FAQ for: Deepening Emotional & Spiritual Well-Being
A New 8-Session Experiential Class
By Mindy Benowitz, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist
Who is this class for?
Adults of any age who:
- want to accelerate their inner growth by learning wise information and practical tools in community with other caring humans.
- enjoy singing, or
- who got negative messages about their singing voice and would like a supportive place to re-claim using and enjoying their voice.
- are interested in hearing and possibly sharing how they do and could learn to experience spirituality.
And people who would like to:
- Feel compassion for ourselves
- Connect with joy, creativity, and innate worthiness
- Open to positive possibilities & gratitude
- Appreciate our bodies
- Be more fully present
- Align with energies of love, wisdom & guidance
Great for the general public as well as mental health professionals, nurses, social workers, and hospice staff or volunteers.
(Current psychotherapy clients: if you’re interested in these, talk with me before registering to discuss whether attending is a good fit with your therapy goals.)
Can you bill my insurance company for the registration fee?
Sorry, classes and workshops are not reimbursable by insurance companies, as they do not involve a medical diagnosis and individualized treatment plan.
Are Continuing Education credits available?
Depending on your profession, you may be able to receive CE credits. I will provide CE description forms to submit to your boards. (Check with your board to confirm your board’s particular requirements for acceptance, CEU allotment for workshop hours provided, etc.)
Do I need to commit to attending all of the class sessions?
The class is not drop-in. People are asked to attend all or most of the dates. The fee is the same regardless of how many dates you can attend.
What makes this class/workshop different from other wellness classes/ workshops?
First, Watering the Heart-Root workshops are the only places to learn these unique songs and chants, designed to improve emotional and spiritual well-being, which I composed. Singing is such a holistic way to integrate new energies and information! Second, many workshops and classes focus on singing OR psychological tools and information OR spirituality—Watering the Heart-Root combines all three in unique, substantive ways. Third, other wellness classes tend to teach about well-being in terms of sleep habits, nutrition, mindfulness, etc. Those are important, but this workshop focuses mainly on “the inner game”– simple but profound ways to understand and work with our emotions, motivations, and spirituality.
What if I “can’t sing?”
All voices are welcome and valued at the workshops and classes——whether or not you sing on-key or have a “pretty” voice. I hope this will offer an opportunity for those who got negative messages about their voice to re-claim using and enjoying their voice, among people who feel more comfortable singing.
What is your cancellation policy?
Full refunds are given if cancellations are received by email at least 7 days prior to start of the workshop. (Email: mindy@mindybenowitz.com)
Is the class a replacement for psychotherapy?
No. The workshops/classes are educational and supportive. They are great on their own or as an adjunct to psychotherapy. While they are likely to feel healing, they are not psychotherapy.
Will the things I share in the class be kept confidential?
Yes. Every participant must agree to keep confidential what others in the workshop share about themselves. [Exceptions: As a licensed psychologist, I am legally obligated to report to the appropriate agencies: current abuse or neglect of children or legally vulnerable adults; medical or mental health professionals who have been sexual with their patients; pregnant people who are currently using certain illegal drugs. I’m also mandated to take steps to prevent an imminent suicide or homicide.]
What is Mindy’s professional background?
Psychotherapy: I have over 30 years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults with issues of depression; anxiety; relationship and communication issues; GLBTQIA+ issues; sexual, physical, emotional trauma; eating disorders; body image; misconduct/exploitation of clients by other professionals; and addiction. I’ve been on the Steering Committees of MN Women in Psychology and of the MN LGBTQIA Mental Health Providers Network. For over 25 years I led psychotherapy groups for sexual abuse survivors and on general/mixed issues. I’ve given professional presentations on client-therapist boundary issues, LGBT mental health, sexual abuse survivor healing, food issues and body image; domestic violence in lesbian relationships, and addressing heterosexism and homophobia and the interconnections with racism, classism, and sexism.
Watering the Heart-Root: In the past several years, I have developed and led a number of one-session workshops. These used my original songs and chants, along with other engaging activities, to teach powerful tools and principles to deepen well-being. I am excited about expanding the workshops in order to share more fully about what I’ve learned helps people grow and blossom.
Want more of the back story? I originally wrote the songs and chants for myself over a number of years. Meditating on them and singing them helped me to be more open to receiving powerful dreams and experiences that further helped me grow, which deepened my belief in the healing messages, and led me to receive even more love and support — in a beautiful cycle of learning and connection for which I feel extraordinarily grateful! They have been a beautiful complement to other healing activities, such as psychotherapy and bodywork, helping me to not only improve stomach and back pain but also heal from trauma, let in more love, feel calmer, and be able to better assist others.
What do you mean by Spirituality, and will the word “God” be used?
- A) I share Brene Brown’s view, that “Spirituality (is) a fundamental guidepost in Wholeheartedness. (It is) the deeply held belief that we are inextricably connected to one another by a force greater than ourselves—a force grounded in love and compassion. For some of us that’s God, for others it’s nature, art, or even human soulfulness.”
(p. 151 Brown, C. B. (2012). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. New York, N.Y.: Gotham.)
- B) I support everyone in exploring and defining what spirituality means for themselves, and to use whatever terms feel right to them. In the workshops I use many terms and ask what participants feel comfortable with.
What if people in the group have different ideas about spirituality?
- The workshops are not a place to argue or debate about religious or spiritual beliefs. Everyone is encouraged to share their own experiences if they feel comfortable doing so, but not to try to change anyone else’s beliefs or give advice. The focus is on experience, not theology.
- I don’t presume to have emotional or spiritual answersfor anyone else. What I offer are processes, questions, stories of my and others’ experiences, resources, and support to engage in the exploration.
- I encourage people to use language that feel right to them, about personal identity issues and about spirituality. The spiritual songs and chants have verses with optional wording, to make them accessible to more people. You can choose other wording as well.
What is Mindy’s spiritual background?
I treasure my Jewish upbringing and communities for vital nurturing and teaching I’ve received through my life. I am also grateful for what I’ve learned from a wide variety of other religious and spiritual practices and teachings over many years. I have 35 years of experience in an addiction recovery program which encourages developing a personal connection with a Higher Power. I am a member of the American Psychological Association and its Division 36: Society for The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. I’ve been a member of the Institute of Noetic Science (the scientific study of consciousness) for over 30 years. I’ve done many types of meditation. I’ve read about spirituality from very many perspectives. I am not an expert in theology; I offer processes to help people explore, grow, and share wisdom with each other.
Personally, I use the word “God” as a convenient shorthand to mean all of the following:
- An energy of love, wisdom, and creativity that is all things and all people.
- Something we can experience and be supported by in many different ways.
- The unexplainable intelligence-power and wisdom-brilliance that created billions of expanding galaxies with the utmost precision.
- The energy that is the basis or essence of our being.
- Something that connects everyone and everything.
- An energy that is far beyond the limitations of our human understanding.
- A source of wisdom and guidance that is available for all of us.
(Feel free to share this description but credit my name, please.)
How can I help get the songs & chants professionally recorded?
Proceeds will be applied to the costs of getting the songs & chants professionally recorded. To learn more about the recording project, please visit www.gofundme.com/wateringtheheartroot
What if I have additional concerns or questions?
Please email me at: mindy@mindybenowitz.com
Or call me: Office: 612-870-0398
What else do you want me to know?
I believe that we are not meant to overcome our challenges alone. At times, everyone needs extra support and guidance. Sometimes our deepest and most lasting learning happens in community.
And,
At the heart of all this for me is my belief that we have to know and love our own selves to be able to create communities where there’s dignity, respect, and equality for everyone.