Homeland Veterans Magazine March 2018

Page 34

Women’s Mental Health Workshops WWP’s mental health workshops give women the confidence to reach out for camaraderie and regain the sense of sisterhood they enjoyed inside the military. The workshops give warriors new emotional coping skills that allow them to recover from the invisible wounds of combat. Project Odyssey® offers all-female multi-day adventure workshops. The program challenges women warriors through activities like hiking, rock climbing, scavenger hunts, and high-rope courses. These events push warriors physically, mentally, and emotionally — all of which helps with coping and problem-solving skills. The program provides unique tools to help warriors with stress. The gatherings recharge mental and emotional health and help female warriors discover new things about themselves. Army veteran Jill Franco said bonding with other women warriors during a mental health workshop was the best thing she had done for herself in 10 years. Besides acknowledging WWP events are one of the few things she leaves her house for, she also expressed the mental health workshop allowed her time to focus on her recovery by removing outside distractions. Jill also stated WWP’s mental health workshop gave her a chance to be around other female wounded warriors and experience firsthand how their similar stories and recoveries made her feel stronger and facilitated her healing. She felt the camaraderie she experienced during the workshop reminded her of the positive bonding experiences she had in the military. Warrior Kendra Simpkins is also an Army veteran and a WWP Peer Support mentor. She’s a firm believer in the power of connecting and talking with other injured female veterans. She lets them know about recovery and bonding opportunities available through WWP and how the programs do wonders to empower female warriors struggling to cope. Physical Health & Wellness Through health and nutrition education, intensive coaching, and recreational activities, WWP helps warriors achieve independence and pursue an excellent quality of life.

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Navy veteran Meosha Thomas said because of her leg injury, she found it difficult to find help with her workouts before she started attending physical health and wellness expos. WWP showed her modifications for her workout routine to give her better results. She said this gave her the confidence to do more and stick to her fitness goals because instead of hearing she what couldn’t do, WWP showed her what she could do to recover. Physical health and wellness events help reduce stress, combat depression, and promote an overall healthy and active lifestyle by encouraging participation in interactive and educational activities. When women warriors are ready to commit to making positive changes in their physical recoveries, WWP will help them set goals, build skills, and offer coaching for their physical training. Connection Events WWP connection events provide safe, enjoyable environments for warriors to develop interpersonal bonds with peers and learn more about other WWP services.

WWP helps warriors achieve independence and pursue an excellent quality of life.


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