NOTE: Listen to a recording of this City Club of Corvallis presentation.
According to the American Psychological Association, more than 40 percent of American adults report lying awake at night feeling stressed. The sources may vary — politics, conflict, finances, health, the environment — but the APA’s annual survey results released in February showed the first significant increase in overall stress levels since the survey began in 2007. Concern over the nation’s future topped the list of stress-related worries.
In the future, more frequent extreme weather events — heat waves, storms, droughts — may greatly aggravate these problems. Stresses generated by climate change may lead to a loss of community and sense of place.
At the April 11 City Club of Corvallis meeting, learn about an international movement to identify how trauma and toxic stress affect the mind and body and to build personal and psycho-social-spiritual resilience. Bob Doppelt, best-selling author and executive director of The Resource Innovation Group in Eugene, will discuss the importance, methods and benefits of helping individuals and groups learn skills to cope with trauma and toxic stress.
“Every adult and youth can develop skills to regulate and calm their nervous systems when distressed,” says Doppelt, “and use adversities as transformational catalysts to learn, grow and increase wellbeing.”
Doppelt will focus on helping organizational and community leaders learn how to spot signs that their groups are becoming what he calls “trauma-organized.” Such groups are structured in ways that leaders may believe will protect them from threats but, instead, generate more trauma and stress for employees, clients, residents and stakeholders. “Corvallis,” he says, “can become a trauma-informed, human resilience enhancing community.”
Doppelt coordinates the International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC), a network of over 250 mental health, trauma treatment and resilience building professionals. They are working to prevent mental health and psychosocial problems resulting from personal, social, economic and ecological adversities, including climate change.
Trained in counseling psychology and environmental science, Doppelt is a long-time mindfulness teacher and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Instructor. In 2015, he was named one of the world’s “50 Most Talented Social Innovators” by the CSR World Congress, a nonprofit organization.
Doors will open at 11:30 at the Boys & Girls Club, 1112 NW Circle. The meeting is free and open to the public, and there will be plenty of time for the audience to ask questions. It will begin at 12 noon and conclude by 1:15. A lunch by Valley Catering (meat lasagna with Italian tomato sauce, mixed green salad, garlic bread, assorted sodas and cookies/bars) is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. To reserve lunch, send email to info@cityclubofcorvallis.org by Friday, April 7. You can also pay for lunch online with your credit card.