Starting September 10, 2007

2nd & 4th Mondays - 7:00 to 9:00pm

Using imagery, poetry, journals and other creative forms of expression, we will explore ways to stack life in a better load and examine the demands and joys of caring for the special needs of our children or family members who have a disability or chronic illness.

Therapeutic creative support for parents and caregivers of family members who have disabilities or chronic illnesses:

Cost: $20.00 per session (suggested contribution - you pay what you can afford)

Time:  7:00–8:50pm

Location: 2131 Fairview Ave. N., Roseville -- in the former school attached to Corpus Christi on the SW corner of County B and Fairview, on top of the hill

Group size is small. Pre-registration is required!

More Information: Phone 651-639-2527 or email diane@familyinstitute-cwb.org

You may also wish to download a list of August/September 2007 workshops

The power of creative expression rests in its natural capacity to give us a way to tame emotions such as fear, pain, loss and guilt. The use of creative expression helps gain authority over the illness. It makes it possible to address serious challenges and to see and examine situations from a variety of perspectives, giving insights not otherwise considered. Perhaps most importantly, it gives a concrete way to address the questions that medicine cannot answer: Why me? Why now? What did I do to deserve this? 

We can design a creative expression support group for your organization. Please call for information: 651-639-2527.

I just want to take a moment to thank you for offering Washington County Early Intervention Network the opportunity to participate in the special mini retreat series.  The families that participated have given rave reviews and are currently brainstorming a way to find money to bring you back again.

The compassion and gentleness with which you present is such a gift!

—Julie Revoir - Early Intervention Network Coordinator

Imagine a Splinter

Imagine a splinter embedded under your skin.  You ignore it but your body will not.  Instead it acts to rid itself of this foreign object.  It will irritate and fester until it is removed.  Thoughts and emotions related to living with health challenges have potential for greater impact than a splinter, yet they are more likely to be ignored.  The body will react to these thoughts and feelings like it reacts to the splinter, triggering the immune system to leap into response releasing chemicals to ward off the threat. Ongoing stress such as caregiving will cause this heightened response to continue for extended periods of time. Stuck in overdrive, the immune system is less able to ward off other viruses or invasions - its efficiency is diminished.  Fortunately there is a way to manage this distress and improve immune function.  It has been proven that the process of creative reflection and expression strengthens the immune system and improves well-being.

Parents need support as they address their uncertainty and fears and try to make a normal life for their children. Creative expression helps them maintain hope and strength as these parents attest:

Sharing with others in a similar boat makes my experience less grievous and I feel less isolated and hopeless. –CL

As a parent to five kids under the age of five (including triplets and a three year old who has Down syndrome) getting out of the house is pretty hard.  After completing the parent retreat, I can't tell you how worth the effort it was. Diane reintroduced me to my creative side. Reminded me we are not alone in our life's journey. She's one of those people you are lucky to know. –SH

I learned that it's ok to feel the way I do. I learned how to work through situations dealing with my son.  I enjoyed this workshop so much and I hope who ever helps out on the financial end can realize how important these workshops are! –WC  

A Participant's Experience

In the summer of 2002, I was both glad and sad that my brother and his family had left Minnesota to visit my parents in Malaysia. I did not join them on the trip, as my son has autism with behaviors that are inimical to sitting long hours in an airplane. I was not comfortable about taking my son on the twenty-hour flight nor was I comfortable about leaving him behind in Minnesota. I was so conflicted I felt depressed.  This led me to enroll in a writing group at the Family Institute for Creative Well-being.

At the first workshop, I saw myself as the "cracked pot" in one of the pieces of writing. I laughed to think that it was through those cracks that water leaked and nurtured the flowers on the ground. Through more writing and the insights of fellow participants at the workshops, I was able to accept the cracks in life. Though the pot is cracked, its filling should not be neglected for how else will the flowers be watered along the way.  Hence, I commit to attending the workshops with Diane to fill my pot with inspiration and wisdom on raising children with complex needs, and where I can relax and enjoy the company of other participants at-various-stages-of-healing whose founts of creativity bubble over on to me, and whose presence infuse the atmosphere with empathy, friendly wit, and philosophical humor. As a result, I am both calm and optimistic about a family reunion with my son and my parents.  

–Christa Laird