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The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. –Paracelsus, 16th-century Swiss physician
Sometimes a tree can tell you more than can be read in a book… People get dirty through too much civilization. Whenever we touch Nature, we get clean. – C.G. Jung, Swiss psychoanalyst
Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) is a Japanese term first coined in 1982 by Tomohide Akiyama, the then-Director General of the Japanese Ministry of Forestry. The term literally means “forest bath” – a modern, poetic way of referring to an ancient practice of immersing oneself in the atmosphere of the forest. In this half-day, informational and experiential retreat, we will explore shinrin-yoku from the vantage points of physical health, mental health, innerwork, and creative and spiritual inspiration. Along with a summary of some of the many benefits of shinrin-yoku discovered by medical science, and a basic introduction to a framework of the practice, we will embark upon an experiential exploration of shinrin-yoku in a forest environment. After some group sharing to conclude our time together, participants will depart with a list of resources for further exploration including books, films, medical studies documenting the physiological and mental health benefits, study and training programs, and a list of good places for forest bathing in the Atlanta-area.
Our half-day retreat will begin at 10:00 am at the Daniel Johnson Nature Preserve (1301 Beech Valley Rd, NE, Atlanta – free street parking on Beech Valley Rd.). Please bring a pen, notebook or journal, a pair of walking shoes or hiking boots, a rain poncho (in case of Spring rains), and a small blanket to sit on.
Frank Inzan Owen, M.A. is a Wayfarer of a Nature-oriented contemplative path shaped by certain features of Japanese spirituality and modern ecopsychology. A three-time published poet, with a M.A. in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University, he facilitates a form of spiritual companioning influenced by the Jungian understanding of the soul, which he calls contemplative soulwork (www.schoolofsoftattention.com). He has been a practitioner of shinrin-yoku for many years.
Even though we had to close our historic office for the time being, our counselors are now available to the larger community for telemental health counseling.
Future clients can still call TACC at 404-876-6266 #1 and ask to be seen by one of our counselors.
As long as the person inquiring has access to the internet or phone and qualifies for the criteria of telemental health counseling, our counselors will be able to provide online or phone mental health care to persons in need of emotional, mental and spiritual support.
Our clinical director Nineshia Mont-Reynaud and our counselors worked tirelessly the past month to set everything up for our clients to be able to be seen by video or by phone.
Even though we had to move our 10 CPE interns (chaplains in training) for the time being out of the hospitals and out of most community placement sites, four of them ended their education for now by receiving a half unit of credit, and six are continuing their education as a group online.
They engage in educational group work online, while creating new and creative opportunities for spiritual care within the community for themselves: Some CPE interns are preparing “to go” lunches for persons who experience homelessness during this time. Others are setting up spiritual care phone or video call services in parishes.
Even the hospitals have purchased iPads for their patients and are thinking of creative ways of using future CPE interns to provide spiritual care to patients over video or over the phone.
Our CPE director Karen Miller and her staff worked tirelessly these past weeks to keep our CPE program going by using online platforms.
They succeeded against all odds.
Thank you! Well done!
TACC (Mailing Address)
435 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
TACC @ St. Luke’s
*98 Currier Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
https://www.stlukesatlanta.org/
*Please don’t mail to this address*
TACC @ Columbia Presbyterian
711 Columbia Drive
Decatur, GA 30030
https://cpcdecatur.com/
Hours: M, T, F 8:00am–6:00pm
W & TH 8:00am–8:00pm
(404) 876-6266
info@trainingandcounselingcenter.org
If you need immediate assistance the Georgia Crisis & Access Line is staffed with professional social workers and counselors 24 hours per day, every day, to assist those with urgent needs at 800–715-4225.