Community Rising: A Weekend of Respite and Reflection for Mothers

818 Red Drive,Traverse City MI 49684

27 January, 2023

Description

This retreat is a weekend gathering for respite, self reflection and truth telling as we gather in a community of those who identify as mothers. We will have the opportunity to learn and grow in self understanding, mindfulness and most importantly self compassion. When we prioritize self care we can show up more open-heartedly with our children. We know that mothering can be an extremely isolating experience. We are often triggered by our children’s behaviors and self-doubt can be a constant companion. At the end of the day we often ask ourselves; Am I the only one this is hard for? Why is my child doing this or acting in this way? Why am I having such a personal response and feelings about my child’s behaviors and actions? I am feeling disconnected from my partner as we are navigating our child rearing journey. You are not alone. Our goal in this retreat is to welcome the mother who has a deep desire for your child’s experiences and “Life Lessons” to be different from your own as a child. To create a space of intention and collaboration when it comes to parenting. To lean into the discomfort and vulnerability while confirming you are not alone in your experiences. Together we will learn how to re-parent ourselves as a way to parent our children with compassion, intention, and love. Join us in nurturing your mind, body, and spirit in beautiful ways. You will walk away with the skills to… Prioritize your self care as a mother, while promoting the well being of your childConnect with the goodness within self and your childrenCreate concrete strategies related to growing mindfulness, self compassion, and resilienceBuild a community based on authenticity - We are NOT aloneThis retreat will take place on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and afternoon and Sunday morning. Tickets include: Friday night appetizersSaturday breakfast + lunch Sunday brunch *Tickets do not include lodging or meals outside of what is listed above* Purchase1 ticket or bring a friend for an extra discount. *If you have financial hardship and desire to attend or have questions, please email Christine at [email protected] This retreat will be facilitated by: Gretchen Evenhouse, LLMSW - Wild + Wonder Co-Founder Gretchen is a School Social Worker living in Traverse City with her partner, Joel and two small children, Harper & Milo (5 & 3 years old). She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver, as well as a LLMSW in the State of Michigan. After almost 10 years of skiing, camping, hiking, and working in Colorado, she and her family traded the mountains for the Great Lakes and moved to Northern Michigan in 2017. Gretchen enjoys long beach days, runs in all types of strange Michigan weather, cross country and downhill skiing, reading, and outdoor adventuring with her family/ friends and old dog, Scout. Throughout her career, Gretchen has always worked with children and families. Her work started in Head Start and Educare programming in Denver where she gained knowledge in early literacy, dialogic reading, and empowering parents to participate in their child’s development. Gretchen eventually shifted to the public schools in Denver as a School Social Worker. While there she became experienced in Social Emotional Learning curriculums, Behavior Intervention/ Supports, and Restorative Justice practices. She holds training in the Brazelton Touchpoints Approach and Developmental Model, the Social Justice Leaders Collaborative, QPR Suicide Prevention, as well as Personal Safety/ Consent for children. In her current role as a mom and School Social Worker, Gretchen has a passion for bringing children’s books into her work, teaching, and child rearing. Books are an amazing way to engage with children as a way to teach social emotional and justice concepts, as well as for healing/ processing tough topics- grief, social dynamics, anxiety, divorce, personal safety, consent, bullying, etc and she sees the deep value in this. Wild + Wonder is a dream coming to reality for Gretchen and she is so excited and appreciative of the enthusiasm and support from the Traverse City community and beyond! Annie Lange, BSN, LMSW, ACSW Annie is a clinical social worker who has had an active private practice, working with individuals, couples, and families for the past 28 years. Annie has served as adjunct faculty professor in the School of Social Work at Michigan State University and conducts workshops and retreats throughout the state. In addition to practice and teaching, Annie has earned her Advance Trainer Certificate in the Nurtured Heart Approach and has completed Level One Certification in the Internal Family Systems model. Annie’s special interests include trauma, attachment, adoption, foster care, interpersonal neurobiology, mindfulness, self compassion, shame resilience, internal healing processes, and self-care issues. Annie readily admits that her greatest teachers have been her six children, five of whom are adopted.