I provide leadership and facilitation in the following workshops:
Writing as a Righting Journey— (about 3-4 hours)
I lead and facilitate two different iterations of this workshop, one for parents of children living with ongoing physical or mental health issues, and one for medical caregivers. I tailor each one to meet the needs of the audience. In these settings, participants can expect to discuss in dyads, small groups or as a whole, their concerns, some of their writing and any questions that arise in the workshop.
For parents, I provide a safe space to explore their feelings and experiences of caregiving a child with special needs. I provide readings, writing prompts and an opportunity to talk with, and listen to, others who are on a similar journey. Typically issues of grief, loneliness, and joy are balanced by exploring creative ways to access and contain those feelings through writing.
For medical professionals, I also provide a safe environment to explore in writing the stresses and strains that are not typically allowed to surface during treatment sessions with patients. Through readings, visual aids and writing prompts, we explore a range of feelings: guilt about not being able to help someone, grief over the loss of a patient, stress from the many daily decisions and time limitations that being a doctor involves.
FEES: $400
Coping Skills for Families with a Child Living with Chronic Illness—(about 2 hours)
In this workshop I present information on the various ways grief expresses itself, on changed realities and resilience. We talk about ways to build resilience between parents, between parent and child and within the child.
This is a very interactive workshop with opportunities to discuss in small groups or dyads depending on the number of participants. I can accommodate both newly diagnosed families and long term caregivers in one group.
FEES: $200
Writing from the Heart of Illness and Healing—(for teens)
I typically teach this as an 8 week, once a week writing opportunity. Each class is an hour and a half. I have taught this through a family practice clinic, drawing teens with a variety of health issues from various middle and high schools or home school situations.
We read poems and prose from a range of authors that deal with topics and themes typically developing teens deal with and I augment those with issues from people writing about specific illnesses or disabilities. We also focus on the elements of writing itself: using powerful images, metaphors, language. We look at various forms and write in different voices; e.g. persona poems and from a variety of viewpoints. At the end of the workshop, we produce a book of the teens best work, usually at least 3 pieces of writing.
Please contact me to discuss any questions you might have about content, availability or fees.