When do you feel nourished in real time? Often when we think about self-care, it becomes a chore, a to-do list task. Further, within a capitalist culture, self-care can become transactional: if I do x thing that is good for me, I can reward myself with y thing that is bad for me. Rarely, though, do we attune deeply to gentleness, nurturance, rest, playfulness, and creativity, which in my view are core elements to cultivating a truly caring relationship to ourselves within the very busy lives we lead.

This series will draw insights from psychotherapy and mindfulness and, utilizing a critically-informed and social justice-oriented lens, support participants with turning towards restoration in their everyday lives. The series will include basic mindfulness practices and skills along with lecture content on self-compassion, differentiating nourishment vs. rest vs. intoxication vs. distraction, caring for yourself while caring for others, interpersonal boundaries, building affirming relationships, and sociopolitical factors that impact our emotional lives.

Course Topics: Self-care, mindfulness, relationships, boundaries, compassion, emotional and interpersonal impact of sociopolitical factors

Facilitator: William F. O’Connor, MS (he/him or they/them pronouns) is a pre-doctoral intern at Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services at the University of Puget Sound. He is currently working towards completing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University.

Audience: Open to everyone

It would be useful to bring a journal. Participants are encouraged to wear comfy clothes and make their space as cozy as possible.