We would like to encourage you to consider joining the Redefining Healing Seminars on May 15 and June 10, a pair of seminars designed to explore the fractures in our relationships with each other and with ourselves and how they can be healed (held and organized by Tenth Alliance Church).
The first seminar will examine interpersonal relationships and caring for others, particularly when mental health problems create differences. The second seminar will look at self-care and the barriers we face in offering care and compassion to ourselves. If you envision the Church as a place of inclusion where all are loved and cared for in community, or if you struggle to offer yourself the same care you extend to others, then these seminars are for you.
By invitation of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, Soma Counselling would like to extend the invitation to you and encourage you to attend these seminars. These seminars are aligned with Soma Counselling and Family Resources’ vision and mission to bring healing into faith communities, by partnering with and equipping churches. We believe that you will be encouraged, and inspired.
If the cost is prohibitive and you would like to attend, please email info@somacounselling.com.
Register Here (on the Tenth Alliance Church website)
Location
11 W 10th Ave, Entrance C, Sanctuary (corner of W 10th Ave + Ontario St)
Parking
There is a small parking lot behind the church and free street parking
Cost
$25/$40
John Swinton – May 15 (7-9pm)
Interpersonal Relationships and Mental Health
The Church is called to be a place of healing and hope, particularly for those who are struggling or suffering. Unfortunately, the stigma and silence surrounding mental health problems often inhibit our attempts at cultivating redemptive and inclusive faith communities. Many people experiencing mental health problems feel misunderstood and overlooked by the Church, and this leads us to wonder: How can we challenge the perception of “otherness” within the Church? How can we overcome the stigma that surrounds mental health problems in order to engage in authentic and loving interpersonal relationships? Can the Church become a place of inclusion and healing for everyone?
John Swinton, an internationally-recognized expert on the intersection of faith and mental health care, will help us explore the answers to these questions and more. This seminar will also include the stories of individuals who have experienced mental health problems and become advocates in their faith communities, working to make the Church a safer and more caring place.
Hillary McBride – June 10 (7-9pm)
Healing Our Relationship with Self
Christianity has always called us to care for others and practice selflessness. Indeed, we are exhorted to sacrificially lay down our lives for each other. However, many of us wonder: Is it okay to care for myself, or is doing so selfish and indulgent? These questions are further complicated by a theological heritage that often promotes a deep distrust of the body through unhelpful spirit/flesh dichotomies. As a result, many of us engage in intellectual and disembodied expressions of faith that lack fundamental self-care practices.
Therapist, researcher, and author, Hillary McBride, will help us understand the importance of caring for ourselves, particularly as it relates to our faith. Then we will explore how to reconnect with, be present to, and care for our whole selves–especially our bodies. This seminar will include experiential learning through mindfulness practices and will also feature individuals sharing their own journeys of reconnecting with their ability to care for themselves.