Julie Christiansen participates in the "Tune Into Mental Health" community education series for 2010.
Seminars tune into mental health
Posted By Tribune Staff
Posted 3 days ago
PORT COLBORNE — Another year of Tune Into Mental Health seminars have begun and organizers are hoping for high turnouts to help inform the public of a wide variety of mental health issues.
The seminars were first held four years ago with Fort Erie and Port Cares in Crystal Beach and Port Colborne GeneralHospital. This year, seminars are being held throughout Niagara with a wide variety of specialists.
"These are organizations who have specific information to what they do," said Judy Cassan, client care manager for Port Cares.
"The series touches on areas from drug abuse to bullying, suicide and stigma," she said. "Presenters are very specific to their topics. They are very informative presentations and people can stay later and talk to get more information."
Upcoming seminars include:
• Youth, drugs and mental health by Darryl Upfold, clinical psychological associate, Dec. 2 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Niagara Falls Public Library's Judy LaMarsh room;
• Suicide talk with Stacy Terry of the Distress Centre, Dec. 9 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Port Colborne GeneralHospital's McKellar Hall;
• Solving the Anger Puzzle with Julie Christiansen of Anger Solutions on Jan. 13 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Canadian Mental Health Association, 36 Page St., St. Catharines;
• Trauma: Helping parents and caregivers help their teen who may have been traumatized by Erinne Andrews, art therapist with Niagara Child and Youth Services on Jan. 27 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Bridges Community Health Centre, 1485 Garrison Rd., Fort Erie
• Depression, anxiety and self harm by Niagara Child and Youth Services, Feb. 3, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Niagara Falls Public Library;
• Drug use and abuse by Donnie Edwards of Boggio Pharmacy, Feb. 18 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Port Colborne GeneralHospital;
• Kids and the Internet by Jeannie Makund of Way2Click on March 3 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Canadian Mental Health Association, 36 Page St., St. Catharines;
• Mental health and the family by Dr. Abraham, psychiatrist, on March 24 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Bridges Community Health Centre;
• Marijuana abuse and psychosis by Dr. Suzanne Archie of the department of psychiatry and neuroscience at McMasterUniversity, April 7 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Niagara Falls Library;
• Schizophrenia and psychosis — reaching out by Jill Dennison, of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, April 28 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Port Colborne hospital;
• Stigma and mental health on May 5 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. hosted by Sarah Cannon of parents for children's mental health and David Carmichael at the Canadian Mental Health Association, 36 Page St. St. Catharines.
Listen to The Paul Lisnek Show (WVON Chicago) as he talks with "The Anger Lady", Julie Christiansen about how to Handle Anger http://paullisnek.tv/new_radio/Main.html Click on October archives and choose October 25, 2009.
A record 45 nominees from across Niagara are up for YWCA Women of Distinction Awards this year. The women were honoured Wednesday night for their diverse contributions as they were introduced to the public during a reception at Market Square in St. Catharines.
"The calibre of the nominees is very high," said Elisabeth Zimmermann, YWCA Niagara Region's executive director. "They're all really strong women who've had huge impacts on our community."
The group includes 28 nominees for Women of Distinction Awards in seven categories and 17 nominees in three categories for the Vicky Hull Young Women of Distinction Awards. Panels comprised of community members selected award recipients in each category. "It's a tough choice with so many women being nominated, but it truly is the community that makes that decision," Zimmermann said.
The YWCA will also present a special posthumous award to honour the late Suzanne Aucoin of St. Catharines at its Women of Distinction gala next month. Aucoin, 37, who died in November 2007 after a long battle with cancer, will be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts as an outspoken health-care advocate.
Women of Distinction Awards are handed out by YWCA branches across Canada to pay tribute to women who have distinguished themselves through accomplishments in numerous areas, ranging from the arts, to public service and entrepreneurship.
The awards will be presented May 7 at John Michael's Banquet Centre in Thorold. The gala raises funds to support core programs run by the YWCA. More information about tickets, which are $80 each, is available by calling the YWCA Niagara Region at 905-988- 3528, ext. 246. - - - YWCA Women of Distinction 2009 nominees: Arts and Culture: Rosemary Drage Hale, Stella Crouch, Barbara Lanneval and Nina Stahlschmidt.
Education, Training and Development: Julie Christiansen, Dianne Bolton, June Corman and Judy Reid.
Health and Wellness: Mary Mach, Adrienne Jugley, Tina Breton and Beth Schulz.
Public Affairs and Communication: Lynn Ogryzlo and Susan Howard-Azzeh.
Public and Community Service: Marlene DeRose, Julie Dennis, Dale Davis, Nadine Wallace, Karen Whaley, Hazel Reinhart, Frances Owen, Sharon Pazzaglia and Debbie Senft.
Science and Technology: Jane Hanlon, Teena Willoughby and Linda Crago. Trades, Profession and Entrepreneurship: Reni deVerteuil and Janet Allan.
Vicky Hull Young Women of Distinction 2009 Nominees:
Arts and Culture: Lindsey Middleton, Robyn Arsenault, Kathryn McIntyre and Nelly Weaver. Community Service: Ashley McGuire, Laura Skellet, Maureen Fast, Laurel Walsh and Devin Kelsey Rankin.
Sports, Recreation and Leisure: Nicole Rosenkranz, Kyra Reilly, Sarah Arts, Rebecca Bauer, Merranda Termaat, Sara Wikston, Bianca Kozlowski and Genna Kalvaitis. Article ID# 1517574
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Anger Solutions Philosophy to Reach Grade 10 South African Students
NB Publishers in South Africa (http://www.nb.co.za), a publisher of English language educational textbooks for high school students, will be publishing my article, The Psychology of Procrastination in their Grade 11 English Home Language textbook.
The publisher's aim is not only to provide interesting English language selections for the students to study, but also to help them develop useful life skills as they work on improving their English reading, writing, comprehension, and oral language abilities.
Julie Christiansen says of the inclusion, "I am very and honored by this opportunity to share even a small piece of Anger Solutions(TM) philosophy with these students. Perhaps this will lead to other opportunities to take Anger Solutions to various parts of the world!"
August 25, 2008 - Stress Less in 27 Days featured in Niagara Falls Review, Welland Tribune, and St. Catharines Standard Newspapers.
Stress buster
Julie Christiansen's book offers practical ideas on reducing stress
Posted By CHERYL CLOCK, SUN MEDIA August 25, 2008
When Julie Christiansen thought she could take it no longer, she went home.
Home to Jamaica.
She stayed for a week. Talked to her parents. Read. Wrote in her journal. And found herself again.
The mother of three had been working as a counsellor in a job she had begun to loath. Too many demands. Too little time. Not enough recognition.
"In the end, I couldn't even go to work for the money," she says.
Christiansen was working full time as a counsellor, while developing her own program called Anger Solutions to help people understand and effectively deal with anger.
The counselling job was causing the St. Catharines resident so much stress her body began to strike back.
She developed an ovarian cyst as big as a grapefruit and needed surgery to have it removed. She was off work for more than a month. Then when she returned, the cysts started to grow again.
She was depressed. Everything made her cry. And her husband suggested the trip home.
"I went there and decompressed," she says.
"I cried every day."
One day, she went to the ocean with her parents. They sat in the shallow waters and talked.
When she woke up the following day, her whole body hurt. Dealing with the layers of her stress was painful. It would feel worse before it felt better.
During the week, she read The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson. It's a book about identifying and overcoming obstacles in life.
So inspired, she wrote a seminar while she was there. She called it Overcoming the Cinderella Syndrome. Christiansen realized she was waiting for someone to save her from a job she hated.
"We can't sit around waiting to be rescued," she says.
Cinderella didn't need the Fairy Godmother's magic, says Christiansen. She could have gone to the ball in any dress, anyway she could get there.
"There was nothing stopping her from going to the ball. Instead, she just sat there wishing."
By the end of the week, Christiansen had made a decision.
She would quit her job. Her passion was to develop her own business. Her own life. Herself.
Her definition of stress goes something like this: When there are demands in life that you don't feel you have the resources to meet.
Stress can increase your heart rate. Your blood pressure. And it can lead to a host of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, she says.
Her strategies to get rid of stress can be simple, or complicated.
Adding laughter to your life could be as easy as subscribing to a joke-of-the- day website that pops a funny into your inbox every day, she says.
She also recommends taking a mental break from work. Visit www.positivepause.com. It's a slideshow that offers positive thoughts, pretty pictures and inspiring music.
"It's a two-minute vacation away from what's troubling you," she says.
People often mistake being busy with success.
"It's like a badge of honour to have no time," she says.
Managing your time wisely is more challenging, but can have a huge impact on stress. Christiansen tries to overestimate the length of time a task will take to complete. She is less stressed if something does go awry and causes a delay.
She travels a lot and tries to plan for the inevitable traffic jam. She brings along motivational CDs, so she feels like she's accomplishing something while stuck on the highway.
"Then it's time well spent," she says.
If she's working at home and feels her heart rate start to skyrocket, she'll take her laptop outside, sit in her gazebo with a pitcher of cranberry juice, and work there.
She may even jot her thoughts in a notebook she carries around with her.
"You have to get your feelings outside of you," she says.
"It's a process of emptying your mind."
And if something is really bothering her, she talks about it.
"People can't read your mind," she says. "If you don't tell them, you don't have a right to complain."
¦¦¦
Interview with Cathy Holloway-Hill and Tony Lamont of www.BlogTalkRadio.com's "Living by Design"
On August 13th, 2008 Julie Christiansen was interviewed by Cathy Holloway-Hill and Tony Lamont of "Living by Design".
Here is what Cathy had to say after the interview:
"You did a TREMENDOUS job with the interview! You are knowledgeable and gracious, and I couldn't have asked for a better guest!!! May you continue to touch lives and be blessed in your work!!!!!!!"
~Cathy Holloway Hill
Here's what listeners had to say after the show:
Another fantastic Show!!! I absolutely LOVED IT!! Very informative. Julie Christensen's strategies were great!!!!! Super Show Cathy!!!! You Go Girl!!!! - Marisa Moss
Me and my friends have bad road rage problems. This show really helped me a lot! Great job! - Womanincharge22
Lord knows this is a huge problem for a lot of people. Bravo to you and Tony for ALWAYS tackling the tough life issues! Loved the guest too. - Bowenplane64
Great show! It is so important to understand anger - your own and that of others. Life requires tolerance and patience e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y! Another great job, Cathy and Tony. - Wellness Uprising
