Are you a mental health practitioner who…

• strives to provide the absolute best to your clients but have trouble doing that for yourself?
• feels “crispy” or close to burn out?
• craves sharing your experiences of helping others with like minded practitioners?
• wants to carve out space to take care of yourself?

The “Rekindling the Flame” workshop is designed to provide mental health providers with essential tools and strategies to address and overcome burnout in their professional lives. This interactive and experiential workshop aims to create a space where participants can share their experiences, learn from one another, and develop practical skills to enhance their well-being and further implement in the therapeutic process with clients. Through a combination of experiential exercises and group discussions, this workshop will guide participants on a journey toward rejuvenation, resilience, and self-care.

Workshop Agenda:

• 9:00am to 9:30am – Welcome, coffee, and networking
• 9:30am to 10:30am – Mindfulness led by Katie Bucklen, MD, FAAP
• 10:30am to 12:00pm – Collage Making led by Christine Elder, M.Ed., PLPC 
• 12:00pm to 12:30pm – Catered Lunch
• 12:30pm to 1:00pm – Mindful Eating led by Laura Chackes, Psy.D.
• 1:00pm to 2:00pm – Yoga led by Andrew Jovanovic, MA, LPC, CYT
• 2:00pm to 3:00pm – Movement: Embodied Healing led by Amanda Fondow, MA, LPC, R-DMT
• 3:00pm to 3:30pm – Q & A and Closing Remarks

What to bring: Yoga mat (if you have one, some will be available to use)

What to wear: Comfortable clothes to move in

Session Descriptions:

Art

Making art provides a meditative and therapeutic practice that promotes relaxation, self-exploration, and personal growth. In this session, mental health providers will engage in the creative process, using art as a tool to explore their inner world, express thoughts and emotions, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Participants will be guided through a collage art intervention where they will carefully select and arrange images that resonate with them, followed by an opportunity for introspective reflection. The facilitator will guide participants on how to utilize art in their own self-care practice and provide prompts to guide both themselves and their clients towards greater self-awareness and personal transformation.

Yoga

Engaging in yoga and practicing the R.A.I.N. Meditation can offer a transformative approach to managing symptoms of burnout, nurturing holistic well-being in profound ways. Yoga, with its harmonious blend of gentle movement, breath awareness, and mindfulness, becomes a sanctuary for releasing tension and fostering physical and mental rejuvenation. Through intentional poses and controlled breathing, individuals embark on a journey of self-care that promotes flexibility, reduces muscle tension, and enhances circulation. Simultaneously, the R.A.I.N. Meditation technique provides a structured framework for addressing emotional stressors. By Recognizing, Allowing, Investigating, and Nurturing emotions, practitioners cultivate a compassionate self-dialogue that diminishes self-criticism and fosters self-acceptance. Over time, these practices synergize to empower individuals with tools to observe their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without judgment. The resulting self-awareness nurtures resilience, promotes emotional regulation, and builds a foundation for balanced well-being, helping to alleviate burnout’s grip and fostering a more harmonious relationship with oneself and the challenges of daily life.

Movement

The “Embodied Healing” session aims to introduce mental health providers to the transformative power of dance/movement therapy as an expressive and holistic approach to supporting individuals with mental health challenges. This experiential workshop will combine theory, experiential exercises, and group discussions to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of dance/movement therapy and its applications. Participants will explore the integration of movement, creativity, and embodiment in their therapeutic practice, enhancing their skills and expanding their therapeutic toolkit.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness practice is therapeutic for burnout on several levels. For example, the practice of meditation or other mindfulness tools enhance our ability to become naturally more aware of the present moment. This awareness is relaxing to our bodies and minds as we focus our attention and let go of all other mental activity such as worrying or planning. Additionally, over time, mindfulness practice often heightens awareness of deep personal goals and values which, when brought forth, help us to identify and nurture the parts of our lives that help us to feel rejuvenated and joyful. This feeling helps us to be able to manage stress more skillfully. This workshop will offer the experience of three different types of mindfulness practice: guided meditation, breathing techniques and guided imagery. All of these practices are designed for relaxation and stress reduction. As a group we will discuss how and why each of these practices are effective as tools for healthy self-care decision making and building resilience in the face of challenging work. Trauma sensitive mindfulness tools will be addressed in advance of each practice. 

Participants will leave the workshop with:

• Enhanced self-awareness of personal burnout triggers and the ability to implement effective self-care practices.
• Strategies to build resilience, manage stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Access to resources and support networks for ongoing growth and development.
• Expressive art modalities to support clients struggling with self-care and burnout in areas of their lives.

Space is limited, so sign up today!

Benefits: 5 CEUs

Date: Friday, September 22, 2023

Time: 9:00am to 3:30pm

Location: The Center for Mindfulness and CBT

Cost: $100, includes 5 CEUs, coffee, lunch, light refreshments and a swag bag full of self-care items