Why you should take a workshop in 2020.

Full disclosure – in January 2020, I’ll be hosting a workshop for women to help improve self esteem and grow self love, but to be honest, plugging that workshop isn’t the only reason I wanted to write this post today.

You see, not everyone can be in weekly or even monthly therapy, and truly, not everyone needs to be. For those of you looking for personal growth, mental health workshops can be a great opportunity to learn new skills and gain new perspectives.

In the last year I’ve taken multiple workshops for work that have helped me not only become (in my humble opinion), a more effective therapist, but also gave me an opportunity to reflect on changes I’d like to make in my own life. I’ve learned new skills, got to grow my network and taken away some valuable tools from these opportunities.

Now workshops always should come with the caveat that they aren’t going to “cure” or “fix” or do anything 100% for you, but they can be powerful opportunities for change and here’s why:

1. You’ll learn something about yourself – This isn’t 100% guaranteed, but if you go into any workshop with an open mind, you’ll probably come out with some new info about who you are and how you operate.
2. You’ll be surrounded by curious and supportive people, and this can help you grow too – Group settings can feel intimidating . Fortunately most workshops are supportive environments that encourage growth via participant interaction. So even if you’re a quiet member of the group as a whole, you’ll be able to connect within smaller groups.
3. You’ll probably gain some new perspective – Whether it’s from the workshop leader or participants, chances are you’ll have an “aha ” moment.
4. Tools! – Self help, self care, personal growth, you name it, they’ll have tools to help you get started on whatever you’re working on and to help you keep working.
5. They’re convenient and usually only take a few hours of your day – Workshops can be anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. With various types of workshops, some even being online, you can learn something new while fitting it in to your busy schedule.
6. You’ll see that you aren’t alone and that’s pretty powerful – When you attend a workshop you’re surrounded by people all there for a common goal. Whether it’s anxiety reduction, self esteem, personal growth etc., you’ll quickly see that whatever feelings brought you there are shared by others. This is something we call “normalizing,” the experience and frequency of mental illness, a powerful tool in decreasing mental health stigma.

If you’re interested in taking a workshop with us, please check out my Self Love Workshop for women coming this January and stay tuned for other groups and workshops we’ll be hosting this year!