Months ago, Procovery Institute announced The Art of Moving Forward™ workshop contest. One applicant would receive a Procovery workshop of their choice, held at their site! When it came time for Procovery Institute to make the selection, we found some of the applications so compelling that we felt unable to select one winner… So we selected THREE!

This past Tuesday was the first workshop, this one held at San Pedro Mental Health Center. Gail Sulser, Consumer Advocate, submitted an application on behalf of SPMHC and was there to greet us. We felt welcomed and appreciated from the start and were offered help by many. We were incredibly inspired and touched by each participant, and were honored to be there.

Gail selected Uncovering Hope as her workshop of choice. Uncovering Hope is one in an extensive series of Art of Moving Forward™ workshops available from Procovery Institute. Kathleen Crowley, co-founder of Procovery Institute and co-creator of the Procovery program, and Acasia Stratt, Director of Operations at Procovery Institute, facilitated the workshop and we had a wonderful time! 


It was an interactive experience which included participant sharing, group and individual exercises, readings from The Power of Procovery book, Kathleen’s thoughts, along with fun snacks and prizes. All participation is voluntary with Procovery, but despite the voluntary aspect to the exercises and sharing, all attendees enthusiastically participated and shared and there was much thoughtful and inspiring conversation, as well as a distinct atmosphere of compassion.

Gail shared (below) so much hope and positivity after the workshop —

Much happiness was shared in the hope of feeling better, being better and starting anywhere in the art of moving forward! Our consumers enjoyed the workshop immensely and what I learned today was that not only do we want to grow hope but we also need to take action and protect hope. Hope is inside of all of us!

We look forward to next week at Long Beach Mental Health Center!


Until next time…

Procovery Institute

A warm smile and an outstretched hand were valued even above the offerings of modern science, but the latter were far more accessible than the former. I believe that nothing a hospital could provide in the way of technological marvels was as helpful as an atmosphere of compassion. — Norman Cousins