Psychotherapist's Journal - Thoughts and Tools to Inspire Wellness in Mind and Body - by Karen Gorrin

Upcoming Retreat for Women Living with Fibromyalgia

The Abundant Wellness Retreat is a three-day gathering of pacific northwest women with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

I originally posted about this program back in January, and this post is an update about this very exciting and innovative program!

You are coordially invited to retreat from the stress of daily life and focus exclusively on yourself! As an Abundant Wellness Retreat participant, you will enjoy support and educational programs, whole food meals, gentle yoga and labyrinth walks, and plenty of time for rest and renewal -- all in a beautiful, retreat setting on the south shore of the hood canal.

This retreat has been designed especially for women living with fibromyalgia. Special attention will be given to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of fibromyalgia. The program will be facilitated by mind/body psychotherapist Karen Gorrin, together with yoga instructor Melode Brewer. Both are experienced working with people living with chronic illness.

As a participant, you will learn and practice tools for reducing stress such as yoga, meditation, and guided imagery. You will learn about mind/body approaches to enhance your outlook even in the face of pain and despair. And, there will be opportunity to share stories of hope and courage, as together we create a community of Abundant Wellness women.

For more infomation, or to request an application, click here.

Upcoming Cancer Programs at Harmony Hill

It is my great pleasure to serve on the faculty at Harmony Hill Retreat Center. My experiences working with people living with cancer are consistently heart-warming. I always walk away from my time on the hill having received at least as much as I have given. What is more, the staff and volunteers of Harmony Hill are truly the kind of individuals one calls friends. Please share this information with the people you know who are living with cancer.

In case you don't know, Harmony Hill offers Cancer Retreats at no charge. You can read all about the program, philosophy, and their inspirational founder Gretchen Schodde on the Harmony Hill website.

Here are some of the upcoming workshops and cancer retreats I'll be facilitating at Harmony Hill. For their complete this of cancer programs, please visit the Calendar.

3-Day Cancer Retreat
Friday - Sunday, March 16-18, 2007
Facilitated by Karen Gorrin, Margo Walsh, and Karen Kirsch

Harmony Hill’s cancer retreats are weekend residential programs that help those facing cancer, and their loved ones, cope with the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of cancer. Through stress reduction skills, guided imagery, daily support groups for learning and sharing, yoga, and massage, participants facilitate their own healing and restore quality of life.
Learn More >>

Thriving in Uncertainty
Monday, March 26, 2007
Facilitated by Karen Gorrin

Life after a cancer diagnosis is graduate training in living in Mystery! Nowhere has it been proven, though, that a rich life cannot exist in the presence of deep uncertainty. Learn how befriending the unknown can be the entryway into living a full, wise, and passionate life. Receive tools for turning uncertainty into possibility and adventure.
Learn More >>

Tools for the Journey
Monday, April 23, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Monday June 25, 2007
Facilitated by Karen Gorrin and Melode Brewer

This one-day mini-retreat is a full day of practical resources and strategies for how to live fully despite the challenges of cancer, and includes simple movement, guided imagery, and information about healing tools and resources. A delicious Harmony Hill lunch is also included! Learn More >>

Announcing Abundant Wellness Retreats

I founded Olive Tree Healing Arts with the vision to offer workshops and retreats. That's why I am excited to write about the first of these projects, the Abundant Wellness Retreat For Women Living with Fibromyalgia. We will offer two pacific northwest sessions in 2007. The dates are April 27-29 and September 28-30.

Joining me to facilitate these retreats will be Melode Brewer, my friend, colleague, and yoga instructor. Melode is one of those special people who create calm and peace just by entering a room. I feel blessed to be working with her again, and I believe retreat participants will also benefit from her presence and gentle approach.

We are equally blessed to have reserved Harmony Hill Retreat Center as our venue. Located on the south shore of the Hood Canal with spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains, Harmony Hill is the ideal setting for healing mind, body, and spirit. I encourage you to take a look at their website and you will see what I mean. I have also included a photo here to give you an idea of the beautiful setting.

Why Abundant Wellness Retreats? Having worked in psychosocial oncology for several years, I have been impressed with the community's commitment to provide psycho-social-spiritual support services to people with a cancer diagnosis. I have also been saddened to notice the lack of such support programs for people living with other chronic and life-threatening conditions. The Abundant Wellness Retreat was created to help fill this gap.

While our first retreats are designed for women living with Fibromyalgia, the vision is to offer Abundant Wellness retreats for people living with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Lupus, and other conditions that benefit from gentle movement and reducing stress. The retreats will also serve to connect people with others who share part of their life experience. It is believed that our perception of the quality of our support community has a good deal of influence on our health and well-being. What better way to strengthen one's support community than to connect with people who "get it"?

Please contact me if you would like to help bring an Abundant Wellness Retreat to your community. More information can be found on my website. Here is the brochure: Download abundant_wellness_brochure_fibromyalgia_final.pdf