Presentations 2008 - 2009

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Opening and Grounding

Abstract: In the past few years, body centered therapy has become a focus of articles and reports, possibly as an out growth of the recent research in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology that has gained wider currency. At the Haven Institute we have, for the past 25 years, been developing a wide variety of body centered approaches; this presentation focuses on two - grounding and breath.

Some of these body centered integrative approaches are most helpful to people who tend to ‘go into the head’ (defend by intellectualization), others are helpful to those clients who are anxious and unsettled, other we teach to clients who tend to dissociate. All of them have implications for prevention of burnout and improved health.

This interactive and experience based presentation will share some practical applications of body centered work.

Presenter: Gwen Ewan, MA, DipC, MATS, RCC, RMFT

Gwen Ewan has worked in some aspect or another of mental health and addictions for the past 40 years. She has worked directly with adults in community settings, either with individuals or groups, or supervised and directed groups of mental health practitioners in community settings. After retiring as the Coordinator, Addictions Community Treatment (South Island) for the Vancouver Island Health Authority in Sept 2007, she became the Director of Education for the Haven Institute.

Gwen has studied neuropsychology and cognitive behavioural psychology at the University of Alberta, the psychology of health and healing at Naropa, theology at the Vancouver School of Theology and family system theory (along the way) with Virginia Satir.