Upcoming Groups:
The Art of Happiness
Do you wish that you could approach life with greater enthusiasm and joy? Did you know that science has identified key factors that can increase our happiness and well-being? Come learn exercises and develop constructive habits that will help you to lead a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
On-going group: please contact me for dates and time.
Location:
2444 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 508
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Past Workshops:
Managing Anxiety and Work-Life Balance In A Freelance World (co/led with Rob Feiner)
It can be difficult enough to juggle work and the rest of your life when you have a typical nine-to-five job. When you work as a freelancer, finding such a balance can be even more challenging. Come join Rob Feiner, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and myself for this interactive workshop in which we tackle time management, self-motivation, interpersonal relationships, and more, for those of you who do not have a traditional 9-to-5 job – and even for those of you who do! Admission is free.
Location:
Santa Monica Library, Montana Branch
1704 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Date/Time:
April 29, 2019
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Improvising Your Way To Confident Interpersonal Communication (co-led with Dr. Craig Woods)
Using an approach developed by professional actors and improvisers and now utilized in both corporate and psychotherapeutic settings, we have formulated this workshop to help those desiring greater skill, ease, and effectiveness in interpersonal communication to develop more spontaneity, mindfulness, and awareness of others’ verbal and nonverbal cues. Using tools from Improvisational Theater, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness Techniques, you will learn how to connect more clearly and creatively with others, which can help to improve all of your interpersonal relationships. Come join us – and be ready to have fun!
Location:
Santa Monica Library, Ocean Park Branch
2601 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Date/Time:
March 27, 2018
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Decreasing Social Anxiety (co-led with Rob Feiner)
Improvise Your Way to Effective Communication with Confidence (co-led with Dr. Craig Woods)
Communication is improvisation.
In this workshop, you will learn and practice exercises used by experienced comedy improvisers as well as psychotherapists to improve your communication skills, spontaneity, and creativity—in a relaxed and supportive environment.
You will learn to more effectively manage your emotions, respond appropriately in the moment, and generate creative solutions. Theatrical improvisation involves processes that are central to healthy communication such as mindful observation and nonjudgment, coping with ambiguity, empathy, deep listening, and recognizing emotions in yourself and others through nonverbal cues.
This special workshop is being co-facilitated by a psychotherapist who will integrate principles of mindfulness and dialectical behavior therapy and a faculty member in the UCLA School of Dentistry who teaches improvisation to dental students for improving relationships with patients.
Click on the following link to view a UCLA newsroom article entitled: “Laughter is the best medicine for jittery dental students: Comedy improv class helps them communicate with patients.”
Dr. Woods was also just featured in the article, “He Speaks Tooth,” about his use of improvisational techniques to help teach dental students how to read their patients’ emotions.
Please see UCLArts and Healing website https://www.uclartsandhealing.net/ViewProgram.aspx?ID=437 for more information.
Location:
First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica
1220 2nd St.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Past Workshops at Santa Monica YMCA:
The Art of Happiness
Are you tired of sitting around and waiting for happiness to show up? Or do you believe that you can feel better every day, no matter what? We all want happiness in our lives, yet sometimes we don’t know how to weather life’s inevitable highs and lows. The good news is that science has identified key factors that can make us truly happy — and these ingredients are available to every one! Come learn how to develop greater hope, balance, and contentment — every single day.
Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
If not dealt with effectively, fear and anxiety can damage our physical and emotional health, our relationships, and contribute to compulsive and addictive behaviors. Join us and learn effective ways to manage these stressful feelings, so that you can triumph over fear and move forward into a happier and more fulfilling life.
Healthy vs. Emotional Eating
Food and eating are vital to a healthy and happy life. However, sometimes we can turn to food or “emotional eating” in attempts to manage our feelings, especially when we feel overwhelmed. Come learn how to improve your relationship with food, your body, and difficult emotions using creative exercises, practical information, and mindfulness techniques. No matter what life hands you, you have the ability to respond in ways that enhance your health and well-being.
Self-Compassion
Do you find yourself becoming depleted by trying to juggle many responsibilities? Do you tend to criticize yourself when you fall short of your expectations, and does this make you and those around you miserable? There’s a better way — self-compassion.
Come learn about the key components of self-compassion, what self-compassion is often confused with and yet is not, how practicing self-compassion can lead to better self-care and a more fulfilling life, and how this in turn can benefit those around us.
Finding Balance During The Holidays
While the holidays can be a joyous time of year, they can often increase stress for many people. How do we determine what’s really important to us during this season and make these a priority, rather than trying to meet other people’s or society’s expectations? How do we cope with missing people and holidays rituals from past years that are no longer in our lives? How can we find peace during this season that is so often anything but peaceful?
Come learn valuable tips to manage these challenging issues and experience a harmonious and fulfilling holiday season.
Happy Brain, Happy Body
Age-old wisdom and numerous research studies tell us that in order to achieve optimal physical health, we need to pay close attention to our thought patterns and steer these along positive lines. In addition, we benefit from close friendships and healthy romantic relationships, a strong social network, exercising our intellect, trying novel activities, and practicing mindfulness techniques, all of which will be described in this workshop, along with additional methods to boost our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.