Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 7

Everything moves at a snail's pace now that I have two active children to keep me busy, but things always get finished eventually!

Now for the last 3 pieces of the Art Tree Project before the whole mural is unveiled. This piece is my humble offering to the project. I wanted to create something that goes with the Nurture theme and that fits with our style. It is my first attempt at paper cutting with actual paper.

Grandmother

I crave the nurturance of my grandmother so much these days. To be snuggled on the lap of her and embraced by our roots sounds like the most comforting thing I can imagine.

Posted by Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC

Mychelle is an art therapist and licensed professional counselor with a special place in her heart for supporting women throughout the transformative journey of motherhood. She is the mama of two active children and enjoys watching their creative antics.

Work It Out Portland: A 10 Week Counseling Group

Work It Out Portland: A 10 week Counseling Group

Starting: Thursday, February 18, 2010 , 6:30–8pm

Where: Owls Nest North: 3615 NE Grand -- Portland, OR, 97212

Cost: $40 per person, per group

Contact: Karen Hixson & Consuelo Tolosa:

503 314 6027

workitoutportland@yahoo.com

Next Steps:

Call or email to schedule a free consultation prior to the group!

Pregnancy Support Group

If you are pregnant and looking for support, Colleen Burke-Sivers, MA, is offering a pregnancy counseling support group starting on September 30th at her office on NE 42nd Ave. Details...

Though pregnancy can be a joy-filled time full of anticipation, many pregnant women often struggle with depression and anxiety, ambivalence, loneliness, a conflicted relationship with their partner or traveling the journey as a single parent, financial difficulties, decisions about work, and where to find trustworthy childcare to name a few concerns.

A weekly counseling and support group for pregnant women, led by experienced therapist, Colleen Burke-Sivers, M.A., is being offered at her office in NE Portland. It is an opportunity to share feelings about your pregnancy, and impending motherhood. Though it may be an opportunity to share resources, the focus will be on the interior experience, rather than on practical solutions.

The group will take place on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5:00. It will run from September 30th through November 18th, 2009 (8 weeks).

The cost is $25 per session, or $175 for all 8 sessions if paid in full at first session.
For free initial consultation, call Colleen @ (503) 250-3123.

Wade Bowen's song benefiting Postpartum Support International

Wendy Davis, of Baby Blues Connection and Postpartum Support International, posted this video: Wade Bowen's song benefiting Postpartum Support International. If you are a partner of a woman with a postpartum mood disorder, visit the Baby Blues Connection's Tips for Partners, PSI's Family & Partners support resource list, and the Postpartum Dads Project. You and your partner are not alone; there is support available.

Bubbles: Teaching Children Breathwork

Yesterday, in the hot July sunshine, my children chased glossy bubbles throughout the garden. It reminded me of the work I used to do with young children who had experienced violence in their lives. Bubbles, as I discovered while working with these dear children, are quite therapeutic in many ways. They are fun, freeing, beautiful, and mysterious, but they also lend nicely to teaching children gentle breathwork. The gentle blowing that is required to form nice bubbles is similar to the slower gentle breaths one can use to relax. Bubbles are a portable relaxation tool!

First, I talk to children about noticing how they breathe. Then, I show them how to blow bubbles using a gentle inhale and a gentle exhale using their diaphragm. I also talk to children about noticing how their body feels when they breathe gently to blow bubbles; this promotes body awareness. I also want to be sure they do not hyperventilate or get dizzy from over-doing it.

Who says therapy is no fun?!

Filial Therapy

One of my favorite ways to support families is through filial therapy. What is filial therapy?

Filial Therapy is a research-based, approach that teaches parents how to use some of the same skills that play therapists use to help children. Research shows that motivated parents can be as effective as a professional in helping their child.

Typically, Filial Therapy is most beneficial for children ages 3 - 12. However, many children as young as 2 years of age and up to 13 can benefit from Filial Therapy. A modified form of filial therapy can be used with infants and toddlers. Filial Therapy is beneficial for both the parent and the child.

The following concerns can be addressed with filial therapy:

• Preparing for or after the arrival of a new sibling
• Reconnecting with a parent experiencing postpartum depression/anxiety
• Attachment related difficulties in biological/foster/adoptive families
• Depression, sadness, moodiness
• Grief & loss
• Moving
• Divorce
• Aggressive behaviors
• Excessively worries, anxiety, or separation issues
• Traumatic stress from events such as accidents, witnessing violence, abuse or a natural disaster
• Self-esteem or identity problems
• Nightmares/night terrors
• Needing to be center of attention
• School related difficulties
• Social issues

Goals and Benefits of Filial Therapy:

• Strengthened relationship with your child
• Develop a deeper understanding of your child
• Your child learns and understand their feelings
• You and your child learn to express feelings and communicate in healthy ways
• You and your child develop new problem solving skills
• Reduce or eliminate challenging behaviors
• Your child will feel heard and understood
• Your child can work through troubling issues
• Increased trust between you and your child
• Increased self-confidence and self-worth for your child
• It can increase your confidence in parenting
• Increase or repair your family's ability to have fun together
• Provide tools the family can use in the future

Filial therapy involves a commitment on your part, please read through the information on the filial therapy page.

For more information about filial therapy or to schedule an initial appointment, please contact Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC 971-344-7527 or mychelle@nurturepdx.com

HB2666 for Maternal Mental Health

Wendy Davis from Baby Blues Connection and Postpartum Support International has been keeping us up-to-date on House Bill 2666. I want to pass on the information for those who are interested.

HB2666 is scheduled for a public hearing at the House Human Services Committee in Salem on Monday March 16 at 8:30 am. The house committee will comment on this bill and then send it on with their recommendations. They have given us more time to testify than usual, because they are sointerested in this bill. Come to Salem for the hearing - let's show the committee just how many of us support this measure.

On Thursday, March 5, the Oregon House voted unanimously on HJR15, a resolution that recognizes March 2009 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Oregon. The sponsor of the bill, Representative Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukee) is a great champion for maternal mental health, and in her house remarks she announced the upcoming companion bill, House Bill 2666, which would create a statewide taskforce to study Maternal Mental Health needs and resources in Oregon.

DETAILS: HB 2666 creates a collaborative statewide work group on perinatal mental health disorders within the Department of Human Services that will study the needs, best practices, and funding resources for improved care in Oregon, and report its findings back to the legislature. The bill is written to reflect the importance of including all stakeholders and addressing vulnerable populations across the state. Many public and private partners have already begun working together in Oregon to collaborate on creating better prevention and care systems for childbearing families. This legislation would bring in full support and visibility that will strengthen our work.

Full Text of the Task Force Bill - HR 2666 http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2600.dir/hb2666.intro.pdf

Wendy Davis, PhD

Oregon Perinatal Legislation Committee Chair

http://www.postpartum.net/

http://www.babybluesconnection.org/

Birth Trauma On-Line Community Support

We have written about birth trauma and the on-line community support, Solace, before. Solace is relaunching their on-line support. Below is a letter from Solace.

We are pleased to announce the Solace for Mothers Friends and Advocates Online Community which provides a forum for those who support mothers who have experienced birth trauma, have been impacted by witnessing birth trauma, or want to connect with others to advocate for gentler birth practices.

Solace for Mothers is committed to providing resources and support to professionals and loved ones supporting women through the difficult emotions following a disappointing, hurtful, or violating birth experience. Spouses, family, and friends of mothers who have experienced traumatic births are offered a space to find information, support, and resources through participation in the Friends and Advocates Forum. Birth attendants are also provided with the opportunity to process their own emotions in response to births they have attended. Birth professionals and birth advocates are provided a space to discuss the causes of birth trauma, how policies and programs can be enacted to prevent trauma from occurring to childbearing mothers, and methods of treatment when trauma has occurred.

The Solace for Mothers Friends and Advocates Online Community welcomes birth activists, mothers, families, and professionals, all of whom are stakeholders in providing healthy, safe, and empowering births that enable families to successfully transition to parenthood. Users of the online community are invited to contemplate and discuss the current state of birth and what evidence based practices best support childbearing women, their babies and families. Advocates who are interested in becoming involved in organized efforts to promote these practices are encouraged to participate and share their thoughts.

The Friends and Advocates Online Community can be entered from www.solaceformothers.org/advocates-forum.html. The forum is made public for browsing and registration is required to post and respond to topics. To view the online community, go to: http://forums.solaceformothers.org/mb/birthtrauma

Mothers are welcome to participate in the Friends and Advocates role but they are invited to register and participate in the Online Community for Healing Birth Trauma (www.solaceformothers.org/forum.html) which provides peer support to women who have had traumatic childbearing experiences. Birth professionals, family members, and friends please respect the privacy of the Community for Healing Birth Trauma and register only for the Friends and Advocates Community.

If you have something to say regarding childbirth and want to be a part of a larger conversation, please join us. We are interested to read your stories, thoughts, hopes and goals for the future! Please also feel free to pass this invitation on to organizations and individuals who would be interested in the topics of birth trauma and improving maternity care.

Warmly,

Sharon Storton, Founder of Solace for Mothers, Inc.

Jenne Alderks, Creator and Moderator of Online Communities

Jennifer Zimmerman, Creator and Moderator of Online Communities

Story Time

I love stories. I believe we all have stories to tell...stories about our lives and experiences that affect us. Stories connect our hearts to our minds, ourselves to our communities, our generation to past and future generations, and stories can be very healing when shared in a supportive space. When I work with mothers, I am interested in the stories they have to tell about their past and present experiences and their hopes for the future. I am interested in what the stories hold, remind, evoke, and how they evolve over time. I also love illustrated stories...stories illustrated in any medium. Art therapy provides a powerful way to share, externalize, and see your story on a deeper level. Insight can be gained from sharing your story. As wisdom grows, the story evolves and heals. You cannot change your experiences, but your story about your experience can change and heal. You do not have to be a writer or an artist; the power of expressing your story is enough.

If you love to listen to stories too, check out Back Fence PDX on December 10th. Back Fence PDX is:

"...a rambunctious storytelling series dedicated to finding multiple viewpoints on a singular theme. Stories are true, raw, and performed without memorization, or notes and must be no longer than six minutes in length. We seek all manner of people — the very young, the very old, the odd and the passionate, the specialists and the wanderers and the curious — to tell their narratives, keeping the series unconventional and accessible."

Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy is a unique therapeutic approach in which you are guided to conduct weekly, 30-minute, play therapy sessions at home with your child. Through this process, you will develop a deeper understanding of your child and his or her needs and strengthen your relationship with your child.

Filial Therapy is most beneficial for children ages 3 - 12. However, many children as young as 2 years of age and up to 13 can benefit from Filial Therapy. Filial Therapy is beneficial for both the parent and the child.

The following concerns can be addressed with filial therapy:

• Preparing for or after the arrival of a new sibling


• Reconnecting with a parent experiencing postpartum depression/anxiety


• Attachment related difficulties in biological/foster/adoptive families


• Depression, sadness, moodiness


• Grief & loss


• Moving


• Divorce


• Aggressive behaviors


• Excessively worries, anxiety, or separation issues


• Traumatic stress from events such as accidents, witnessing violence, abuse or a natural disaster


• Self-esteem or identity problems


• Nightmares/night terrors


• Needing to be center of attention


• School related difficulties


• Social issues

Goals and Benefits of Filial Therapy:

• Strengthened relationship with your child


• Develop a deeper understanding of your child


• Your child learns and understand their feelings


• You and your child learn to express feelings and communicate in healthy ways


• You and your child develop new problem solving skills


• Reduce or eliminate challenging behaviors


• Your child will feel heard and understood


• Your child can work through troubling issues


• Increased trust between you and your child


• Increased self-confidence and self-worth for your child


• Increased confidence in parenting


• Increase or repair your family's ability to have fun together


• Provide tools the family can use in the future

I also offer a filial therapy group when I have a minimum of 4 families to start at the same time. I maintain a waiting list for parents interested in the group filial therapy format. The group format provides the additional benefit of peer support, suggestions, and feedback.

Note: Filial therapy involves a commitment on your part, please read through the information about filial therapy on the Nurture website.

Fees:For individual filial therapy my rates are $65 for the initial session as well as all following 50-minute sessions and $32.50 for each 1/2 hour session. I offer a sliding scale when needed. My group rates are $65 for the initial session and $200 for the 10 week group. I offer a sliding scale when needed.

For more information, to schedule an appointment, or to join the wait list for a filial group, please contact Mychelle Moritz at mychelle@nurturepdx.com or 971.344.7527

A Safe Passage Training

A Safe Passage: Supporting Women Survivors of Abuse through the Childbearing Years

Advanced Practitioner Training

September 27 & 28th, 2008
9:00am-6:00pm
at Nurture 1614 NE Alberta St.
$250/participant

A Safe Passage is an Advanced Practitioner Training program designed to help caregivers gain an understanding of the special needs of women survivors of abuse and learn the skills needed to support them through their pregnancy, labor & childbirth and early postpartum.

Caregivers who would benefit from this training include counselors, doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, nurses and other health care professionals caring for women in the childbearing year.

Women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence and woman abuse have unique emotional, psychological and physical needs related to the abuse during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Trauma from the abuse can manifest itself into a variety of complex thoughts and behaviors through the childbearing year, which may pose particular challenges for caregivers and could have lifelong impacts on women and their children when appropriate and sensitive services are not available. Safety, both physical and emotional for both the care-provider and client can be in jeopardy.

At the same time, as a caregiver you have the opportunity to become a trusted ally. Through continuing education and training, support persons can learn appropriate ways of screening clients for abuse related trauma, techniques to respond to disclosures, can learn how to work collaboratively with their clients to devise an action plan for coping with potential triggers that may arise during the childbearing year and offer referrals to supportive community services.

About the facilitator
Jodi has worked with women as a doula and childbirth educator since 1996, with a focus on the intersections between trauma histories and the experiences of women during the childbearing years. Since 2002 she has been employed in both residential and clinical settings as a full-time Woman Abuse counselor, providing counseling as well as facilitating groups for women whose children have been exposed to their abuse, and groups for children who are coping with the impacts of witnessing the abuse of their mothers. Jodi has a certificate in crisis intervention from Fanshawe College and an Honors Degree in Women's Studies from The University of Western Ontario. As of Fall 2007, she is again attending UWO, this time to obtain her PhD in Health Sciences-Health Professional Education.

Jodi's unique combination of skills from both the birthing community and the Violence Against Women sector has spurred a high demand internationally for her workshops aimed at informing other medical and allied health and social service professionals around the complex issue of trauma and the childbearing years. She was recently a guest presenter at The National Summit to Ensure the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women in Atlanta , Georgia , and provided specialized training in Vancouver at the Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program's provincial conference Celebrating the Health of Our Children, Families and Communities.

Jodi resides with her family in London , Ontario , where she runs a private counseling practice for women, and operates A Safe Passage, the first and only website dedicated to supporting Women Survivors of Abuse through the childbearing year through providing women, their families and their care providers with information on the impacts of trauma on the perinatal period.

To register or for more information contact Mychelle at Nurture: mychelle@nurturepdx.com or (971) 344-7527

$250/person, some sliding scale spots available
$100 minimum pre-registration deposit

Upon receipt of your registration, your confirmation of registration will be sent to you, which will provide the details of your workshop location, maps, and, if requested, lodging advice.

Nursing infants are welcome in the workshop; however, the intense nature of the workshop precludes the attendance of older, more active children. We ask that you respect the learning needs of the other participants by attending to your child when necessary, and taking him/her out of the room if the need arises.

This workshop has limited enrollment and tends to fill up quickly, so please register early to hold your spot or call to confirm that space is available. A deposit of $100 (non-refundable) is required with your registration.

Fees include materials and certificate of completion.
CAPPA Canada, LAMAZE (therefore DONA), continuing education credits available (11 ceu’s)

If there are other organizations that you would like us to contact for ceu's, please let us know.

For full workshop details please visit:
http://www.asafepassage.info/

Birth Trauma

If you have had a difficult or traumatic birth experience, sharing your story and connecting to other women with similar experiences can help you heal emotionally. At Nurture, Mychelle Moritz offers art therapy and counseling to help process your birth experiences in a safe and nurturing space to promote a new understanding and healing.

There is a new on-line forum through Solace. Solace offers a warm support line, resources, articles, and now an on-line forum for women who have experienced birth trauma. You can click on the image to go directly to Solace's website, and you can read the letter below from the forum moderators.


This message is to announce a new online discussion board called Solace For Mothers, An Online Community For Healing Birth Trauma. It is for women who have experienced trauma around the process of giving birth. For these women, giving birth has left them feeling deeply disappointed, traumatized, or even violated. We want these women to know that they are not alone, that birth trauma is very real, and that other women have had similar experiences and feelings. We have created an online community as a place for women to begin or continue their healing journey.

In the online community, there are different categories and forums, and the topics covered are issues that often come up for women dealing with birth trauma. It is our hope that women can virtually support each other on their healing journeys in this online community, and perhaps eventually connect with each other in the real world if they choose.


There is an introduction page and from this page you can register for the discussion board. Due to the very personal nature of this subject, we have made an effort to keep this community private, and women must register before being able to enter or view posts. If you do not fall into the category of a woman suffering from birth trauma, or if you would like to see a preview of the community before joining, you may visit this link to do so http://www.solaceformothers.org/preview.html This link is not the actual community and you will not be able to view members' posts from there, it will simply give you an overview of the topics covered.


We are sending this message out via email and posting it to online communities and to lists in order to reach these women. Please send this message to anyone who you feel may benefit from it.



Sincerely,
Jenne Alderks and Jennifer Zimmerman, creators and moderators of the discussion board
Supported by Sharon Storton and the Solace For Mothers team

Counseling & Art Therapy

Our space is just about ready, and we are ready to start offering more services.
At this time we are offering counseling and art therapy; Mychelle Moritz, co-founder of Nurture and counselor/art therapist is now accepting clients.

Mychelle Moritz, MA, ATR-BC, LPC:
I am a licensed professional counselor and an art therapist. I offer supportive counseling and/or art therapy with a special focus on pregnancy and postpartum concerns. I have 6 years of clinical experience and have completed a doula class and a perinatal mood disorder training. I also have extensive experience working with trauma.

Focus:
Preparation and Choices About Becoming a Parent
Prevetion of Postpartum Mood Disorders
Emotional Birth Preparation
Birth Trauma (processing difficult birth experiences)
Postpartum Adjustment, Depression, Anxiety
Birth Preparation for Trauma Survivors
Pregnancy Loss

Philosophy:
There are many ways to parent and each mother/couple has to find an approach that works best for them with the whole family in mind. Whether you are pregnant or in the early child rearing years, I can offer support, ideas, and resources as you explore what feels best for you and your family. My art therapy/counseling approach is nonjudgmental and based on my belief that personal challenges can inspire growth and healing when the experiences are processed in meaningful ways. I use creative expression in a supportive environment, based on a warm and dynamic relationship, to facilitate awareness, insight, and compassion. I use an eclectic art therapy approach drawing from feminist, narrative, and (when appropriate) trauma theories to empower each person to find balance, resolution, and new and preferred ways to experience life.

Availability:
I am available on weekends and some evenings.

Fees:
$65/hour
I also offer a sliding scale based on need.

Contact:
Please call (971) 344-7527
or e-mail mychelle@nurturepdx.com