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Ecotherepy encouraged at March 2 'Brain Health' seminar

Lead Summary
By
Lori Sorenson

The fourth in a series of Brain Health seminars will be at 7 p.m. Monday, March 2, at Luverne Community Education.
This session will focus on “Ecotherapy and Mindfulness,” led by Jessica Koch of Luverne Counseling.
She’ll talk about how practicing mindfulness to slow down and be present in daily life improves mental health. She’ll also talk about ecotherapy — interacting with nature — and the major role it can play in mental health. “People tend to be distracted and busy, and the point will be to increase a higher state of awareness,” Koch said Monday.
“Part of that is to understand how nature affects us and how nature can empower and heal us.”
Research shows suicide rates among teens and farmers are increasing, in part, because of feelings of hopelessness for the future, especially with regard to the health of the planet.
“With ecotherapy, I feel like the best way to practice mindfulness is with nature,” Koch said. 
“If we take care of the world around us, it will take care of us.”
She said practicing mindfulness and ecotherapy is something anyone can do. “Not everyone can afford therapy,” Koch said.
“But mindfulness is something you can do by yourself every day without spending money. … Ecotherapy strengthens our connection to nature and it increases a sense of hopefulness and belonging.”
 
Attitude shift
The Brain Health series began last fall by advocates with the local #Luv1LuvAll to end stigma and encourage conversations about mental health — like physical health — toward improved quality of life.
The first three sessions addressed depression, brain health basics and medication.
The next Brain Health seminar will be Substance Abuse Education with Stephanie Pierce on April 6.
Then on May 4, Dr. Diane Kennedy will present Social Media, tech time, and the impacts of sedentary life style.
Angela Nolz, integrated health therapist at Sanford Luverne, has helped to coordinate the sessions, which are offered through Luverne Community Education.
The overall goal of the Brain Health series is to shift attitudes about mental health to practical approaches to brain health.
“I really do think it is about increased dialogue about the fact that it’s OK to not be OK,” Nolz said about the series. “That way we can move toward treatment options to be well.”
Evidence shows that people are less likely to seek treatment for anxiety or depression than they would for asthma or some other physical ailment.
That’s what Nolz and #Luv1LuvAll are working to change.
“What I get excited about is we have community members and local professionals who see this as worth their time to share their expertise,” she said.
The monthly classes, free and open to anyone, each address different components of brain health, with different community professionals spearheading each one.
 
Start conversations early
Meanwhile, Luverne’s sixth-graders are tackling a parallel Brain Health series.
“The idea is that if we start educating them young enough, they can start having conversations as they get older,” Nolz said.
Working through the school guidance counselor, Nolz said she hopes to help students struggling with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
“It is the hope that these sessions start the conversation and end the stigma of opening up about any struggles our youth may be having,” she said.
“It is my personal hope that the message is clear that help is out there and change is possible. We also hope that these topics can assist in keeping kids well.”
The students will learn about brain health during their flex time at school.
 
Free and open to the public
The public sessions at Community Education are free, but registrations are requested in order to plan adequate space and accommodations. Call 507-283-4724.
Nolz said the earlier sessions nearly overfilled a Community Education room, so she said registration is helpful. Certificates of attendance are available.

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