The holiday season can be a difficult time for the children we serve. As a CASA staff and volunteer, it is important to remember to take care of yourself so that you can continue to provide the best possible support to the children you serve.

Self-preservation is a mindset that fosters the behaviors of self-care and is protective against the harmful effects of chronic stress and secondary traumatic stress. This training will provide a brief overview/review on stress and secondary traumatic stress (also known as vicarious trauma), its effects, and how to recognize the potentially harmful effects that impact us in psychological, emotional, and even physical ways. The speaker will provide an overview of the self-preservation mindset, along with simple, yet effective strategies to foster self-preservation and self-care will also be explored.

Speaker: Lauren Shaw, Psy.D. - Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience

Dr. Shaw is the GRIT Program Manager with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2009, and her Psy.D. in Organizational Psychology, with a specialization in Health and Wellness, from the University of the Rockies in 2018. Her professional background includes teaching resilience, mindfulness-based training, and leadership development in military and organizational settings. Additionally, she holds certifications as a health coach and personal trainer from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).