Types?
We now know most emotional and mental health disorders are due to a skill deficit — skills we need to process emotions and calm our nervous system. Understanding your stress type(s) and associated maladaptive protective strategies (MPS's) is the first step. Childhood experiences, adaptations, birth order, trauma, and genetic predispositions impact how we develop stress types.
Flight Symptoms
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Anxiety, Panic
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ADHD
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OCD
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Impulsivity
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Skin Picking
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Perfectionism
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Achievement Addict
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Addictions to 'Flee' Feelings
Freeze Symptoms
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Depression
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ADD
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Dissociation, Foggy
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Procrastination
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Feels Stuck, Hopeless
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Achievement Phobic
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Chronic Fatigue, IBS
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Chronic Inflammation
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Addictions to "Numb" Feelings
Fawn Symptoms
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Codependency
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People-pleasing
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Prioritizes Others over Self
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Compliant, Boundaryless
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Self-Critical
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Passive Aggressive
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Resentful
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Self-sabotaging
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Unsolicited Advice
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Love Addiction
Fight Symptoms
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Angry Outbursts
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Reactivity
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Controlling Behaviors
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Blaming, Shaming
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Bullying
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Physically Acting Out
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Abusive
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Unsolicited Criticism
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Cluster B Personality Disorders
Client Experiences
The ability to calm my nervous system with regulation is something I didn't even know existed. Learning DBT has improved my entire life.
Truly grateful for all you have done for me. I can feel such a shift. I've had dozens of therapists throughout my life, but have never felt benefits until now. Thank you!
I just wanted to say thank you. It is wonderful... for the first time in my life, I am seeing and feeling healing!!!!
Thank you for your help over the past several weeks. You helped me restore my self-worth and push my confidence to move forward with my life and career.
I used to have panic attacks. Now if I feel anxious I trust myself to self-soothe and feel better in a few minutes.
I hope you have a smile knowing how you are really having a healing impact on people! Thank you for helping me heal and learn to love myself.
Athena McKee MSC, LAC, CCTP
I am a Licensed Associated Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with a Masters Degree in Counseling and 10+ years of experience in counseling and coaching. I have 40+ years of life experience :) and am a mother of two teens.
Rather than conventional talk therapy, I provide skills-building therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for regulating your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, leading to deep healing and true transformation as you learn to shift your nervous system from survival mode to a state of calm.
With DBT skills you can quite literally walk yourself through any painful emotion to feel calm and balanced.
Learn Core Skills
DBT, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is a structured therapy that focuses on four core skills. Studies show that most emotional and mental health conditions are based on a skill deficit, and thus, learning and mastering these skills allow us to have more fulfilling, balanced, empowered, healthier lives.
Mindfulness is the foundational element and starting point in therapy, providing essential groundwork for the other three skill modules.
Distress tolerance skills help you get through intense emotional pain without making the situation worse. Builds neuroplasticity 'tolerance muscles.'
Interpersonal effectiveness help you be more effective at listening and communicating your wants and needs to ensure you feel respected, supported and cared for.
Emotional regulation involves understanding and processing your emotions, and choosing how to express and respond.
Treatment Facility
My Credentials
Licensure and Supervision
License: Arizona / LAC-21511
Stefanny Balestracci / Arizona / LPC-18869
Certifications and Awards
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Best of Scottsdale Award, Best Counselor 2019
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Certified Relationship Coach / 08101704
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Certified Clinical Trauma Professional / IAPT
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IFS-Informed Therapist (Parts Work) / IFS Institute
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Level 1 Gottman Method Therapist
Education
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING
2019
Grand Canyon University / Phoenix, AZ
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)
Human and Organizational Behavior
2012
Grand Canyon University / Phoenix, AZ
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
2005
Arizona State University / Tempe, AZ
