You Matter
Happy holidays, everyone!
As we come to the end of a difficult year, I hope the events we’ve curated have helped you find moments of rest, moments of joy, and new ways to connect with yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
As we close out the year, our message to you is simple: you matter, and we hope you find space to take care of yourself so that you can show up for yourself and your loved ones. Even if you can’t make big changes or take logistical steps right now, we hope you can pause, breathe, rest, and notice small moments of joy and gratitude. These practices are essential to our overall well-being, especially when the world and our personal lives feel chaotic or hopeless.
We also hope this newsletter has encouraged you to look toward one another and to believe in the possibility of hope, support, and connection through community, even when it’s found in small groups in virtual settings.
The next set of events is curated to help you close out the year with care. They continue our commitment to providing resources for mental, emotional, and social well-being. And in that same spirit, we want to continue the conversation from our last issue, pushing toward a world that is inclusive of us all, meets us where we are, and offers support and dignity for our life circumstances and the choices we make. We encourage you to take part in these social discussions to have a better understanding of how we can shape the world for all of us.
We look forward to providing you with more ways to socially connect and deepen our understanding of a caring worldview in the new year.
Here’s what’s coming up this December:
Reproductive Health Concerns - December 2nd, 6th, 16th
Hosted by NYC Center for Health Equity & Community Wellness: Get answers for common reproductive health concerns before conception. This workshop is for women who desire to have a child or children, and includes discussing topics such as Uterine Fibroids, Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and Hysterectomy. Free. Register Here
Drawing Your Inner World: Let Your Hands Do What They Already Know! - December 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
Hosted by Dariana Arias, a visual artist based in D.C: This is a welcoming and non-judgmental space dedicated to artistic practice and deep self-discovery, through spontaneous free-form drawing. This 60-minute weekly guided session uses the Jungian technique of Active Imagination to nurture inspiration and dialogues with your unconscious mind, in order to produce powerful, meaningful art. Price: $23.18 Register Here
Boundary IQ - December 3rd
Hosted by Mindspring Mental Health Alliance: Creating and maintaining healthy boundaries can be a challenging task. Some people grow up in environments where setting boundaries was not emphasized or valued, resulting in struggles to establish boundaries in adulthood. In this webinar, you’ll discuss the role of boundaries in relationships and learn how to implement healthy boundaries led by a licensed therapist. Free. Register Here
Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive in a Digital World - December 3rd
Hosted by The Parent Venture: Navigating tech with kids can be overwhelming. In this workshop, Devorah Heitner, PhD, author and children’s digital media expert, will offer practical, research-informed strategies for parenting kids in an always-connected world. She offers an encouraging perspective on how to guide kids in the digital age thoughtfully. Free. Register Here
Stereotypes and Representation: Media’s Role in Fueling Hate - December 4th
Hosted by SAAPRI x SAAJCO: In this workshop, examine how media representation and stereotypes contribute to the perpetuation of hate and discrimination against South Asians and other marginalized communities. This session will explore the power of media in shaping public perception and the consequences of harmful portrayals. Free. Register Here
Good Grief: Navigating Loss & Healing in the Black Community - December 4th
Hosted by Love Your Tribe: Good Grief offers a sacred space for the Black community to explore the complexities of grief and loss. Grief impacts us in many ways—through the loss of loved ones, relationships, opportunities, or even our sense of normalcy. Together, we will unpack how grief shapes our mental health, relationships, and community well-being, while sharing tools and practices to help us heal and thrive. Free. Register Here
Sexy Selfie Nation: Changing the Narrative Around Girls’ Body Image - December 4th
Hosted by The Parent Venture: Leora Tanenbaum is a sexuality expert who supports bodily autonomy for girls, women, and everyone. Join this informative workshop to learn how to shift the narrative around selfies, body image, sexuality, and autonomy. Free. Register Here
The ‘S’ Word: Breaking the Silence around Suicidality and Self-Injury - December 5th
Hosted by LynLake Centers for Wellbeing: Discussions around suicide and self-injury can be challenging and uncomfortable, yet these conversations are critical in providing effective support and intervention. This workshop is designed to provide a safe space to address stigma, build confidence and skills in risk assessment, initiate meaningful dialogue, and foster a safe environment for individuals struggling with suicidal experiences and/or self-harm. Price: $25. Register Here
Group Art Therapy with Vlajka - December 6th
Hosted by Hobi - Make your hobbies therapy: If you like art and have been struggling with life recently, more specifically with coping or self-expression. Join Vlajka Leggett, an art therapist with over 7 years of experience working with clients, to help guide you on how you could use art as a mental wellness tool. This is also a weekly check-in and discussion meeting. Price: $8. Register Here
Supporting Kids Who Have Experienced Bullying - December 8th
Hosted by Mindspring Mental Health Alliance: Finding out that your child is being bullied can be confusing and painful. Explore the factors involved when deciding when to step in to support a child, and when to give them space. Learn what is helpful to say to children when they are being bullied, how to increase the child’s self-esteem, and how to help them know what to say to themselves and to the bully. Discuss how to encourage kids to ask for help, and how to get other adults to take bullying seriously in this one-hour seminar with a licensed therapist. Free. Register Here
How do I live like this? Processing Grief and Loss - December 8th
Hosted by C-CAT: Grief and loss are universal experiences, but they often leave us feeling lonely and unsure that we are doing it “right.” This educational discussion will introduce the dual-process model of grieving and discuss continuing bonds. The discussion is designed to help participants better understand the process of grieving so that they can manage and work through inevitable losses, and so that they can better support others in their lives who might be grieving. Free. Register Here
Conflict Management and Problem-Solving in Relationships - December 9th
Hosted by Mindspring Mental Health Alliance: Confronting problems can be challenging. Heightened emotions, irrational thinking, impaired judgment, and distorted perceptions impact our ability to solve problems quickly. Learn strategies for effective problem-solving and conflict management with a licensed therapist. Free. Register Here
Handling the Holidays as a Survivor of Sexual Abuse - December 9th
Hosted by Saprea: Join Saprea for this interactive presentation as they share tips to help adult survivors of childhood or adolescent sexual abuse navigate the holiday season with more peace and less dread. This content and presentation are designed for: Survivors of childhood or adolescent sexual abuse, and supporters or allies working to help connect survivors to healing resources. Free. Register Here
Parkinson’s Disease and Pain - December 10th
Hosted by Brian Grant Foundation: Pain is a common under-recognized non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s Disease. While pain can occur at any stage in PD, in early PD, it may be the most bothersome non-motor symptom. This symptom can be very disruptive to daily life. In this workshop, movement disorder neurologist Dr. Jori Fleisher will discuss the role pain plays in PD, the different types of pain, and the approaches to managing it. Free. Register Here
Trauma Informed Kink: How to Play Safely When You Have Complex PTSD - December 11th
Hosted by Queer Mental Health Initiative: In this session, you will learn what C-PTSD is, how it is formed, and tips on how to manage, such as separating past from present and recognizing trauma responses. Ever wondered if your kink was actually just a reenactment of past trauma? In this workshop, you’ll explore the differences between healthy kink vs reenactment and how it relates to C-PTSD. Free. Register Here
The Psychology of People-Pleasing - December 11th
Hosted by Mindspring Mental Health Alliance: People pleasing is a tendency to prioritize others’ needs over your own, even at the expense of your own health, safety, and well-being. It can be a response to trauma or life experiences, or to manage anxiety about other people’s approval & reactions. Explore the roots of people-pleasing behavior and its impact on mental health, and learn how to set healthy boundaries, build self-confidence, and communicate more assertively in this one-hour seminar with a licensed therapist. Free. Register Here
Connecting the Dots - December 12th
Hosted by: Engage with issues of social, economic, and environmental justice through this weekly virtual space. The program is designed to facilitate crucial opportunities for listening, learning, action, and connection. Sessions are led by a diverse array of partners, such as activists, academics, and artists, who present their unique lived experiences and learned insights. Attendees are invited to contribute to a constructive dialogue aimed at promoting progress. Free. Register Here
Hosted by Conflict Resilience: Join Bob Bordone, Co-Author of the recently-published USA Today Bestseller Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In, and a panel of leading Restorative Justice scholars from North America as they offer reflections and reactions from the book and applications for restorative justice practitioners and scholars. Registration is FREE but limited to 100 people. Register Here
We wish you well, MESH Events community. We hope these events support you in your journey toward well-being and happiness — within yourself, in your relationships, and in your connection to the world.
As a gift from us to you to close out the year, we will be providing an updated support-group list in December. We want you to have access to ongoing sources of connection and support on your individual journey, beyond one-off workshops and events.
With that in mind, please comment and share with us if there are specific topics or types of support groups you’d like us to include in this updated list. Your voice helps us shape the support we can provide to you to meet your needs.
Ways to Support:
If you or anyone you know is hosting an online event and wants the event to be included in the newsletter, please email us at: mesheventsnewstetter@gmail.com
Join us in embracing the power of community and self-care because when we take care of ourselves, we take care of each other.
Warmly,
MESH Events