Cyndi Mesmer, Rebecca Walston and Danielle Castillejo on Story Work - Listening Circles

TELLING A TRU(ER) STORY MASTER CLASS

Are you struggling with a traumatic experience or maybe trying to better understand how your past keeps impacting your present?  Are you in a helping profession (mental health professionals,  ministers, spiritual directors, teachers, mentors) and want to learn how to assist others that are navigating traumatic experiences?

Introducing a NEW 2-Track professional training from The Art of Living Counseling Center.

Final registration closes on February 24, 2023. Don’t miss out.

 

https://artoflivingcounseling.com/professional-training/

 

Cyndi Mesmer

 

Speaker & Facilitator

 

Cyndi Mesmer, LCPC identifies as a white cisgender, able-bodied, straight woman. She is the clinical director and co-owns, with her husband Steve, The Art of living Counseling Center in Crystal Lake, IL. Cyndi worked as a teacher, supervisor and trainer at The Allender Center in Seattle WA. Cyndi has worked in all levels of care for mental health.

She has about 30 years of experience working with individuals, families and groups. She primarily works with clients working through trauma, both past and present. She sees the world through the lens of story and invites others to engage their stories in a way that brings more freedom and life, both personal and communal. She is a seeker of racial justice and advocate for other oppressed groups believing that there should be equal rights and flourishing for all humans. You can read more at www.artoflivingcounseling.com

 

Rebecca Wheeler Walston

 

Guest Speaker & Facilitator

 

Rebecca Wheeler Walston holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary and currently serves as a Fellow with The Allender Center, facilitating Story Workshops and NFTC. Rebecca also comes to this work through The Impact Movement, a college ministry to Black students, as Impact partners with The Allender Center to bring this work to BIPOC spaces in creative and innovative ways. She lives in Williamsburg, VA with her husband Vaughn and their two children, where Vaughn works as an Engineer and Rebecca runs a Law Practice and serves as General Legal Counsel for The Impact Movement, Inc.

 

Danielle S. Castillejo

 

Guest Speaker & Facilitator

 

Danielle holds an MA in Counseling in Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate in Washington State, story lover, owner of Way-Finding Therapy, podcaster, avid reader, writer, adventurer and advocate.She works and advocates from an anti-oppression lens, holding space for hope, love and repair. She loves the anticipation of Spring and Summer in the Northwest – the long days and sunlight we miss in the dark winters. You can easily find her out on a trail, laughing, cooking with her kids, or working in the yard.If you choose to reach out and we embark on a counseling journey together, it will be one that is co-created. I do not believe that I have all of the answers, nor all of the ideas or intellect to guide you. I trust my body and intuition. I trust your body and intuition. We will work with both narrative and somatic narrative. I believe our bodies tell a story. You can read mine at www.wayfindingtherapy.com

 

DATES OF TRAINING

Final registration closes on February 24, 2023.

DATES OF TRAINING & TOPICS

March 10, 2023 9:00am – 4:00pm CT

March 24, 2023 9:00am – 4:00pm CT

April 21, 2023 9:00am – 4:00pm CT

May 12, 2023 9:00am – 4:00pmCT

We are excited to offer two interconnected tracks for this training:

Track 1:  The Teaching Experience.  Track 1 is for those participants who want to be further educated about trauma and traumas impact on an individual.  There will be four teaching sessions over four Fridays in the Spring of 2023 (see dates above). Each sessions will include interactive teaching and discussion as well as a live story facilitation.  If you are signing up for The Teaching Experience of the Telling a Tru(er) Story Spring Training you will have access to the live virtual training as well as, access to watch or re-watch the recorded teachings at your leisure.  Tier 1 is recommended for individuals who would like to gain further understanding about the nature of trauma, and how it affects us.   It is open to an unlimited number of registrants and no prior experience is needed.

 

Track 2:  The Story Group Experience.  Track 2 includes everything in Track 1 but adds more in depth training through participation in six, 2-hour Story Groups.  Participants signing up for Track 2 will have the opportunity to practice what they are learning in the Track 1 teaching through written story work as well as practicing engaging another persons story of harm.  With this Story Group Expe