Franklin Health stress reduction program offered
Program instructors Dr. Kathleen Hickey and physician assistant Tim Davis.
FARMINGTON - Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) is offering an intensive eight-week, nine-session stress reduction program that is designed to teach participants scientifically proven practical skills to reduce stress and improve overall health and happiness. Program instructors are Dr. Kathleen Hickey and physician assistant Tim Davis.
“The course is designed for adults and the skills gained will help participants apply mindfulness practice to the many life stressors in everyday life,” said Dr. Kathleen Hickey. “Mindfulness simply means being completely in touch with the present moment and possessing a non-judgmental attitude. It is used in the practice of hatha yoga; however, no prior experience with yoga is necessary to take the class.”
The course is modeled after the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society founded by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Saki Santorelli at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It consists of eight 2.5–3 hour sessions and an all day silent retreat held on a Saturday. Participants should be committed to performing one hour of daily practice and homework to learn and practice mindfulness meditation, Hatha yoga, and body scan.
Anyone interested in the program is asked to complete the prescreening form that can be obtained from the FMH Education Department by calling 779-2381. An orientation session will take place on Thursday, August 30, at 6 p.m. in the hospital’s Bass Room; classes start Thursday, September 27.
The cost of the program is based on a sliding scale fee according to household income. The cost is: $150 for incomes less than $25,000; $250 for incomes $25,000–$50,000; and $350 for incomes greater than $50,000 per year. If you are unable to afford the cost of the course, ask about scholarships.
Accommodations will be made for participants with physical disabilities.
For additional information contact the program’s instructors via e-mail: Tim Davis, PA-C, at timdavis@fchn.org or Kathleen Hickey, MD, at khickey@fchn.org
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i guess its more expensive to treat people who make more money.
I understand that costs are an issue however, I myself have no income and cannot find accommodating work, so yeah I'm stressed. Now to read that I have absolutely no way to attend this wonderful offering makes me even more stressed. Totally with ya Hutch! Their bills are paid for sure.
It is our intention to make this program available to people of all income levels in this community. If you are unable to afford the lowest tier cost we will work with you to try and provide scholarships so that you are able to attend the program. Sliding scale fees are a common way to allow people to pay what they can afford in order to support others to attend the program. Currently the teaching is volunteer and any monies collected will go back into administrative support for the program or for scholarship monies. It is our greatest wish to help all the members of our community who are suffering from stress whether it be emotional, physical or financial. Elle and Hutch if you are interested in attending the program please feel free to email us or call the Education Department at FMH for more information.
Be well!
Kathleen
I prefer not to participate in sliding scale things, I believe everyone should be treated equally, no matter what their income level is.
Elle, I hope you make the call, they are offering scholarships. I hope you take the time and coment to the program.
For those who are unable to enroll in this stress reduction program but would like to pursue their own study and practice of reducing stress and suffering through the practice of mindfulness, I recommend you consider 2 very capable books of supporting your practice.
Jon Kabat-Zinn's "Full Catastrophe Living, Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness". Delacourt (publisher). Dr. Kabat-Zinn was the creator of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)program that our own program is modeled after. This is a very thorough book that covers the entire 8 week course.
Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein, "A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook." This is another approach of supporting an individual practice. (New Harbinger Publications) Dr. Stahl is a MBSR teacher who runs 3 programs in California hospitals in the Santa Cruz area. This is another excellent resource one can use to learn and practice mindfulness in daily life that will ameliorate stress and suffering associated with a variety of medical, psychological, or societal stresses.
If Kathleen or I can be of any further assistance in addressing your questions or concerns about our program please don't hesitate to contact us. We have found this work challenging and rewarding in our personal and professional lives. We want to try to include as many people as possible who are drawn to learning other tools you can use to gain a more satisfying and enriching life.
Tim Davis timdavis@fchn.org
Thanks for the support. Gl;ad to know there are a few who "get it" and actually care.
Way to go Tim and Kathleen. I am pleased that you are forging ahead with this worthwhile project.
This is a huge asset to the community. Thank you to Tim and Kathleen for your dedication and sincerity.
Glad to see this got off the ground! Good luck with this program!!
Kathleen, hoping to join you! Do the classes meet at 6pm on the other nights besides orientation. Time is always an issue here.
Becky,
All classes will meet at 6 pm on Thursdays, beginning the last Thursday in September. There is one all day retreat the first Saturday in November which will begin at 8 am! I look forward to having you join us!
Kathleen
Having worked in a program that utilizes the Kabot-Zinn books and concepts as a foundation for increased health, wellness and quality of life, I can honestly say this course will be worth the time and financial investment. It won't be as easy and the "work" will not be done for you. Like any change we make in our lives, it will be challenging and that challenge and your application of consistent daily action will make the rewards that much greater. I know that I've personally improved my professional abilities and personal life as a result of concepts I've gained from the Kabot-Zinn models. If you deal with stress (as we all do to some degree) and have trouble managing that stress, I highly encourage you to invest the time and money into improving your skill sets. It could very well save your life in the long term...