Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS), Dobbs Ferry, NY, offered two workshops for women on self-care which were presented by Betsy Suarez, LMHC, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
The first workshop, Autocuidado: Yo, Yo, Y Yo Tambien! (Self-care: Me, Myself and Me Too!), showed how woman have a lot of expectations put on them such as balancing work and family responsibilities. This can lead to high levels of stress. Betsy also spoke about how women may face specific stresses in the workplace, including gender discrimination, unequal pay, etc. In addition, the home can also be stressful when it comes to meeting the demands of caring for children, performing daily chores, and fulfilling household expectations. She had the moms experience some ways of feeling relaxed, such as mindful breathing and listening to soft and comforting
sounds.
The second workshop, Practicando el Autocuidado: Practicas de Mantenimiento Diario (Practicing Self-Care: Daily Maintenance Practices). During this presentation, the moms experienced different ‘hands-on’ ways of relieving stress. They listened to relaxing music, stretched their arms, used playdough to stretch their fingers, squeezed stress balls, etc. Betsy told them that these are things that they can do at home throughout the day.
She also stressed the importance of asking for help when needed and to also be sure to have regular check-
with your doctor. Surrounding yourself with people who support you and love you is also important.
Many of our clients from CIS as well as some of the asylum seekers from neighboring towns joined us for the workshop. Everyone left feeling refreshed and relaxed.
We are so grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Grant, which allows us to offer such important workshops.