Spiritual Resiliency for Everyone

​CARRIE IVES

Everyone can use more tools and skills to not just survive, but thrive!
​
​We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of this pandemic experience, but we’re not done yet. Every single one of us has faced challenges that we never expected, and many of us have been traumatized in ways no one anticipated: being isolated, not being able to visit with family, grieving alone, experiencing frightening levels of sickness, being out of work, having survivor guilt, weighing the risks of a medical visit vs the risk of contracting Covid, or staying away from family at the time of a loved one’s death, among others. Skills and tools that have been more commonly encouraged for those with serious diagnoses can help all of us become more resilient, care for ourselves and our loved ones better, and view this time as a period of growth.

“Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress - such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. “ - https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience

In this course, adapted from one designed for those with a new diagnosis of cancer or chronic illness, we will explore 5 facets that together build resiliency: spiritual practice and meaning-making; emotional self-management techniques; understanding the body-mind-spirit connection through holistic practices from various cultures of the world; creativity; and self-care. Each participant will then be guided in tying these all together for themselves as a comprehensive self-treatment plan to use immediately and into the future.

Prerequisites: None
Required Reading: None
Who will this program benefit: Anyone dealing with stress or trauma due to living in “Pandemic Times;” and anyone with chronic illness or a new diagnosis.
Program Objectives and Outcome: At the end of the program, participants will be able to: *Name and explain each of the 5 Facets of Spiritual Resiliency; *Use these tools to independently mitigate emotional and physical symptoms of stress and other chronic illness; *Design and follow a personalized, comprehensive self-treatment plan to build resiliency and increased quality of life during times of stress; *Move forward with increased confidence and a renewed sense of purpose and meaning
Start / End Date: April 16 - May 21, 2021 Number of classes: 6
​Number of participants: Min 2 / Max 8
Day / Time: every Friday, 4:30-6:00pm EDT
Cost: $75 for TOL members; $85 for non-members (contact Carrie if financial issues make this difficult). Must register for full session.
Location: Zoom

Registration is no longer available.

About the presenter: Rev Carrie Ives is an interfaith spiritual director and minister. She enjoys spreading the Good News of interfaith worship and perspective, finding new areas of wellness to explore, and generally attempting to bring light to the world. Carrie lives in Chelmsford, MA, with her partners John and Tiffany, and their pets Star, Luna and Solaris.
Qualifications: Rev Carrie Ives graduated from Tree of Life Interfaith Seminary in 2013 and completed a certificate in Spiritual Direction in 2015. She is Trauma-Sensitive and Trauma-Informed, having been trained as a rape crisis volunteer. Her personal history with chronic illness and medical trauma, along with her interest in holistic wellness contributed to the development of her unique program, Spiritual Resiliency, in 2020. She has facilitated many workshops and spiritual-educational programs over the years, most recently holding space for discussion of the book, Me & White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor, by Layla Saad.