Welcome to The Wellness Series for Psychotherapists, taking place in the beautiful and spacious studios of Bending Bodhi Yoga in downtown Dover! We are very excited to offer this 5-part series designed to nurture YOU as you nurture those around you. We work so hard to “arrive” in our careers and encounter a learning curve that can feel endless. We love what we do but we can quickly become overworked and/or overwhelmed if we aren’t mindful. Caring for others in this field takes its toll, and most of us have loved ones that we are also tending to at home. We often overlook our own needs until we notice a lack of productivity, chronic illness, or sometimes even burnout. Why do we wait so long to take care of ourselves? Self-care as a daily practice is not taught in our field unless we seek it out and make it a priority.
Join us as we embark upon this new and exciting journey together. We are a thriving community of therapists looking to connect to our needs and put ourselves back on the MAP of our lives. We gain so much when we take TIME to calm ourselves, look inward, and join a community of like-minded individuals.
We have designed this series to reflect various aspects of wellness, incorporating themes of NOURISHMENT, BALANCE, GROUNDING, HEALING, AND GRATITUDE. Each evening we will explore one of these themes with a presentation and a follow-up group discussion. We have hand-selected local experts to visit us each evening in order to share a special skill that they have developed for wellness. You will find more in-depth descriptions below. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us directly: Alexis Roberson at alexis@robersoncounseling.com or Sarah Jones at sarahmwjones@gmail.com.
Jenni Stevens
Friday, March 1, 2019: NOURISHMENT
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
We will ring in March with a visit from local essential oils talent Jenni Stevens! Jenni is a registered yoga teacher and a LCMHC who works in community mental healthcare. Jenni uses essential oils in yoga classes, counseling sessions and in her personal life. Jenni will be sharing her experiential knowledge about adding essential oils in a professional atmosphere as well as for self-care. Supplies will be provided to make your own essential oil perfume roller (for topical application). We will follow this fun and informative segment with a discussion based on wellness throughout the workday.
Sarah Jones
Friday, April 12, 2019: GRATITUDE
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Our finale to The Wellness Series will include a restorative yoga session led by Bending Bodhi’s Sarah Jones (yes, Sarah is also co-hosting the series!). Sarah has been teaching yoga since 2006, practicing since 1999. Her main focus is bringing a sense of awareness to how one feels within the process of movement or stillness. Through restorative postures she encourages students to find states of relaxation through the chakra system and the use of mantras. Sarah is also a Marriage and Family Therapist and works with adolescents and families struggling with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues. She integrates the philosophy of yoga into her work with families and hopes to inspire others to do the same. We will learn restorative postures and sequences to integrate into our own self-care routines with the potential to work them into our sessions as well. Following this deeply relaxing yoga set we will have an open discussion around GRATITUDE and what that looks like in our personal and professional lives. [Beginners welcome.]
Cost: $100 for the complete Wellness Series including all 5 of the special presentations and follow-up discussions. Drop-in rate is $30/class. Classes must be purchased in advance if using credit/debit, cash-only for payment in studio.
Hope to see you soon!
Warmly,
Alexis & Sarah
Annie Leslie
Friday, May 10, 2019: GROUNDING
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Let’s kick off spring with a little needling, shall we? We are thrilled to have Annie Leslie bring us into the new season with ACUPUNCTURE! Annie will be giving us all some special meridian magic to get us grounded and centered. If you have never had acupuncture before you are welcome to come and try it out, or even just observe this ancient wellness tradition. Annie is an Acupuncturist at Santini Family Chiropractic in York, ME. She received her Master’s degree from the New England School of Acupuncture and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of New England. She is also a yoga instructor and teaches vinyasa style classes as well as myofascial release. While you rest in savasana (corpse pose) Annie will provide you with an acupuncture treatment to reduce stress, calm the mind and regulate the nervous system. The points used will not be individualized to any particular condition but will be an all around feel-good, relaxing treatment. Annie will be available afterward to discuss how to incorporate acupuncture into your self-care routine and answer any questions you may have about acupuncture and Chinese medicine. If time allows we will discuss ways to ground ourselves before/during/after challenging client sessions.
Julie Farrell
Friday, June 7, 2019: HEALING
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Julie Farrell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Portsmouth, N.H., where she works with families, couples and individuals on a variety of emotional, psychological and behavioral issues. She is skilled in several energy psychology techniques, is a Usui Reiki Master and an ardent student of alternative healing practices. She blends mind-body and energy psychology techniques with traditional psychotherapy to help clients achieve significant improvement in their lives.
One of Julie’s favorite and most effective tools is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), a tapping technique based on the ancient Chinese system of acupuncture. By stimulating the body’s energy flow via gentle tapping on key meridian points on the face and upper body, emotional and physical issues (pain, phobias, traumas and minor upsets) can be released and resolved, sometimes in minutes. The method also incorporates cutting edge neurological techniques which calms the amygdala and rewires the brain in relation to the target problem. The neural rewiring creates new neural pathways, thus allowing the brain to “re-learn” new and more functional responses to the old stimulus.
For anyone interested in taking an active, positive role in their own healing and happiness, this technique is a must! Participants will learn and practice the technique during the brief workshop, and will leave with a how-to sheet that will allow them to practice at home on themselves, friends and family members.
Friday, August 2, 2019: BALANCE
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
We will end our 5 session series focusing on balance in the body and mind as we share a yoga practice offered by Sarah. This class will be 75 minutes incorporating an all levels vinyasa class and ending with restorative. Afterwards, through discussion we will share in a celebration of our series with nourishing snacks and refreshments. We hope you will join us!