At least 50% of us have lived through a major life trauma; the percentage is even higher if you count events that have affected all of us, like the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Such traumas can have profound effects on our intimate relationships, manifesting in such diverse ways as being distrustful, overreacting to anger or fear or touch, feeling hypercritical (of self or others), being unable to identify and/or talk about feelings, being overly controlling, and much more.
Building Strong Relationships in Tough Times - 6 week workshop series
With skilled, professional, and respectful assistance, couples, close friends, and individuals can begin to identify how trauma has negatively impacted their relationships and explore ways of shifting the patterns to increase relationship closeness and satisfaction. That is the goal of a six-week series of workshops offered by the Nicolet Recreation Department beginning November 10, 2008 "Building Strong Relationships in Tough Times."
Michael Munson and Loree Cook-Daniels, both well-trained in trauma counseling and group facilitation, will lead the Monday evening workshops at Nicolet High School. Themselves an intimate couple and survivors of multiple traumas, they've taken what they've learned through personal experience and formal academic study to design a series of workshops that use safe, supportive, and engaging activities involving creative arts, movement, skills-building, small group discussions, interactive exercises and introspective techniques to help people better understand the traumas they (and/or their loved ones) have survived and begin to shift trauma-based patterns that are no longer serving them.
Registration for "Building Strong Relationships in Tough Times" series is through the Nicolet Recreation Department, 6701 N. Jean Nicolet Road in Glendale; 414-351-7566;
http://www.nicolet.k12.wi.us/home/?activities/recreation. Cost of the series is $100 for Glendale residents and $125 for non-residents.
Loving Through Trauma: A Day of Connection and Healing for Lovers - all day retreatFor those who would rather not wait until November, Munson and Cook-Daniels are also offering an all-day Loving Through Trauma Retreat on Saturday, September 27. This event, which will be held in Milwaukee, is $120 per dyad. Register by calling 414-559-2123 or by surfing
to http://www.forge-forward.org/hopeforhealing Creating Connections: Writing Your Way to Empowerment - 6 week workshop seriesTrauma survivors who would like to focus less on relationship issues and more on personal development and growth are also invited to consider two related series. The Shorewood Recreation Department is offering, "Creating Connections: Writing Your Way to Empowerment." Beginning September 22, 2008, this six-week, Monday evening series will cover Who Am I (As a Survivor); Fight, Flight, Freeze; Shame; Triggers; Crossroads; and Taking Our Power Back. The cost of the series is $55 for Shorewood residents and $61 for non-residents. Register through the Shorewood Recreation Department, Shorewood High School, 1701 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood; 414-963-6913 X 4;
http://www.shorewoodschools.org/main/pk_rec/ Truth and Transformation: Empowered Exploration Through Writing - monthly drop in workshopsStand-alone drop-in writing workshops are also offered on the first Thursday of every month at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court Street, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Pre-registration is not required, and the cost is $10 per workshop. Dates and topics are:
October 2, 2008 Safety
November 6, 2008 Maslow's hierarcy and
