Mindful Creativity for Resilience: A Virtual Self-Care Retreat 9/30/23

Charné Furcron, EdD, LPC, BC-DMT, NCC, BCC, ACS, MAC, CPCS, has been Program Architect and Director of Education for Moving in the Spirit for over thirty years. Dr. Furcron holds a BFA in dance from Texas Christian University, an MA in dance therapy from Goucher College, an MA in counseling from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, and an EdD in counseling psychology with an emphasis in program evaluation from Argosy University/Sarasota. Dr. Furcron is a board-certified dance therapist, licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor, board-certified coach, GA certified school counselor, master addiction counselor, GA certified professional counselor supervisor, and approved clinical supervisor. In addition, she is Director of Education, Visiting Associate Professor for the Pratt Institute and Adjunct Professor for Lesley University in their Dance/Movement Therapy programs. Dr. Furcron also maintains a clinical supervision practice. As a researcher, she has presented locally, nationally, and internationally on various theoretical and research-based topics, focusing on dance/movement therapy, diversity and inclusion, self-care, and youth development. She is an active somatic researcher with the Diversity in Motion Research Collective, which integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to trauma research to facilitate mind-body-spirit healing and experiential learning within diverse cultural contexts.

Nadia Fernanda Paredes Guapo, MA, LMFT, ATR, helps people connect with their inner creativity and empower their mind and soul through her expressive arts program and is the founder of Nadia Paredes - Creative Studio, a bilingual resource for empowering, healing, and artistic inspiration. With expertise and training as an art therapist, Intuition Painting facilitator and a licensed marital and family therapist, Nadia creates programs for transformation, creativity, and art making as a mindfulness practice. Her offerings include a YouTube channel and podcast in Spanish called Revolución Creativa, The Smart-Heart Method: Art Journaling for Personal Well-being, and introspective art groups: a female-centered wellness program through Embodied Arts. Nadia is an adjunct professor and art therapy supervisor at Loyola Marymount University, where she teaches about art activism.

Dr. Mary Hardy, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and a specialist in botanical and integrative medicine who has actively combined complementary and alternative therapies with traditional Western medicine for over twenty-five years in both her clinical practice and research projects. Dr. Hardy is also a recognized leader in the field of integrative oncology and was former Medical Director of the UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology. She was a founder of the Integrative Medicine Clinic at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and has been co-director of a fourth-year medical school elective in Integrative Oncology. Additionally, Dr. Hardy served for two and a half years as Associate Director of the UCLA Botanical Research Center, where she identified botanical extracts to be used in studies on the efficacy of herbal products to interrupt the development of cancer. Dr. Hardy helped to establish and co-direct the Integrative Medicine Health and Wellness Program at Venice Family Clinic, the largest free clinic in the United States. She recently authored a popular book for Readers Digest entitled, Best Remedies, and serves on a number of editorial and scientific advisory boards.

Bonnie Harnden, MA, RDT,  is a creative arts therapist, psychoanalyst, couple and family therapist, and Associate Professor in Concordia University’s Creative Arts Therapies Department, where she coordinates the drama therapy program and a new Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy. She was awarded the 2017 research award from the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) for her play and film “You Arrive,” which explores the therapeutic process and how it helps to resolve the effects of trauma. Her research uses arts-based performance to focus on the effects of trauma and the healing possibilities of awe and gratitude. In 2018, she was awarded the NADTA teaching excellence award and was the recipient of the 2019 Concordia President’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Her film, “You Arrive,” has been awarded numerous film festival awards, including the Cannes World Film Festival for shorts and documentaries, best educational film at the Berlin Shorts awards, best documentary film at the Reale Film Festival, and best portrayal of a therapist at the Believe Psychology Film Festival.

Wakanyi Hoffman, MA, is a storyteller and scholar of African indigenous wisdom and knowledge. She teaches children how to find their inner stories using folktales from Africa that are embedded in the Ubuntu philosophy of human oneness. She is the debut author of Sala, Mountain Warrior, a children’s book released in 2023 that touches on the theme of wisdom keeping and girls’ empowerment. Wakanyi has an MA in Global Education from University College London, and she is currently a research fellow at The New Institute Hamburg where she conducts research on indigenous knowledge systems for a sustainable, collective future. Wakanyi is also a co-founder of Bokobokids, a platform for African storytellers using ancient wisdom and knowledge to foster inner well-being in children of all ages.

Michelle Holdt is the founder of Creative Compassionate. She is a bold, creative, and love-drenched voice in the world of educational change. Michelle is an artist, a mother of three, a passionate advocate leading for Love with a capital L and Creativity with a capital C. She brings her years of arts education leadership experience combined with a passionate commitment to self-awareness and creativity to this vision. Some of her highly acclaimed workshops include The Art of Self Care & Lead with Your Humanity. She is also the author of Radiance: The Art of Self Love, and the co-producer of Arts is the Root. Michelle was the Founding Executive Director of Arts Ed Matters and the Arts & Restorative Learning Coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education and holds multiple degrees and credentials in education including a BA in Drama and Human Development from Harvard. She truly embodies living an arts driven life & makes creative practice accessible for all she reaches.

Tara Maazel, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker providing mental health therapy in California. Tara received her BA in clinical psychology from Tufts University and her MSW from UCLA, with a concentration in geriatric mental health. Tara completed the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC) program at the Veteran’s Health Administration. Tara has worked in a wide array of settings including Permanent Supportive Housing, Community Mental Health, outpatient Telehealth, and day programs. She is trained in EMDR, Somatic Art Therapy, Social-Emotional Arts facilitation, and she is certified in cognitive behavioral therapy. Tara specializes in working with adults who experience anxiety, trauma, and chronic medical conditions.

Kathryn Snell-Ryan, LPC, ATR, is a long-time maker and art therapist committed to getting disconnected or aimless creatives back to their craft. She is keenly aware that helping creative types manage their emotional health is crucial to ensuring that wonder and creative practice are available and sustained. She is the co-author of the international best-selling book on creativity, The Creative Lifebook, and is the founder of MAKE, an online collective for artists and crafters seeking creative time and community.   

Christine Stevens, MSW, MA, MT-BC, is author of Music Medicine, The Healing Drum Kit, and The Art and Heart of Drum Circles. The founder of UpBeat Drum Circles, she has appeared on NBC, PBS, KTLA, Discovery Health, Living Better TV, and is on faculty for The Shift Network. She has trained facilitators from more than twenty-five countries including Iraq, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Europe. Christine has worked with Fortune 500 companies, survivors of Katrina, students at Ground Zero and most recently, led the first drum circle training in a war-zone in northern Iraq. She is the host of Global Rhythm Sangha Online, and teaches a variety of online training programs, including Awaken Your Rhythm, which has served hundreds of people from over 35 countries.  

Stacie Aamon Yeldell, MA, MT-BC, AVPT, is an award-winning vocalist, speaker, and music psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience in mental health treatment. As the founder of Amöntra, a consulting company based in California, she has facilitated a range of therapeutic mindfulness practices for individuals and organizations, including The Grammy Foundation, Americans for the Arts’ National Policy Roundtable, GoogleArts and Culture, Netflix and YoungArts. In addition to being a core faculty member for UCLArts & Healing and an adjunct faculty member at California Institute of Integral Studies, Stacie has spoken at events like Women In Music, DisclosureFest and the SoundHealth Summit. She has also appeared on CBS News, in Renée Fleming’s "Music and Mind Live," and is featured in the documentary "Proven." Stacie holds a Masters degree in Music Therapy from New York University, in addition to certifications in Sound and Music Healing from the Open Center and Vocal Psychotherapy (AVPT) from the Vancouver Vocal Psychotherapy Institute.

9:00 - 10:30 am | Plenary

Insights into Self-Care: A Sound-Based Journey with Christine Stevens, MSW, MA, MT-BC

Experience the innate power of sound and rhythm, and learn about the science behind it, in this inspiring, experiential plenary with internationally acclaimed author, social worker, and music therapist, Christine Stevens. In addition to offering a novel sound-healing experience she developed during COVID for deep relaxation and inspiration, Christine will share five keys to using arts-based practices for self-care. This session is intended to evoke deep relaxation, spark insights, and galvanize connection with ourselves and our greater community. 

“Christine’s masterful use of voice, music, and rhythm has brought me the most profoundly deep and immediate relaxation I have ever experienced—in an online setting no less.”  — Ping Ho, Founder and Director, UCLArts & Healing

10:40 am - 1:10 pm | Morning Sessions

Session #1 | Art Journaling for Well-Being with Nadia Fernanda Paredes Guapo, MA, LMFT, ATR

Examining our emotions
is essential to both our mental and physical health, particularly when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. In this exploratory workshop, we’ll learn an introspective art journaling practice that can help us actively relax, contain and process our emotions, and fortify our emotional resilience. We’ll tap into our own inner artist, through an art-making process that utilizes a variety of different materials in combination with simple color and movement exercises, and come away with a new, integral tool for our emotional well-being. No previous art experience necessary.

Session #2 | (Re)Discovering Your Personal Power with Tara Maazel, LCSW

How do we define personal power? And how does it connect to our sense of self and self-worth? In this multimodal session, we’ll learn about the five building blocks of self-esteem, and how it can dictate our perception of personal empowerment. Through a guided-movement activity, art making, and expressive writing, we’ll explore inner sensations associated with different states of mind, and come away with new insights and a deeper understanding of how we relate to ourselves and the world at large.

Session #3 | Awe, Gratitude & a Resilient Nervous System: Cultivating Sustainability from the Inside Out with Bonnie Harnden, MA, RDT

Would you like to fall in love with being alive? Stress and trauma can take us out of the present moment and make us feel outside the stream of our life. Feelings of awe and gratitude can bring us back. The sensation of awe can also reduce inflammation, improve immune function, and combat depression. Similarly, gratitude can promote feelings of well-being, serve as an antidote to trauma, and strengthen relationships. In this workshop, we’ll learn the latest research on awe and gratitude, and through embodiment and experiential activities, we’ll gain specific tools for enhancing everyday life as well as for preventing and recovering from burnout.

Session #4 | Self-Care as a Life Practice with Charné Furcron, EdD, LPC, BC-DMT, NCC, BCC, ACS, MAC, CPCS

Join us in elucidating and embodying your health and wellness. This dynamic session is centered around the Self-Care Wheel, a positive-psychology tool used to identify and nourish areas where we are struggling, surviving, and thriving. We’ll use gentle movement and interactive dialogue for internal awareness related to all the domains of the wheel, to help us understand and gain insight into our current layers of well-being. This introspective process can be used at any time to establish a consistent self-care practice.

Lunch Break | 1:10 - 2:00

Lunch Session | 1:30 - 2:00 

The Girl & the Sunbird: An African Folktale with Wakanyi Hoffman, MA

Listen as you lunch to the African folktale, “The Girl & The Sunbird,” a story about finding your inner voice and the song in your heart in the face of adversity. Told and sung by storyteller and scholar, Wakanyi Hoffman, who will also share the Ubuntu philosophy of human oneness and how it applies to African oral storytelling as a worldview.

2:00 pm - 4:30 pm | Afternoon Sessions

Session #1 | The Bigger Picture: Bi-Lateral Tapping for Stress Relief with Kathryn Snell-Ryan, LPC, ATR

Most of us experience stress on a daily basis. And oftentimes, our stressors can signify larger beliefs or fears we hold about ourselves and our lives. In this session, through an abstract art activity followed by a simple bi-lateral tapping technique (using our hands to tap back and forth between our left and right legs), we’ll learn how we can ground ourselves, gain perspective, and hone into what’s important in our lives. 

Session Note: In this workshop, the focus on smaller, day-to-day stressors versus larger traumas is intended to maximize safety; however, this bi-lateral stimulation (BLS) techniques can be helpful for relief and grounding under any circumstance when thoughts are spinning or stuck.

Session #2 | The Art of Self-Care with Michelle Holdt

We often associate self-care with a massage or an evening out with friends. Instead, what if we were to think of it as a moment-by-moment decision on how to think, feel, and act? As educators, parents, and community leaders, so much of our energy and creativity goes to our job, to those we serve, and to our loved ones—often to the point where we neglect to take care of ourselves. In this restorative and innovative session, we’ll return to the inspiration in our own heart to reboot, and examine redefining self-care for ourselves through the integration of mindfulness, simple art making, and expressive writing.

Session #3 | Cultivating Healthy Boundaries with Sound & Imagery with Stacie Aamon Yeldell, MA, MT-BC, AVPT

How do we engage in our healing work, joyfully, without absorbing the energy of others? How do we immerse ourselves open heartedly in relationships without sacrificing our life force and personal power? In this fun and interactive workshop, we’ll discover how our current patterns—both conscious and subconscious—can prevent us from cultivating healthy boundaries and engaging more fully in life. Through the use of sound, imagery, and mindfulness, we’ll learn how to heighten self-awareness and to dismantle patterns, thereby steering us towards healing and joy.

Session #4 | Prescribing Creativity for Health: Insights from Integrative Medicine with Mary Hardy, MD

A newly emerging paradigm of integrative medicine, which incorporates complementary healing practices, shines a spotlight on the integral role of the creative arts in health and healing. These modalities—which include visual arts, poetry, journaling, music, drumming, and dance—can invite our inner voice to speak, help us understand our lives in new ways, and support the physical healing of our bodies. In this session, we’ll take a deeper look at the health benefits of the arts by way of a series of simple mark-making and drawing exercises. We’ll discover not only how we can create and observe without judgment—we’ll also learn the process by which we can apply these principles to questions and choices we all face in health and self-care.

A detailed list will be shared the week before the session; however, please have these general supplies available:

• Blank white paper and/or a journal
• Something to write and draw with (a pencil, a pen, thin markers, colored pencils, and/or crayons)
• Old magazines and/or collage material
• Glue stick
• Any other materials you would like to use

We believe transforming lives through creative expression should be financially accessible.

To ensure our inaugural retreat is financially feasible to all, we are offering a sliding registration fee scale, with a suggested registration fee of $69.

This is a online program through Zoom. If you are new to this platform, watch a how-to tutorial here. A welcome email, which includes the link to join the program, will be sent to you after you register. Please check your inbox and spam folders.

In order to keep our programs affordable yet self-sustaining, we regret that we are unable to offer refunds for cancellation; however, we are happy to provide you with credit good for one year from the date of the program toward the next offering of the same program or a different one. Credit applied toward a program with higher registration fees will require payment of the balance. In addition, credit may be applied toward purchase of curriculum materials for any program. Unused fees after one year would then be tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law because no goods or services would have been received for them.

By registering, you give Arts & Healing Initiative approval to record this event, still and/or moving images from which may appear in printed materials or digital channels for archival, educational, or promotional purposes.

Note that Zoom breakout rooms are not recorded.