“Keys to Healing” Retreat June 12-14 sponsored by nonprofit Project Jason to teach families methods for dealing with trauma, “living in the not knowing.”
Omaha, Nebraska – (May 2009) – Project Jason, a nonprofit that assists families of missing persons, announced the first national retreat ever to focus specifically on the wellbeing of family members who are searching for their lost loved ones. “Keys to Healing: Mind, Body, and Spirit” will take place June 12-14 at the Swanson Center at Camp Carol Joy Holling near Omaha in Ashland, Nebraska.
“There are resources that teach families of the missing the mechanics of what to do when someone disappears,” said Kelly Jolkowski, president and founder of Project Jason. “Until now, there were no opportunities for family members of both missing children and adults to focus on the emotional and physical trauma that understandably accompanies such an ordeal. We want the families who attend Keys to Healing to walk away with better coping skills, self-understanding and renewed hope.”
The retreat is open to family members of missing persons whose cases are listed with law enforcement agencies in North America. Sessions will be conducted by professional instructors, including a licensed counselor, personal trainer, dietician, missing person advocate, massage therapist, and a minister of faith. Attendees will learn how long term trauma affects the body, how to address that trauma, and how to recognize and handle emotions such as guilt, fear and anger that come into play. There will also be a session designed to answer the question of “How do I go on?”
Featured speakers:
Duane T. Bowers, LPC, is the nation’s foremost traumatic loss therapist and educator. Among his many services to families dealing with grief is providing support to families of abducted, missing, exploited and murdered children through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and to families of missing persons of any age through Project Jason’s Healing Harbor. Bowers is the author of “Guiding Your Family Through Loss and Grief” and “A Child is Missing: Providing Support for Families of Missing Children.”
Richard J. Hauser, S.J., is a professor of theology at Creighton University, a nationally-renowned speaker, and author of numerous books, including “In His Spirit: A Guide to Today’s Spirituality” and “Finding God in Troubled Times,” in which Hauser offers meaningful answers to all those who have found their faith challenged by difficult experiences.
For more information about “Keys to Healing: Mind, Body, and Spirit”
Project Jason Retreat 2009, go to http://www.projectjason.org/retreat.html
**Media attendance at the retreat, and interviews with Project Jason representatives and families, are accommodated upon request.
About Project Jason
Project Jason, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the families of missing persons, and creating and increasing public awareness of missing people through a variety of outreach and educational activities. Project Jason brings hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support. The organization is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
For more information about Project Jason’s objectives, activities and services, go to http://www.projectjason.org