Rotary Happenings: Rotarians hear about Resilient Retreat, programs
When one thinks of people who are affected by trauma, naturally soldiers are the first to be thought of. While this is very true, many people do not think about first responders and other helping professionals such as teachers and social workers. These professionals see some horrific tragedies here among us each and every day and many suffer from what is called compassion fatigue. There are many support groups for PTSD for military personnel, but not as many for other professionals who need help dealing with and processing the trauma and abuse they may come into daily contact with.
Jennifer Ourednik, with Resilient Retreat, shared with the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club information about the free and confidential non-profit. Founded in 2018 by Dr. Sidney Turner, it is an innovative approach to help those impacted by trauma and abuse. Resilient Retreat offers programs to heal the mind, body and spirit on its 84 acres of conservation land in Sarasota. They help with healing from trauma, self-care, wellness, compassion fatigue and building resilience. Some programs are offered in the form of neurofeedback classes, trauma informed equine therapy, trauma informed yoga, foam rolling self massage, reflective art journaling and ZenTangle. Some classes are offered virtually since COVID and may remain virtual to reach a larger population of those in need. Resilient Retreat also offers a Kind Line to provide support for those who need help navigating their trauma. All of the staff are certified trauma professionals and certified compassion fatigue professionals. It also offers training on trauma and compassion fatigue on a sliding scale fee for organizations.
In a world that has seen so much suffering in the past few years, please remember to be extra kind to those who are helping us along the way. They may be silently suffering and all the while hiding behind a smile.
The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club holds a meeting on Fridays at 7:30 a.m. at The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, and via Zoom; doors open at 7 a.m. To attend in person, email Bill Harkey at William.Harkey@gmail.com by the Tuesday before the meeting. For more information, visit sanibelrotary.org or www.facebook.com/sancaprotary.