Heroic Self-Care:
Impact Your Life with Mind-Body Skills
A Restorative Saturday Retreat for Veterans, Veteran Caregivers, and VSOs
Provided by Impact a Hero and the Institute for Spirituality and Health
Date: Saturday, October 14 | 8:30am - 4:00pm CT
Location: The Institute for Spirituality and Health
8100 Greenbriar #300
Houston, TX 77054
Cost: Free of Charge
Join us Saturday, October 14th, for a day of self-care introducing you to Mind-Body Skills to assist in stress reduction and trauma relief. As a participant, you will learn and experience valuable ways and techniques to enrich your life, while enjoying a time of relaxation and healing. The skills we will learn may include breathing, movement, guided imagery, and biofeedback to help you regulate your nervous system and generate your own relaxation.
These mind-body skills are drawn from the program model of the world-renowned Center for Mind-Body Medicine. These evidence-based skills have been implemented for communities around the world to help them heal from the impacts of war, natural disaster, or other community-wide trauma. The mind-body skills groups repeatedly demonstrate 80-90% reduction in those qualifying as having PTSD, and they can be transformative for anyone seeking tools to manage stress, improve relationships, and cultivate mental and physical well-being. The Institute and other non-profit partners brought this program to Houston after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Since then, our Greater Houston Healing Collaborative has taught mind-body skills to over 30,000 individuals in the Greater Houston region. This retreat is an opportunity for you to experience the power of mind-body medicine for your own growth and renewal, and to learn valuable skills to integrate into your life and work, within your family and the organizations where you serve.
Testimonials from participants of past Heroic Self-Care retreats:
“I chose to do something for myself by going to this workshop. The small groups were the best part of the workshop for me because I was able to meet people that were like me. I felt heard and seen in the group. Many times, you feel alone being a giver in a world full of takers. This workshop helped me to understand that I am important and there are more people like me out there.” – Trasa, USN (Vet)
“When registering for this event, I did not know what to expect. Those facilitating the activities were knowledgeable, understanding of the veterans in attendance, and created an atmosphere of camaraderie and trust. I found the small group session to be surprisingly therapeutic even though I consider myself an introvert and rarely talk about my experiences. I would highly recommend this to any veteran, caregiver, or those working with veterans.” – Robert, USMC (Vet)
Retreat Facilitators:
Gwen Brehm, LPC, LMFT
Gwen Brehm is the Chair of the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, a multi-institutional program launched in response to Hurricane Harvey, which serves to to provide mind-body skills to help promote well-being for populations across the Greater Houston region. She is a certified faculty member for the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.
Gwen is the owner of Brehm Psychotherapy and Executive Director of the Center for Mind Body Health in the Clear Lake area of Houston. As a therapist, Gwen has worked with families and individuals for over 30 years. She is a trained DBT and CBT therapist, mindful meditation teacher and trainer, and is a trained teacher in mindful self-compassion. Gwen is on the faculty for Institute for Spirituality and Health and a former member of the board of Compassionate Houston. Formerly she was adjunct faculty at University of Texas Medical Branch, University of Houston Clear Lake, and Dallas Baptist University. Gwen earned her BA in Psychology from Howard Payne University and MEd in Family Counseling from North Texas State University.
ERICA TOSKOVICH, MS, LMFT
Erica Toskovich is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working with Easter Seals of Greater Houston. She works with individuals impacted by trauma and provides evidence based services for both adults and children. She completed professional and advanced trainings with the Center for Mind Body Medicine in 2018. She has continued to offer and facilitate workshops and groups in the community about Mind Body Medicine. Erica has facilitated these groups to children, adults, and families in the community. She is also a bilingual facilitator and has been able to offer groups in Spanish.
Leah Adams, PMP
Leah Adams Pruitt serves as the Institute’s Vice President of Engagement. In this role, she develops partnerships and leads collaborative networks, facilitating meaningful relationships driven by the Institute’s mission. She also facilitates the Institute’s bereavement program and is a seasoned facilitator of trauma and grief support groups. She is certified as a mind-body skills group facilitator through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.
