DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU WILL DIE
FROM THE INTENSITY OF YOUR EMOTIONS? DO YOU FEEL INCAPABLE OF
FINDING RELEASE FROM YOUR FEELINGS WITHOUT THE USE OF
SELF-HARMING BEHAVIOR? DO YOU SOMETIMES CUT OR BURN YOURSELF TO
RELEASE OVERLY PAINFUL AND INTENSE FEELINGS? IF SO, YOU NEED
THIS GROUP!
Group will focus on
self-understanding, the process by which painful feelings grow to the point of feeling
unbearable, and finding alternatives for releasing these painful feelings before they
reach the point where you need to harm yourself.
Group members will also explore
feelings of low self-worth and low self-value while learning to alter their
negative self-misperceptions and replace them with self-love, self-forgiveness, and
feeling valuable.
This group will provide a confidential and supportive
environment in which to explore current concerns leading to the build-up of painful
emotions, ways you are presently dealing with these and options for resolving
distressing conflicts within yourself, as well as increasing feelings of worthiness.
Group will consist of 10 students and will meet
once a week.
For more information or to sign up, call Dawn Foster
at 562-843-7056.
NOW WHAT? GREAT EXPECTATIONS:
A DIVORCE SUPPORT AND GROWTH
GROUP
ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH THE FEELINGS AND FRUSTRATIONS OF SEPARATION AND
THE DIVORCE PROCESS? ARE YOU TIRED OF THE
POWER STRUGGLES AND CONFLICT THAT ACCOMPANY DIVORCE? ARE YOU FEELING ALONE IN YOUR STRUGGLES
AND WANTING TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS IN THE SAME
POSITION WHO CAN UNDERSTAND? IS IT POSSIBLE TO
HAVE A GOOD DIVORCE? JOIN GROUP AND FIND OUT!
Group will focus on the emotional
fallout of divorce including exploration of current feelings and
concerns, letting go of your ex while holding onto the family as
a unit, and possibilities for creating a "good divorce".
Conflict and power struggles are common and have come to be
accepted as part of divorce. This group will challenge some
commonly held assumptions about the relationship between
divorcing couples while at the same time providing support and
validation for the feelings experienced throughout the divorce
process.
Group will also provide a supportive environment in
which to explore changes in roles and reactions leading to
greater personal empowerment, peace, and growth as we work
toward defining and creating new visions for ourselves, our
families, and our futures.
Experimentation with alternative
communication styles that increase understanding and cooperation
will be practiced. Group will consist of 10 adults and will meet for 10 weeks.
For more information or to sign up, call Dawn Foster
at 562-843-7056.
BETWEEN TEENS: RELATIONSHIP CENTERED
TEEN SUPPORT GROUP
(TEENS
ONLY)
TEENS: DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE A PRISONER IN YOUR
OWN HOME? WISH MOM, DAD, AND OTHER ADULTS WOULD LIGHTEN UP, GET OFF YOUR
CASE, AND HAVE MORE FAITH IN YOU? THIS IS A GROUP FOR YOU!
Group will focus on understanding,
negotiating, and altering key relationships. Everyone has struggles
relating with parents, family, friends, and boyfriends/girlfriends. This
group will provide a supportive environment in which to explore current
concerns, ways you are presently dealing with these, and options for
resolving distressing conflicts within your relationships. Group will
consist of 10 students and will meet for 10 weeks.
For more information or to sign up, call Dawn Foster
at 562-843-7056.
SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE:
A TEEN/PARENT COMMUNICATION GROUP
(TEENS &
PARENTS)
PARENTS:
Are you frustrated with and
tired of the power struggles and conflict between you and your teen? Would
you like to create a more harmonious and understanding relationship
with your teen?
TEENS:
Do you feel like your parents are
always getting on your case, wish they would lighten up and have more
trust in you? Would you like to have a relationship with your parents
that's based on mutual trust and respect?
If you both answered yes to these
questions, this group is for you!
Group will focus on communication style
and content between parent and teen. Conflict and power struggles are common between
parents and teens. Teens are working toward defining themselves and achieving
independence while parents are faced with uncertainties and fears in setting
appropriate and safe limits.
This group will provide a supportive environment in which to
explore the role of what each of you say and how you say it contributes to power struggles
and conflicts. Experimentation with alternative communication styles that
increase understanding and cooperation will be practiced. Group will consist of 5 - 10
teen/parent dyads and will meet for 10 weeks.
For more information or to sign up, call Dawn Foster
at 562-843-7056.
WORKING TOGETHER: FACING
THE CHALLENGES OF TEEN PARENTING
(PARENTS
ONLY)
PARENTS, DO YOU WONDER WHY YOUR TEENS DO
SOME OF THE THINGS THEY DO, WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM, OR WHY THEY SEEM
TO ACT SO MOODY AND REBELLIOUS? DO YOU FIND SOME OF THEIR BEHAVIOR
BAFFLING AND SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE YOU'LL LOSE YOUR SANITY? IF SO, THIS
GROUP CAN HELP!
Group will provide a supportive and
confidential environment in which the joys, pains, and frustrations of
teen parenting can be explored. Group will focus on exploring the
beliefs behind teen behaviors; methods of increasing your teen's
self-esteem; helping your teen move toward responsible independence;
practicing discipline techniques that work; implementing natural and
logical consequences; and keeping your own sanity and a life of your own
throughout these trying years. Group is open to all parents (men/women,
couples/singles, grandparents, foster parents, guardians) involved in
raising teens. We will meet for 10 weeks.
For more information or to sign up, call Dawn Foster
at 562-843-7056.
PRESENTATIONS AND
WORKSHOPS
(All Workshops are FREE, See
below for DESCRIPTIONS of each Workshop)
Presentation and Workshop Descriptions:
Workshops are
suitable for either teens and/or parents, except as
noted. If you are interested in scheduling any of these workshops during
the day or evening for students or parents you may contact me at (562)
843-7056.1 hope to be of assistance to you. Thank you for your
continued support.
Redirecting Truant Teens
This workshop is
designed to assist parents towards re-establishing parental power and
taking back parental control to ensure their teen attends school.
Parents will learn to identify and establish their position, communicate
respectfully with their teens, become actively involved and work with
the school, deal with their teens anger and resistance, and to reinforce
behavioral improvements.
Avoiding Emotional Disasters (Just for Teens)
Adolescence is
perhaps the most challenging life stage. Everyone has a difficult time
at some point during their teen years. This workshop outlines 12
specific things that teens can do to make adolescence less challenging
emotionally.
Stress Management
Everyone feels more
stressed these days than at any time in history. With technology like
the internet, e-mail, etc., we expect more of ourselves than ever
before. Add to that the insecurity in the workplace and the pressures on
our children, and there are some very stressed out people out there.
This workshop is about identifying the causes of stress in each
participant's life, recognizing the effects of stress, protecting
oneself from being harmed by stress, managing stress even in a high
stress environment, strategies for reducing stress, and making
individual plans for each participant to simplify their life.
.Understanding Anger
Anger can have tremendous physical and
interpersonal costs. Many people admit they have a problem with anger,
but few people understand what it really is. This workshop examines the
causes of anger and looks at ways to control it.
How To Increase Your
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is such a vague word to most
people. This workshop helps participants understand what self-esteem is,
as well as providing some concrete ways to improve it.
In Search of Self-Confidence
Most people think that self-confidence is
something you're born with. However, it's actually the result of taking
action and is very much within a person's control. This workshop will
include lecture and practice exercises with many concrete suggestions to
increase self-confidence and feel more in control of one's life.
Take Charge in 2005: Plan Your Best
Year Yet
Just knowing you want to change certain
aspects of your life doesn't always mean you're ready to do so. Many
people feel a vague sense of wanting something different, but their fear
of the unknown stops them. This workshop is about finding out where the
fear of change comes from and helps people move forward. The workshop
explores setting effective and motivating goals, developing action plans
including high pay-off planning and strategies for high and low payoff
tasks, the achievement cycle, unfinished business, the 80/20 rule, the
effectiveness checklist and keys to effectiveness.
Understanding Depression
(Click here for more info and DEPRESSION
SELF TEST)
Depression affects between 20 and 30
million Americans. People who are depressed may have difficulties
concentrating and relating to others, including their family members.
They may even have thoughts of suicide. Depression, especially among
female teens, is on the rise. This workshop explores what depression is
including the symptoms and how depression is different form sadness,
methods for assessing and measuring depression, causes of depression,
methods for overcoming depression, preventing depression, and
signs that help is needed. Take test
and check for your level of depression.
Single Parent Survival Skills (Parents
Only)
Single parents face some of the most
difficult parenting challenges imaginable. While their job is not
impossible, they sometimes need some special types of support as they
deal with issues that other parents would never dream of. This workshop
outlines many creative ways to meet those challenges.
Baby Boomer Midlife Checkup (Parents
Only)
Nearly 78 million Americans will turn 50
between now and 2014. Boomers have always had a great impact on society
and the way they deal with the middle years will be no exception. This
workshop explores key midlife issues facing baby boomers including how
these issues are different from other generations, midlife assessment
including components of the life assessment process, and exploring
assessment outcomes.
