Mindfulness and Expressive Arts to Support System Involved Youth with Emotional Literacy and Resilience

Ursula Elsa

Training Description

Marginalized and system invovled youth may often feel their authenticity and self  expression is restrained by school systems, mainstream culture, peers, and family culture.  Mindfulness based expressive arts offers youth a place to find full expression, play, and  healing. Join this workshop to engage in expressive arts activities using multiple modalities  to support young people in finding their creative voice while navigating their anxiety  mindfully. We will explore prompts and practices that can support system involved youth in  creatively building their emotional literacy and resilience.

Learning Objective

• Learn trauma informed mindfulness practices
• Engage in somatic based mindfulness practices 
• Understand how mindfulness and expressive arts are interconnected 
• Discuss how expressive arts activities support anxiety & stress reduction for youth 
• Participate in at least 4 expressive arts activities for marginalized or system  involved youth that support developing emotional literacy and resilience

Agenda 

11:00am-11:30am Welcome, Housekeeping, and Introductions 

11:30am-12:00pm Self Reflection + Mindfulness Practice 

12:00pm-12:30pm Introduction: How do Mindfulness and Expressive Arts Support Youth? 

12:30pm-1:00pm Activity #1 Undoing Perfectionism 1:00-1:30 pm Tools for Building Emotional Literacy and Self Regulation 

1:30pm-2:15pm Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

2:15pm-3:30pm Building Emotional Literacy through Creative Expression

3:30pm-3:45pm BREAK (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

3:45pm-4:30pm Activity #4 Self Acceptance and Celebration 

4:30pm-4:45pm Customizing Expressive Arts for System involved youth 

4:45pm-5:00pm Closing and Feedback

Meet Our Trainer

Ursula Elsa (she/they) was born and raised in the beautiful land of the Bay Area, Ohlone Territory. She has been teaching mindfulness and nature connection to youth in the Bay Area for over 6 years and is currently leading rites of passage work for Gaia Passages. Ursula is passionate about creating programming for LGBTQI+ and neurodiverse communities. She is also a trained doula and an advocate of parent’s rights in the birth community. Ursula has been developing curriculum at the intersection of mindfulness, social emotional development and nature connection to support organizations and families that she collaborates with.

This course meets the qualifications for (5.0) BBS CEUs for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.