Creating Sacred Space

---

What is sacred space? How do we create it for ourselves? How do we find healing, wellness and joy in a rapidly changing world? Drawing from a broad knowledge base in sociology, addiction and recovery, trauma theory, metaphysics, holistic healing, and the creative arts this workshop aims to facilitate a deeper sense of self-awareness. Our goal is to tap into intuitive guidance and practice self-care using techniques of centering, mindfulness and shielding. By fusing therapeutic techniques with alternative and traditional spiritual practices, we can begin to carve out space to breathe, grow and thrive. 

Burnout, stress, fear, shame, and compassion fatigue are part of human living. in the helping  professions human service providers are on the frontlines of urgent care. Parenting, and caregiving duties may further compound the impact of diminishing resources. Oppressive gender-culture norms can encourage self-neglect, other-directedness and codependency. Ideologies of professionalism and bureaucratic rituals too, may condemn self-care as irrelevant, even self-indulgent. Who takes care of you?

Using tools of reflection, journaling, meditation, prayer, and energy healing, we can carve out a program of self-care. The art of loving, self-healing and self-actualization is a lifelong creative process. Today we will explore the possibilities.

Learning objectives:

1. Analyze the difference between spirituality and religion.
2. Construct a personalized concept of the sacred drawing from various traditions and belief systems
3. Design an ongoing, individualized program for health and wellness
4. Begin to formulate one's own definition of creativity
5. Identify techniques for setting personal and professional boundaries in everyday life.
6. Consider how we might integrate workshop tools and insights with social work practice.

Research:

• Addiction and Grace by Gerald May 
• Varieties of Religious Experience by William James 
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen
• Jung's Thoughts on God by Donald Dyer 
• A Burning Desire: Dharma God and the Path of Recovery by Kevin Griffin 
• Dark Night of the Soul by Gerald May 
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner 
• The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm 
• Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl 
• Here if You Need Me by Kate Braestrup 
• Why God Won't Go Away by Andrew Newberg, Eugene D'Aquill and Vince Rause.
• The True Path: Western Science and the Quest for Yoga by Roy J. Matthew 
• The Eternal Now by Paul Tillich 
• The Spirituality of Imperfection by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham 
• The Thirst for Wholeness: Attachment, Addiction, and the Spiritual Path 
  Music
• The Spiritual Significance of Music by Justin St. Vincent (http://www.musicandspirituality.com/book2.pdf) 

Target Audience: social workers, mental health practitioners, creative arts therapists, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and other interested individuals

Customer Service

We are happy to respond to any concerns or questions you may have. Please contact us at by email at sw-ce@buffalo.edu or by phone at 716-829-5841.

ADA Accommodations: If you require any support for your ADA needs in the United States, please contact us by email at least 3 weeks prior to the event by email at sw-ce@buffalo.edu or by phone at 716-829-5841.