The Metamorphosis Center for Psychological and Physical Change
About The Metamorphosis Center
Directed by Dr. Renee A. Exelbert, who is both a licensed psychologist and certified personal fitness trainer, The Metamorphosis Center is an integrative center focused on the mind-body connection. The mind-body connection states that physical health is influenced by thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and conversely, thoughts, feelings and behaviors (or our emotional well-being), can be influenced by physical symptoms. Empirical research has found that exercise is beneficial for mental health; it reduces anxiety, depression, and negative mood, and improves self-esteem and cognitive functioning. Exercise is also associated with improvements in quality of life. This center ties together emotional and physical well-being to optimize one’s sense of happiness, fulfillment and personal growth.
The concept behind The Metamorphosis Center is that we can all experience difficulties, setbacks or traumas in our lives. Often, we can feel stuck, saddened, damaged. We embark on a journey to find our strengths, and discover that within each one of us exists the potential to change and grow – to transform.
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”
Individual Psychotherapy
Dr. Exelbert works with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. Dr. Exelbert treats issues related to identity; self-esteem; anxiety; depression; learning disorders; behavioral disorders; chronic illness; loss and bereavement; eating issues; trauma; relationships; addiction and recovery. Dr. Exelbert provides parent coaching to teach parents to more effectively work with their children. Whether you are looking to work on a particular issue, or are seeking greater life fulfillment, Dr. Exelbert will be your partner in fostering self-growth.
Personal Training
Dr. Exelbert offers one-on-one personal training, as well as dyad-training. We will review your fitness goals and establish an exercise plan based on your individual needs. Every fitness level is welcome and encouraged. Whether you are a beginner, or a seasoned athlete, Dr. Exelbert can help you with your individual objectives. Dr. Exelbert can be helpful in improving sport/team performance, or in increasing speed, strength, agility, or endurance. Dr. Exelbert works with children, adolescents and adults, pending medical clearance.
Empirical research suggests
Exercise can help control your weight
Exercise reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease
Exercise reduces your risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Exercise reduces Blood Pressure and Bad Cholesterol
Exercise reduces your risk of some cancers (A compilation of 60 studies from Harvard finds that women who exercise regularly can expect a 20% to 30% reduction in the chance of getting breast cancer compared to those women who did not exercise)
Exercise may ease depression (releases the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine), as well as help ward off panic attacks. Active people are less depressed than inactive people. Exercise seems not only important for treating depression, but also for preventing relapse
Exercise may work on a cellular level to reverse the toll of stress on our aging process (University of California–San Francisco study found that women who exercised for 45 minutes over a 3 day period had cells that showed fewer signs of aging compared to women who were inactive)
Exercise improves learning. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals called Growth Factors, which help make new brain cells and establish new connections between brain cells to help us learn. German researchers found that high school students scored better on high-attention tasks after doing 10 minutes of a complicated fitness routine compared to 10 minutes of regular activity
Exercising can boost brain function, and may help to minimize cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative diseases like dementia
The Alzheimer’s Research Center touts exercise as one of the best weapons against the disease. A recent study published in the Archives of Neurology suggests that a daily walk or jog could lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, or blunt its impact once it has begun
Exercise can help in addiction recovery
Exercise can help promote better sleep
Exercise can boost the body’s immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria
Exercise has psychological and emotional benefits:
It can boost one’s confidence, body image and self-esteem
Exercise allows for more social interaction
Exercise take one’s mind off worries
Exercise reduces stress
Exercise allows us to cope in a healthy way
Visual Emotional Kinetics© Explained
Visual Emotional Kinetics© is a transformative technique that blends positive thought, visualization, and physical movement to help individuals overcome challenges and move with purpose toward the lives they want to create.
This method was born from my personal journey as a two-time breast cancer survivor. After enduring multiple surgeries and facing both emotional and physical setbacks, I returned to the gym for the first time in months. I was shocked by how much strength I had lost. I dropped to the floor to attempt a push-up, only to be flooded with emotions—grief over lost strength, a changed identity and the trauma of illness.
As I lay there, I thought about all the ways cancer had knocked me down. But then something shifted. I chose to focus on a positive thought: I will rise again. I visualized myself strong and healthy—clearly, vividly, as if it had already happened. And then, I pushed myself back up, physically and metaphorically, realizing that movement could be more than just exercise—it could be a form of reclaiming power. That moment became the foundation of Visual Emotional Kinetics©. When we choose empowering thoughts, we start to shape a new internal reality. When we visualize a goal, we begin to see in our mind’s eye that it is possible, as our brain doesn’t fully distinguish between real and imagined experiences. And when we move, we do more than act—we teach our brain to move in the direction of that vision. Movement reinforces belief; it wires our nervous system for progress. It becomes the vehicle through which we embody change, reminding us with every step, reach, or lift that we are not stuck—we are capable, we are in motion, and we are becoming.
Client Forms
New clients will need to fill out several forms before therapy can begin. To make the process as smooth and efficient as possible, please download these forms and bring them with you to your first session.