Resources for election stress

Dear friends,

This year has been a time of ongoing uncertainty and, for many of us, challenges coming from multiple directions. The pandemic has threatened our sense of connectedness and our health. Racist violence continues to threaten the physical and emotional safety of the Black community. As Election Day approaches, questions about the future leave many people feeling additional stress and anxiety.

Even in these difficult circumstances, we believe that individuals and communities have the capacity for healing. Our goal is to ensure that opportunities to get support, connect with peers, and release stress are available to our whole community. Take a look at the free, virtual offerings available in the coming days, below.

Note: Our Call-in Clinic will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, to ensure our staff can cast their ballots.

Wednesday, November 4

• Call-in Clinic

  • ​English: 2-5pm.

  • Spanish: 2-4pm. Información en español.

• Sister Circle Presents Chihamba West African Dance, 5:45–6:45pm. Click to register.

• Yoga for Self-Compassion, 7-8pm. Click here to register.

Thursday, November 5

• Navigating Motherhood in a Pandemic, 10-11:30am. To register: (434) 872-0047 or email info@thewomensinitiative.org.

• Art for Relaxation, 2:15–3pm. Click here to register.

• Bienestar Support Group, 5-6pm. (Conducted in Spanish). To register, contact Varinia Anderson at vanderson@thewomensinitiative.org or (434) 872-0047 ext. 123. Información en español.

• Call-in Clinic (English), 5-7pm.

​Monday, November 9

• Call-in Clinic (English), 10am-12pm.

• Emotional Empowerment Workshop, 11am-12:45pm. The week's theme is "Post-Election Coping & Self-Care". Call (434) 872-0047 or email info@thewomensinitiative.org by Tuesday, November 3 to schedule a conversation with the facilitator to ensure these workshops are a fit for you.

Call-in Clinics and other healing programs are available every week at The Women's Initiative. Be sure to check our Groups Page for the latest offerings.

There are also steps we can each take in our day-to-day activities that support mental health. One of the most important for a week like this one is: Take breaks from the news. For more ideas, see our Resilience Reminders in English and Spanish, and Sister Circle's 10 Self-Care Tips for Black Women.

As we plan for the future, The Women's Initiative wants to hear from you. If you haven't already, please take five minutes to fill out our Community Survey about our services during the pandemic.

Much love,

Elizabeth Irvin, LCSW, Executive Director

More resources to address election stress

• Headspace offers info about "election stress disorder" and free meditations

• Upaya Institute presents "Bearing Witness Together on Election Night 2020"

• Teen Vogue: "How to Cope With Election Stress"

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Interview: Mental health matters during coronavirus outbreak

Tune in to this recent episode of “In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)” on Charlottesville’s 101.3 JAMZ for suggestions for taking care of your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak, featuring TWI staff Shelly Wood, MSW, and Amanda Korman.

Wood, a therapist who co-coordinates our Sister Circle Program and coordinates our Jefferson School office, kicks off the show by recommending…

• Notice what’s coming up for you, including mood and behavior changes, because we’re all being impacted in different ways.

• Reduce feelings of fear and “stuckness” by acting on what is in your control, including healthy behaviors like social distancing and handwashing, and making a routine for your family.

• Decrease the amount of news you’re taking in

• Make time for relaxing and fun activities that you enjoy

Thank you Charles Lewis, Maxicelia Robinson, Troy Robinson and Aaron Simmons for inviting us on the show.

Click here to listen to the full show.

Daily Progress names Ingrid Ramos to "Distinguished Dozen"

Ingrid Ramos, LPC, is one of twelve Central Virginia residents honored in the Daily Progress’s annual “Distinguished Dozen.” Ramos is the Bienestar & Resilience Programs Director for The Women’s Initiative.

In the profile, “Serving the Latinx community with love,” reporter Allison Wrabel writes that Ramos “is working to empower the Hispanic community in the Charlottesville area through leadership opportunities and culturally responsive mental health care.”

Executive Director Elizabeth Irvin, LCSW, told the Daily Progress, “Our community is stronger because of the work Ingrid does, and maybe even more importantly the compassionate way that she does her work and the way that she leads.”

“She will help anyone,” said Monica Luna, a volunteer for The Women’s Initiative who has worked with Ramos through the Trauma-Informed Cross-Cultural Psychoeducation program. “She will go out of her way to find a way, and if she can’t do it she will point you to what way to go and who to ask … When you talk to her, her voice and just her way gives you peace.”

Read the full article here.

Help is available

There has been a lot of difficult national news this week about suicide and struggles with mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, know that help is available.

If you are in mental health crisis:

• Twenty-four hours a day you can call Region Ten Emergency Services at (434) 972-1800, or dial 911.
• Twenty-four hours a day you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Otherwise, for access to individual and group counseling:

• For connection to local affordable mental health services through the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition, call (434) 227-0641 or visit www.helphappenshere.org. 
• The Women's Initiative has free walk-in clinics for women three days a week and throughout the week we have free support groups as well.

• On Our Own, a peer support recovery center for people dealing with mental health challenges, offers support groups throughout the week. 123 4th St. NW, Charlottesville. (434) 979-2440 or visit www.onourowncville.org

Self-care for working moms

The Women's Initiative provides vital mental health services for women during times of challenge and change, including all the ups and downs of parenting.

C-VILLE Weekly's Mother's Day cover story includes voices of three of our staff discussing the need for emotional support for new moms and those transitioning back to work. 

To complement the story, we put together a ...

Self-Care List for Working Moms

• Be gentle with yourself and other moms: Often, we are our own worst critics. Set realistic expectations, let go of trying to do it all perfectly, and challenge cultural myths about “supermothering”
• Prioritize sleep, healthy eating and healthy movement: These can be the first things to go when moms do everything for everyone else first, yet these basics are essential to your ability to care for yourself and others.
• Lean on your support system: Foster connections with family and friends so that you can ask for help (for both practical things and emotional support) when you need it.
• 5-minute stress reduction: Decompress throughout the day, and especially when transitioning from home to work and back. Try: Singing along to a favorite song, doing chest and shoulder stretches to open your heart, taking a short brisk walk, or eating a mindful snack.
• Advocate for systems-level change: Speak up for improvements that move us toward equity in the workplace and parenting roles. If you can, encourage workplace innovation such as flex time, parental leave benefits, and childcare subsidies. Question assumptions about who holds the most parenting responsibility in the family.
• When in doubt, reach out: Talk to your doctor, come to The Women’s Initiative free walk-in clinic or seek other professional help for emotional support.

Free support groups for moms at TWI

• Moms With Babies Discussion Group: Support and community for moms with newborns to one-year-olds: Mondays, 10-11 a.m. 1101 East High St.
• Mothering Circle of Charlottesville: Connect with other mothers, support each other, and share your stories in a safe, nurturing environment. Fourth Wednesdays of every month, 7-9 pm. 1101 East High St.

Click here for a full list of free groups and social support offerings at The Women's Initiative

Lead story: Women's resilience

Women's resilience was the lead story on NBC29's 11 o'clock news this Wednesday night, as reporter Victoria Wresilo featured the Challenge into Change program and the inspiring personal stories of hope and healing women shared.

About 150 people came out to Carver Recreation Center on Wednesday, April 18 to witness contest participants share their stories of transforming life challenges into opportunities for growth and renewal.

Congratulations to this year's contest winners:

First Place, Dr. Allison Kretlow, for her poem, “Four Year Old Faith”
Second Place, Bellamy Shoffner, for her essay, “Against Adversity, We Can Win”
Third Place (tie), Christa, for her essay, “Giving Birth”
Third Place (tie), Linda Martinussen, for her essay, “Ode to Elsa”

Purchase your copy of this year's Challenge into Change book, which includes stories and poems from our 81 participants, at New Dominion Bookshop on the Downtown Mall, 404 East Main Street, Charlottesville.

Read more about Challenge into Change.

Hear Together: The Women's Initiative

Have you heard? The Women's Initiative is featured on WNRN's "Hear Together."

Executive Director Elizabeth Irvin, LCSW, spoke with WNRN about our affordable, accessible, effective mental health counseling services for women in our region.

"Wanting to reduce as many barriers as possible, we created walk-in clinics as a chance for any woman to come in and be seen same-day, confidentially, with a therapist, and begin the journey of healing," Irvin says.

Click here to listen to the full segment.

Vote TWI in CBS19 Charity Challenge

Show your support for vital mental health services for women in our community by voting for The Women's Initiative in the CBS19 Charity Challenge, sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care.

You have until Dec. 24 to cast your ballot. One vote per person; tell your friends!

Charlottesville Family Favorite Award Winner

We're thrilled to be the recipient of a CharlottesvilleFamily Favorite Gold Award in the Support Group category and Silver Award in the Counseling Service category.

Thank you to CharlottesvilleFamily and everyone who supports our vision that all women in our community have access to innovative, effective, evidence-based mental health care.

All winners are announced in the December issue of Bloom Magazine.

Our counseling services include free weekly walk-in clinics as well as individual counseling on a sliding scale. Our support groups, which are free, include Women's Support Group, Separation & Divorce Support Group, Sister Circle, and Pregnancy/Infant Loss Support Group. Read more about our free groups.