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B A C K T O S C H O O L , M U S I C & D A N C E … A N D M O R E ! - S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S - T H U R S D A Y, A U G U S T 1 0 , 2 0 17 7 Mind Matters Clinic Dr. Cathy Moser & Dr. Jay Greenfeld, Registered Psychologists 3 - 1250 Waverley St. | Tel: 204-477-8555 | www.mindmattersclinic.ca Call 204-477-8555 or go to www.mindmattersclinic.ca for more information Registration Is NOW OPEN RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW! FOR AUGUST SWIM TO TRIM Groups for Youth and Groups for Adults FOR Youth: Evenings 7:00-7:50 P.M. A unique experience for heavier set youth who find it difficult to develop and maintain healthy eating and exercise habits, have poor self-esteem, and/or need guidance developing the tools to overcome the barriers that prevent them from realizing their goals. All sessions will be in a private swimming setting. FOR ADULTS: Evenings 8:00 - 8:50 P.M. An opportunity to develop a healthy exercise routine without embarrassment, in a private pool, with others who understand how difficult it can be to 'get on the right track'. A second focus will be to develop the psychological tools to address the emotional factors and habits that sabotaged past success in developing and maintaining a healthy mind-body balance. STARTING OCTOBER: Swim and Socialize - A swimming club for youth ages 16-21 who are needing the social skills necessary for developing and maintaining relationships with peers. Direct instruction in specific social skills will be given by Psychologists and Speech and Language Clinicians, and will then be practiced through supervised activities and games both in and out of the pool. Monday evenings, STARTING IN OCTOBER. STARTING SEPTEMBER: Reading Boot Camp Individual instruction, practice and FUN for children who struggle with reading Saturday mornings, 9:00-12:00, STARTING SEPTEMBER 16TH Overcoming Anxiety Groups for children ages 7-10 six Mondays 4:15 - 5:30 for children ages 10-13 six Mondays 4:15-5:30 STARTING SEPTEMBER 25TH Overcoming Negativity for children ages 10-13 six Thursdays 4:15-5:30 STARTING SEPTEMBER 28TH Social Skills Development for children ages 7-10 six Wednesdays 5:00-6:30 for children ages 11-14 six Wednesdays 6:45-8:15 STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST Anger Management for children ages 6-9 Five Sundays 9:30am-10:45am For children ages 10-13 Five Sundays 11:00am- 12:15pm STARTING NOVEMBER 19TH Adapting to ADHD/ Developing Organizational Skills for children 8-12 six Tuesdays 4:15-5:30 STARTING NOV. 19TH STARTING NOVEMBER: By Geoff Kirbyson | Winnipeg Free Press You can bet your house the last thing your child will want this fall is more homework, but it could be exactly what they need. The fall is a crazy time of year for many children as they walk into new classrooms or schools and need to tackle the unfamiliar. Sometimes, the sheer magnitude of school work, social groups and peer pressure can be too much to bear and can cause various parts of their lives to race downhill. Dr. Cathy Moser, who, who together with Dr. Jay Greenfeld, runs the Mind Matters Clinic, a Winnipeg- based mental health facility on Waverley Street, may have the answer. Her team teaches kids what school doesn't — how to deal with emotions and feelings, solve problems and what to do if they're depressed, feeling anxious or inadequate. She believes a little short-term pain has the potential for some significant long-term gains. "We teach them how to deal with any problem. There is no problem so big that they can't handle it. We don't teach them the answer but we teach them that there is always a way to solve a problem," Moser said. "They have it in themselves to find part of it in their own set of knowledge and to inquire about what is missing. We give them the self confidence to work at it until they get the solution." She readily admits many students feel a lot of anxiety in the fall but there are stresses throughout the year. Most important, though, is getting the school year off to a good start. Mind Matters runs group sessions for children to help them deal with overcoming anxiety and negative thinking, anger management, social skills development, adapting to ADHD as well as teaching them organizational skills and running a reading boot camp. These group therapy sessions can be very effective because they demystify problems, allowing kids to see that many of their peers have challenges of their own. When the learning is fun through a variety of activities, the kids are able to help each other as they develop the tools to help themselves. "We do a lot of positive thinking and self-esteem development. We help kids learn to focus, set goals and achieve them," she said. Some of the group work teaches skills such as mindfulness, which is learning to pay attention to the experience of the moment without judging it. "They're learning about the mind-body connection, the fight-or-flight response and how to reduce adrenaline that is evoked at perceived threats," she said. When your brain perceives a threat, it sends out a signal that gets your body pumping adrenaline, increasing your heart rate and sending blood pumping to your muscles. "Most people don't have bears chasing after them. Instead, (they worry) about what if nobody likes them or what if they fail this test? Their brain causes the adrenaline rush. Because you're not running it off, it's cycling through your body and you feel uncomfortable," she said. "You have to learn how to breathe it out. You can't go for a five-mile run in the middle of a test." Moser believes there is no greater motivator than success. "I believe all kids want to be successful and if they're given the tools and means to do it, they will succeed," she said. Over the years, she said kids have steadily become more anxious as they experience stress in virtually all facets of their lives, including school, home and social media. Check that — especially social media. "It's stressful living. It's 24 hours a day and they have to be accountable. We can't take that stress away but we can teach them how to deal with it in a healthy way," she said. For more information, visit mindmattersclinic.ca ❚ "I believe all kids want to be successful and if they're given the tools and means to do it, they will succeed." Mind Matters Clinic teaches kids how to cope with emotions and feelings, solve problems and what to do if they're depressed, feeling anxious or inadequate. Submitted photo

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