Stress: Are You Managing It Or Is It Managing You?

Virtual Workshop Description

Stress has always been part of our society, often leading to growth and change but also to illness and immobilization. More recently we have been challenged by additional stressors related to COVID-19, the heightened awareness of racial tensions and political divides in our country. We each respond to these differently, but we can all agree that it has created an added level of stress. Stress that may be with us for a long time to come.

This workshop will define stress as seen by different cultures, discuss the good and bad of it, including the psychological, emotional, and spiritual consequences of not addressing it, and explore how we can help our kids, clients, family members and ourselves manage stress using a variety of stress-management techniques and tools.

In this virtual workshop you will:

• Define stress – and distinguish between “good” and “bad” stress
• Develop an understanding of how other cultures and psychological perspectives can impact how we perceive and manage stress.
• Gain an understanding of the role of distress on our health and vulnerability to disease (including the Coronavirus)
• Name several stress management tools that can be utilized in everyday life and shared with others

Virtual Workshop Instructor

Barbara Burke is an experienced presenter who has been provided training to the community, professional organizations and schools for many years. Most of her work over the past 40 years has been with Substance Use Disorders working mostly with teens and young adults. She recently retired from clinical practice, where she specialized in the assessment, and early treatment of Adolescents and Young Adults. She is the co-founder of “Rams in Recovery”, a Collegiate Recovery Program at VCU that celebrates the uniqueness of its students and promotes understanding and tolerance. In all of her endeavors, Barbara stresses the importance of respect, active listening and healthy communication for everyone in the conversation.