Life Enrichment Lenda Dincer -EHMG About Me Education Bachelors - PDF document

8/9/19 Life Enrichment Lenda Dincer -EHMG About Me • Education • Bachelors Degree in Family Studies from UMD • Masters of Social Work from UMBC • Worked in the mental health field for 25 years • In-patient, out-patient, and military • Specialize in working with adults and adolescents, families, individuals, and groups 1

8/9/19 What is Life Enrichment? • Life Enrichment involves cognitive stimulation and engaging with others • Cognitive Stimulation and engaging with others go hand in hand. It’s important for us to stimulate our minds with meaningful activities in order to be able to successfully engage with other and have healthy relationships. • Participating in meaningful activities will help improve emotional, mental, and social well-being. Cognitive Stimulation • Pause and Consider: • What interests you? • Why is it important to you? • What thoughts and/or feelings do you associate with it? • What happens to you when you engage in this activity? • What happens to you when you engage in this activity? 2

8/9/19 Engaging With Others • We need human contact • Sharing our stories helps to give us identity and purpose. • It brings us closer together • Our stories connect us to each other and ourselves • When we write our narratives, we get to be our own creator and take control of ourselves. • Be careful to not idealize: ALL relationships have their ups and downs Sharing Your Story • How does sharing your story help you feel validated and accepted? • How does sharing your story help you focus on what matters? • How does sharing your story help you to trust yourself? • How does sharing your story help you build or re-build your relationships? 3

8/9/19 Music Therapy • Music therapy is another way to engage with others • A universal bonding experience that helps us connect with those important to us • Can be done anytime—anywhere with family, friends, or staff. • By connecting with others and participating in a meaningful way, people can alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness. • This could lead to increased self-esteem and encourage self expression and creativity Go Boldly….. 4

8/9/19 What Do You Think He’s Singing….. Guess What we have….. 5

8/9/19 Frank Sinatra Ella Fitzgerald 6