please note: these workshops are on hold as we seek funding for a research study. Stay tuned!
Find More “Yes!” to Your Life With Food Allergies
ONLINE APPLIED IMPROV WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
“The “Find More ‘Yes!’ to Your Life With Food Allergies” workshop was very enjoyable and put me in a better mindset by knowing that there are ‘yeses’ out there and that the world isn’t just a bunch of ‘no’s.”
“The ‘Find More “Yes!” to Your Life With Food Allergies’ workshop makes me feel like I can relate to other people who struggle with food allergies every day just like me.”
The only cure/treatment for food allergies is strict avoidance of one’s allergens. Considering that allergens are everywhere, people with food allergies can end up avoiding life and then avoidance of allergens can lead to avoidance of all critical areas of life and growth.
This online workshop’s aim is to help people (kids, teens, and adults) with food allergies and anaphylaxis increase their interpersonal, social, and emotional skill sets and mental coping toolbox beyond medical avoidance of their allergen, which must be strictly maintained.
We will meet on weeknights, 6:30pm - 8:00pm ET, for 6 weeks, 90 minutes each session, on Zoom. The group is capped at 8 participants. Parents will be included.
We’ll use applied improvisation exercises to build confidence, increase mental flexibility, decrease anxiety, connect with other kids with food allergies, and have fun!
Middle schooler (6th - 8th grades) workshop starts soon.
Teen (9th -12th grades) workshop starts soon.
Adult (age 25+) workshop date to be announced.
WAnt to know more?
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What is applied improvisation?
Applied improvisation is taking the concepts of improvisational comedy offstage and into our lives.
Everyone can learn how to apply the tools of applied improv.
As a licensed social worker and experienced applied improvisation facilitator, Sloane is exceptionally adept at harnessing the power of applied improv to help clients discover their infinite capability for more yes!
Who are these online workshops for:
People (children, teens, and adults) with a history of food allergies and anaphylaxis and anxiety.
What is required:
It is required that all participants are currently under the care of a board certified allergist.
If participants have a current mental health diagnosis (for example: anxiety), it is required they are under the care of a licensed mental health professional.
We will be conducting quantitative and qualitative pre-post evaluations developed in collaboration with Jabeen Ahmad, PhD, MPH, Research Project Specialist, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. It will only take a few minutes to complete and participants will receive a copy of the findings. A copy will be retained for the program’s marketing purposes (anything shared publicly will be anonymous). Completing the evaluations are a requirement of attending the workshops.
Participants will need access to a computer with a camera and microphone for Zoom workshops.
What’s the science behind this workshop:
Recently, there has been some cutting-edge research published looking at the positive impact of applied improvisation exercises upon populations with depression, anxiety, and social anxiety.
Improv and anxiety (Kruger)
Improv to reduce social anxiety in teens (Felsman)
Improv and increasing divergent thinking (Lewis & Lovatt) (Felsman et al)
Improv and increasing divergent thinking in teens (Hanselin et al) (Snowden et al)
Improv on increasing self acceptance (Schwenke et al)
Quality of life issues and anxiety challenges for families, children, and teens coping with food allergies has been well established in the research literature over the last 15-20 years.
What are the workshops aims:
This series of workshops aim to help children and teens with a history of food allergies and anaphylaxis and anxiety:
Decrease food allergy-related anxiety
Increase in acceptance (of self, of others)
Increase in divergent and/or creative thinking
Increase in identifying more places to add yes to their daily lives
Do participants need to know improv?
These workshops are for non-performers and non-improvisers. No improv experience needed.
A final note:
These online workshops do not constitute psychotherapy services nor are these workshops a substitute for psychotherapy in any form. If you need or your child needs psychotherapeutic services, please contact a local licensed practitioner through your health insurance or health care provider.
“Growing up with multiple food allergies it is easy to understand how ‘no’ can sometimes become an automatic response for a child. This online applied improv workshop has helped our son to find more ‘yes’ and scale back on some automatic, reflexive ‘no’s’ all while having a lot of fun. ”