Self-Care for Educators 101

Stress levels among students and staff are higher than ever these days. As a result, teachers and school staff need more strategies than ever to handle it. In this class, we focus on self-care methods and we highlight a technique called Havening that creates a “haven“ of internal safety. This class covers the use of Havening to reduce stress and distress, as well as its use to amplify well-being, relaxation, confidence, and other positive states. Florence Aasen and I developed the Havening for Educator program from our experiences working in schools. Florence is a coach, trainer, and high school teacher in Norway. I am a psychotherapist and trainer in Northern Virginia, and I worked in Fairfax County Virginia public schools for 15 years as a school social worker. We hope you enjoy this class and share it. Please contact us with any questions and if you would like us to teach it to your group. Bio: Erika Neil is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area who helps clients overcome the limiting effects of trauma and other difficult life experiences so that they are free to live the life they want. Erika attended Harvard University, Columbia University Law School, and Catholic University School of Social Service. She has specialized training in the treatment of trauma. managing stress and difficult emotions, and strengthening positive emotions. In addition to being a Havening Techniques Trainer, she is trained in EMDR (Eye–Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), Reiki, Quantum Touch, Emotional Freedom Technique, Somatic Experiencing, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Erika emphasizes mind-body awareness practices to increase capacity and resilience. Prior to becoming a therapist, Erika was a lawyer for abused and neglected children and a school social worker.