Seleni Spotlight: Cori Galdo, MA, LMHC
December 2020 - Cori Galdo, MA, LMHC, is an experienced licensed psychotherapist working with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, helping those struggling with a multitude of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, anger management, and overall life changes.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Cori, woman, mother of three, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and proud Venezuelan! I love mornings and freshly brewed coffee, sunlight is my best medicine, the sound of the ocean is my favorite tune, family is my religion, and gratitude is my favorite exercise.
What excites you most about being part of the Seleni family?
Being part of something that works diligently to change the future by embracing the present. At Seleni, we focus on improving the emotional wellbeing of parents as they navigate through the “family-building” years which in turn will foster healthier emotional development for their kids. It excites me to have the privilege of helping new mothers set the foundations for their children’s future.
How do you practice self-care?
In the past years I have consciously worked to expand my forms of self-care by joining a weekly guided meditation practice, staying physically active, making sure I regularly see my family and friends, eating consciously, and taking long, quiet baths. When I think about all these practices, there seems to be a consistent thread that links all of them and that is music—upbeat Latin music, to be precise. When it comes to self-care, I find myself thinking of music as an ally. Playing this type of music connects me to my roots, grounds me, and allows for some form of self-expression by making me dance, sing, or jog a little faster.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Take a deep breath! Something so simple and yet immensely powerful. A mindful breath is always the first thing I do before almost anything else. Specifically, I engage in diaphragmatic breathing or “belly breathing.” This type of deep breathing engages the stomach, the abdominal muscles, and diaphragm, helps control the nervous system, and encourages the body to relax.
How has COVID impacted moms and families, and what can we do to better support them during this time?
This pandemic has changed, blurred, and multiplied the roles that mothers take on, leaving them extremely overwhelmed. Without much or in fact any preparation, most moms had to add the role of teacher, caretaker, and even service providers (for instance, special education) to their roster of roles they were already playing, which is impacting them personally , professionally, and in many cases, even physically. Early data from NYU’s COPE study suggests 78% of mothers experienced an increase in stress levels, which just reinforces what we know anecdotally—that COVID-19 has significantly impacted women’s lives.
Since social distancing is a norm during this time, providing traditional support such as offering to care for the kids for a few hours, helping out with chores, etc., is not an option. It is now, more than ever, that lifting each other up by means of nonjudgmental solidarity and compassion will make a difference. The key word here is “nonjudgmental,” given that we are all adapting to this unprecedented new reality and there is no right or wrong way of doing things during this time. However, the one thing that we do know for sure is that lending a caring ear and an open heart is the starting point of support.
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For more information about Cori Galdo, learn more here.
