Houses of Healing Workshop beginning April 7.

 

Dear Friends-

            In addition to jobs and housing, effective re-entry and reintegration for formerly incarcerated men and women requires a number of intangibles, including such emotional literacy skills as anger and stress management and other day-to-day coping and life management skills.  Frankly, these are skills we

all need to acquire and nurture.

            One of the best courses for developing these much needed tools is based on Robin Casarjian's remarkable book "Houses of Healing: A Prisoner's Guide to Inner Power and Freedom."  The book offers a powerful set of tools for fostering self-awareness and inner healing.  Its proven program is a synthesis of contem- porary psychological, social, and spiritual thinking and practices designed to teach and increase self-understanding.  The course explores such topics as “Who am I?”, family relationships, stress management, facing the impact of our actions and taking responsibility, forgiveness and self-forgiveness, and spiritual development. Relaxation and meditation techniques are taught and practiced from the start. The lessons and exercises can benefit anyone and everyone.

            I will be facilitating a Houses of Healing workshop in downtown Boston for 12 Thursdays beginning April 7 from 6:30 to 8:30.  It is open to anyone who has been incarcerated as well as their family and friends.  Community members who are interested in prison ministry and/or re-entry work are also encouraged to participate.      

            The course is free and open to all, whether you have done the course previously, or are doing it for the first time.  We will be meeting very close to the Park Street 'T' stop in downtown Boston.  For more information, contact me at
617-901-9425.
                                                                                                         Brad Brockmann

            (I first taught Houses of Healing four years ago at Suffolk County House of Corrections. In May of last year, I graduated from Episcopal Divinity School with a Master of Divinity degree.  I am currently working part-time with Partakers building congregational sponsorship of their prison college education program, "College Behind Bars."  I also work part-time as an attorney with Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services.)