The Group
Our program is based on the principles of trauma-informed care, which means that we prioritize safety, trust, and choice in all our activities. This weightlifting group is programed to be flexible to each individual's needs and abilities and is designed to help promote physical and mental strength.
Research has shown that regular exercise, such as weightlifting, can be an effective way to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression. By incorporating mental health discussions and practices, we are intentionally working towards getting stronger, physically and emotionally, in order to better hold the daily suffering that mental health issues bring and to find joy in the midst of it all.
In addition to weightlifting this program includes space for group discussions and support from a licensed mental health professional. This space provides an opportunity to connect with a community of others who may be experiencing similar struggles.
Please note that this is NOT a weight loss group. I am a strong believer/advocate for Health at Every Size movement and have personally and professionally experienced the harm that diet culture has on the individual and the collective. This is a space that recognizes that the weight we are asked to carry included racism, sexism, toxic masculinity, size-ism and health-ism, ableism, and all the other isms that in the world that tell us we are not enough just the way we are.
Why Weightlifting?
The origin to begin this group arose when I signed up for a weightlifting group at my local gym in 2019. After about 6 months of work I complained to the trainer that despite all the work I was doing in the gym I did not feel any stronger because the weights we were lifting continued to feel heavy and hard. The trainer acknowledged that the work was still hard because he had been steadily increasing the amount of weight I was working with week after week. The weight would always feel hard, no matter how strong I got. This was what I believe was my light bulb moment. Weightlifting became a metaphor for living with anxiety and depression. It will most likely always be hard, but we can learn to manage it better by engaging in work that strengthens us and supports our growth.
This group is about helping you on this path through the practice of lifting heavy things up and putting them back down. It is a practice I am passionate about and I hope that you find it as helpful in your healing journey as I have. I also provide individual/couples and family therapy through my private practice which you can find here. Please reach out and may you find more ease in your life.
What to Expect
On the outside the group will play out like a traditional "group" exercise class. What differentiates this group is a focus on what is arising for the individual. Journals are provided for each member to document their emotional experience as well as to document their lifting successes. Journal prompts are provided at the beginning of each group to help members orient to their bodies and engage in the process of developing physical and emotional strength.