Holistic Mental Health Counseling

I am an LPC-Associate trained in both holistic and evidence-based therapeutic modalities, supervised by Sarah Arnold, LPC-S. I love to utilize an integrative approach tailored to each individual client.

My main modality is person-centered talk therapy, which is grounded in curiosity, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. This approach is collaborative and deeply empowering. While insta-therapy often encourages you to seek a safe space, I believe in the importance of creating a brave space – one that encourages growth, acceptance, and resilience. I also love to incorporate more holistic approaches to mental and emotional wellness, including diet and nutrition, movement, sleep hygiene, work-life balance, and spirituality.

My role is to help you:

• develop a deeper understanding of yourself,
• find the courage to lean into difficulty and let yourself be transformed by it
• and take the steps necessary to lead a life you’re excited about living.

I specialize in working with young adults who have been experiencing difficulty with depression, anxiety, managing stress, navigating challenging circumstances, poor self-esteem, people-pleasing, codependency, perfectionism, and academic pressure. I am also passionate about working with artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and deep thinkers who have been feeling creatively blocked, stagnant, or uninspired. I love having philosophical conversations where we explore the tough existential questions.

Because I am trained in holistic approaches and health coaching, many clients also seek my help in finding ways to improve their mental health without the use of pharmaceuticals, if possible. While I am not at all against medication and am happy to help clients in adhering to their medication regimen, I understand that many people have reservations about side effects or choose not to seek help from the pharmaceutical industry. I am happy to provide hope, support, and psychoeducation about ways to boost mental wellness using holistic strategies.

Feldenkrais® Practitioner and WomanSpeak Trainer/Circle Leader

Vivian Best is a Feldenkrais Practitioner teaching self-aware self-care. Her compassionate guidance helps bring a sense of pleasure in movement and ease to her clients. She offers regular Awareness Through Movement classes and also private Functional Integration sessions to clients. In her private sessions, she offers hands-on support for movement and emotional support for making meaningful changes to habits and beliefs! During these challenging times, Vivian has continued to offer Self-Aware Self-Care classes and Compassionate Body Awareness workshops virtually.

Vivian believes in the value of social connection and the process of creating support in our modern lives with and beyond our devices. She inspires positive change, building thoughtful communities to bring greater awareness and hope for growth, change, and possibility through her work with WomanSpeak and Sparked. Vivian is a facilitator for conversational and public speaking events, and supports her community to create connections, share resources, and take initiative in their lives by helping them to bring their voices to what truly matters. She supports women to feel a deep sense of internal safety and connection to their voices and supports them in transforming their personal and professional lives. She specializes in supporting women through life transitions.

In March, she was featured by the Austin Statesman, “Physical Not Social Isolation Please”, for her events that promote community and connection.

Vivian is also available for private math tutoring. She taught in the classroom for nine years and specializes in working with twice-exceptional students in elementary and middle school. She has been tutoring for over 20 years and loves helping unconventional kids build confidence and skills to support their learning.

Vivian has founded two nonprofit projects:

• Give It Fresh Today, a produce donation program to benefit the hungry/homeless with FRESH food from the farmer’s market,
• & Piko Pals, a new parent support program that helps new parents build community.

Recognized by Honolulu Magazine as one of “6 People Making a Difference in Honolulu” in November 2013,

& by Pacific Business News as Hawaii’s “40 Under 40”

and the Honolulu Star Advertiser as one of “10 Who Made a Difference in 2010”

Vivian is delighted to be a part of this community!

Use the contact form to ask Vivian about the next women’s Sparked game night!

• More about Sparked here->
• Check out Sparked in Austin (facebook.com/SparkedinAustin) for her latest community events!
• Register here for her weekly Self-Aware Self-Care/Awareness Through Movement classes-> Self-Aware Self-Care (via Zoom)