In honor of National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day, the Hartford HealthCare Bone & Joint Institute will be hosting a series of free programs designed to help those dealing with the disorder on June 27th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Center for Musculoskeletal Health. PTSD is a mental health condition that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.
Stefanie Bourassa, Clinical Program Director and Site Manager of the Center for Musculoskeletal Health, explained that she and her staff are trained to help those struggling with the disorder through a comprehensive and holistic approach that treats the body and the mind.
“We recognize that PTSD comes in all forms, whether it’s a traumatic injury that occurs or the stressors of being in a high stress field, such as the armed services,” she said. “Our exercise physiologist provides structured strength and conditioning programs geared to helping with stress relief, providing a healthy outlet of physical activity. Our registered dietitian identifies foods that have components to them that are calming in nature as well as providing cooking opportunities to promote healthy comfort foods and get people active in the kitchen. We also have a clinical psychologist who has specialty in this area and is trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness/meditation, and is always available to every individual who comes to the center. The psychologist also provides the rest of the staff the tools to help with individuals who may be recovering from PTSD, or other areas of whole body recovering.”
During the program on June 27, the dietitian will be preparing simple, yet delicious meals/snacks which take the anxiety out of meal preparation. Recipes will include delicious muffins and crunchy granola. The clinical psychologists will be leading a mindfulness session consisting of meditation and other techniques to put one in a relaxed state of mind and the exercise physiologist will be running a group exercise class that will get the heart pumping and help get participants physically stronger.
For more information and to register for this free program, please visit https://hartfordhealthcare.org/health-wellness/classes-events or call 1.855.442.4373