Wellness and Trauma Training Session

By Rosa Lizarde CoL

Loretto’s Latin America/Caribbean Committee (LACC) recently co-organized and sponsored a wellness and trauma training session with Casa Arcoiris, an LGBTQI+ shelter for asylum-seekers in Tijuana, Mexico.

The training session included yoga instruction and relaxation techniques by a local instructor at Little Yogi’s in Playas de Tijuana. For some participants, it was the first time they had experienced yoga.

Staff psychologist Arturo Hernandez provided an educational session on secondary trauma and its impact on the participants. The training included eight Casa Arcoiris staff members, one employee of LACC partner Espacio Migrante and LACC members Mary Jean Friel CoL and Rosa Lizarde CoL. A self-care (auto-cuidado) mini-journal was created by each participant.

Participants received natural remedies and instruction from Armida Mendez, a certified wellness technician on Bach Flower Remedies, a natural method of restoring mind-body balance to allow the body to heal itself.

(All photos courtesy of Rosa Lizarde CoL)