Personal Growth and Wellness Track

Self-Care: Strategies for Boosting Self-Esteem

This workshop addresses the importance of self-care. (This is important for all of us, but especially for leaders who often neglect this aspect of their personal and professional development.) We will be using scenes from the play “Forbidden Voices” to create a jumping off points for discussion. We will start with a scene that explores the question “What counts as self-care?” From there we will brainstorm different kinds of self-care (physical, mental and spiritual). We will then present a second scene that deals with self-care when one is stressed and distressed and share a strategy called “the life box.” We will conclude with some time management techniques and the idea that we need to schedule time for self-care as we would a meeting or a doctor’s appointment. This is an interactive and experiential workshop.

Speakers:
Christina Chan, Actor, Playwright, Director, Educator and Public Speaking Coach
Pata Suyemoto, PhD, Educator, Feminist Independent Scholar, Writer and Mental Health Activist

Health and Asian Americans: Break Through the Silence!

Did you know that despite having a lower body weight, Asian Americans are more likely than Caucasians to have diabetes? And, that heart disease is the leading cause of death for AA women? While these statistics are alarming, even more concerning is the lack of information the medical world has on the AA population. As AA women of the 21st century, we need to break through the silence that we have kept over generations and educate ourselves on the medical conditions and risks to our fast growing population. This workshop will include discussions about how Asian women can be trained as peer educators, informed consumers and community advocates. The goal is for participants to find ways to initiate these conversations with loved ones and create a bridge for discussions that can be applied over generations.

Panelists:
Mai See Yang, UMass Boston
Liza Talusan, The Asian Breast Cancer Project (ABC)
Sherry Dong, Director, Community Health Improvement Programs, Tufts Medical Center
Moderator:
Elisa Choi, MD, Primary Care Physician, Harvard Vanguard

“My Body is….!”

Women in our society have been scorning and scrutinizing our bodies for as long as we can remember. This workshop, led by a female Asian-American physician, will focus on owning, connecting with, loving, and improving our bodies for us and not for society and for men. In this interactive session, Dr. Wen will lead participants to think about body image and media portrayal, discuss common health myths, learn keys to taking care of ourselves, and feel connected and mindful of our bodies.

Speaker:
Dr. Leana Wen, Fellow, Harvard and physician at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Author, When Doctors Don't Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests

Money Matters

Money is essential for basic survival, but money management can be daunting. This workshop will discuss the importance of managing your finances and provide basic information about financial planning. Learn money management strategies and take charge by mapping out your financial future.

Speaker:
Abby Nguyen-Burke, Assistant Vice President, Eastern Bank

Working Towards Building Healthy Relationships

Do you get frustrated with a friend who only care about their own needs? Are you dating someone who is jealous all the time? It doesn’t matter if you’re an introvert or extrovert - relationships are a part of everyday life. Aimed towards high school students, this interactive and activity-based workshop will explore developing healthy friendships and dating relationships as Asian American young women and how to address the challenges we face.

Speaker:
Qingjian (QJ) Shi, Director of Education and Outreach, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence