MiniSeminar: Mental Health — Self-Acceptance & Spirituality

Date: Dec 16, 2023

Category: MiniSeminar • Mental Health & Spirituality

• Moderator 
  • Dr. Carolyn Rowley (Cayenne Wellness Center)

• Guest Speakers
  • James — Author & SCD advocate (Milwaukee, WI)
    
  • Dima Hendricks — Founder, #ThroughThePain Inc.; author of Unleashing Royalty (Boston, MA)
    
  • Wunmi Bakare — Founder of “Sickle Cell Prodigy”; post-transplant (now trait)
    
  • Jade Parker Dinkin, RN — Founder, Road Organic LLC (luxury skin/body care)
    
  • Elena “Lena” Harvey — SCD advocate (Hb S/β⁺ thalassemia)

Description:
Cayenne Wellness Center continues its Mental Health series grounded in Alfred Adler’s holistic “Tasks of Life.” After earlier sessions on work/school, social connections, and love, this program dives deep into the last two tasks—self-acceptance and spirituality. Dr. Carolyn Rowley facilitates a lived-experience panel exploring identity, resilience, coping with limitations, intrusive thoughts, and faith as an anchor while navigating SCD. Panelists share personal tools (therapy, communication, pacing, community), and Wunmi Bakare reads her “open love letter to sickle cell.” Session acknowledges CHW and MSW intern support, and notes Pfizer’s sponsorship of the Mental Health MiniSeminar series. (A separate “Webinar Wednesday: Mental Health & Suicide Prevention, Part II” with Dr. Lori Vick was announced for Wednesday, December 20, 2023.)

Key Learning Objectives:

• Describe Adler’s five life tasks and explain why self-acceptance and spirituality complete a holistic mental-health framework.
  
• Reflect on diverse SCD journeys (SS, S/β⁺ thalassemia, post-transplant trait) to normalize non-linear self-acceptance.
  
• Identify strategies to manage intrusive thoughts and emotional lows (reframing, self-talk, gratitude, supportive routines).
  
• Apply practical self-care: pacing/energy conservation, boundary-setting, flexible work/school planning, and asking for help.
  
• Articulate ways spirituality/faith practices can support coping, meaning-making, and resilience during crises.
  
• Recognize when to seek professional support (therapy); know that Cayenne Wellness offers free mental-health services in California via CHW referral.
  
• Draft a personal “Self-Acceptance & Spirituality” action plan (daily reset, support network, crisis cues, and resources).