Brain Health: Workshops and Storytelling

Since I’ve been working with neuroplasticity over the past few years, I have become increasingly aware of how important it is to keep growing and developing, in many ways, as part of keeping the brain healthy. Yesterday I attended a moving demonstration of this principle at a storytelling competition, involving themes of aging, for adults in San Francisco. I admit that I went because my husband was one of the six storytelling workshop participants chosen to continue in this event (and he was great!). 

It was hosted by San Francisco sports anchor Mike Shumann and featured award-winning storyteller Olga Loya. Part of the Laugh Lines event series, it was sponsored by “What Is Brain Health?,” a national campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living. The campaign helps raise awareness about brain health while empowering older adults to make the most of their brains as they age. Visit http://www.brainhealth.gov to learn more.

The stories that were told were inspiring, as were the storytellers. Storytelling is one of the Tools that I use in my groups “A Change of Mind: Neuroplastic Tools for Healing.” When we’re telling or listening to stories, our brains are actively engaged and making new connections. Not only does this improve the health of our brains, but it is part of a strategy, which I use and teach, that helps us decrease and eliminate symptoms like pain, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of chronic illness.   

As part of my own professional (and brain!) growth, I have been developing workshops to teach these methods in a variety of settings. Here are 2 workshops which will take place in May and June 2016.

In May:

Frank Wildman, GCFT, PhD and Danielle Rosenman, MD are teaching a new workshop:

PRACTICAL NEUROPLASTICITY AND FELDENKRAIS

Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15, 2016

Berkeley, CA
See this page for details.

Dr. Rosenman uses materials developed by Michael Moskowitz, MD, who some of you might have read about in the first chapter of Norman Doidge's book, “The Brain's Way of Healing,” and Marla Golden, DO.  Dr. Wildman will discuss some very specific ways of using neuroplastic principles to greatly empower both Awareness through Movement® lessons, as well as Functional Integration®. This workshop will also be of interest to therapists-- psychological and physical-- and coaches, as well as anyone interested in the topic.

For more information, see this page.

In June:

I’m doing a workshop, "A Change of Mind: Neuroplastic Tools for Healing," at the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society annual meeting at Asilomar June 3-5. This conference has a variety of very interesting workshops for psychotherapists.

For more information: http://www.ncgps.org/pages/news.html#Asilomar

There are many ways that each of us can continue to grow and change, become healthier and feel better. Sometimes we need the experience of others to help us do that. Telling and listening to stories is one way we share our experience. Teaching and learning is another way. You are welcome to contact me through my Web site, and I will be happy to talk with you about your own process of becoming healthier and feeling better!