“Ride the Wave!” Coping with Transitions and Emotions with Wendy
Modalities: Psychoeducation, Mindfulness, Movement, Writing, and Art-making
Wednesday, May 4th | 6: 00 PM-9:00 PM Eastern
Change, whether wanted or totally unexpected, is almost always served with a side of uncertainty. And you know what that means, STRESS! Whether you are on the brink of a military move, retirement, job change, or have recently experienced a loss or gain that has changed your world, this session is made for you.
Certified Facilitator, and Licensed Therapist, Wendy, will guide you through exploring what wave of change you are riding in this multimodal expressive arts session. She will create a safe space for you to engage in a sequence of mindful meditation, gentle moving, art-making, and writing, to help you create an awareness of what your experience means to you and how to manage the emotions and stress that are joining you for the ride!
During this 3-hour workshop, we’ll enjoy a variety of activities including:
- Discussing what The Stages of Change are
- Shining light on how grief and loss accompany ALL transitions, even the good ones!
- Learning the neuroscience behind emotions and evidenced- based strategies for managing the big uncomfortable ones
- Engaging in a Wave Breathing mindfulness activity and beach mediation
- Exploring how creative expression helps gives voice to situations that it is hard to find words for
- Painting out your layers of feelings in a wave design
- Creating a felt-sense of the change you’re experiencing through gentle movement
- Writing about your wave of change through guided journaling
What will you take with you when it’s all done?
- A sense of what this change means for you and where you are in the stages of it
- Tiny tips for self-care during your transition
- Breathing techniques and coping strategies for managing big emotions with ease, for you AND your kids! Ever hear of the 90 second rule?
- Ideas for how to use art and color to express your thoughts and feelings
- A sense of connection, support, and belonging to serve as a resource for strength in the months ahead!
- Tips for daily emotional check-ins using a quick creative approach
- A cool “wave of change” painting!
What you’ll need:
- 3 hours of uninterrupted time in a quiet space to focus on the process, attend to Wendy, connect with the group, and give the gift of time to yourself! We know it’s a difficult task when there are so many competing demands, and you’ll be so glad you carved out this time and space for yourself when it’s done!
- A change in mind that is present for you to set your intention on for our session.
- And the following supplies:
- pencil
- a few pipe cleaners
- An assortment of oil pastels and paper, 8×10 or larger
or
- An assortment of paint, brushes, and canvas board. Choose whatever size you’d like! 8×10, 11/14, 16×20, or go rogue and get a huge one! And any fun beach themed items you’d like to include! For example shells, mermaid or boat wood cut-outs etc.
Feel free to gather your own from home or order online. Here is a link with some suggestions for you.
OR you can opt to purchase basic supplies to participate in the session through us if you register by April 24th! We will send you a set of oil pastel and an 8×10 pad of multi-purpose paper. Look for these options when you register.
Here are examples from a previous workshop. Yours will be unique to you in color, design, and size. We can’t wait to see it and Ride the Wave with you!!
