Starting in August 2015, Creative Roots will offer a workshop series for adults on the second Saturday of most months. Each month we will host a professional who will come in to share their work with participants. Some speakers will come from out of town, others will be local and may offer opportunities for local engagement with their work.
We are excited to collaborate and share our space with professionals who working in the fields of education, counseling, medicine, alternative medicine, somatics and other fields which support an integrative approach to wellness and creativity.
Creative Roots recognizes the importance of building strong networks and communities which support each other. We believe that collaboration, not competition, is key to social change. In order to encourage long-lasting personal growth and development, as well as support for change in the systems which currently create the foundation of our health, learning and wellbeing, we must work together.
Saturday Speakers Series 10am-12noon, unless otherwise noted
Sunday Book Discussion Group 1:00-2:30pm
Upcoming Workshops
August 15, 2015 – Tiny Talkers at Creative Roots Imagine knowing what your baby wants
before they can talk! Reduce frustration, increase language development & IQ, stronger bonding. Babies can talk with their hands before they can speak!
August 30, 2015 – Book Discussion: Parenting from the Inside Out, Dr. Dan Siegel In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and early childhood expert Mary Hartzell, M.Ed., explore the extent to which our childhood experiences shape the way we parent. Drawing on stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships directly impact the development of the brain, and offer parents a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of their own life stories, which will help them raise compassionate and resilient children.
September 12 –Dr. Diane Kaufman of Arts Medicine for Health and Healing ~ Honoring The Self: Reflection, Renewal & Creative Expression A 
monthly workshop and gathering facilitated by Diane Kaufman, MD, who is a Psychiatrist, Poet, Expressive Arts Educational Facilitator and Humanism in Medicine Awardee. Dr. Kaufman uniquely combines art, therapy and science in her “cognitive poetic therapy” approach. Dr. Kaufman is the founder and executive director of Arts Medicine for a Health & Healing. Recently moved to Portland, Oregon to be close to her daughter and granddaughter, Dr. Kaufman was a Master Clinician at University Behavioral Health Care at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and guiding leader of Creative Arts Healthcare at University Hospital (Newark, NJ). Dr. Kaufman is the author of Cracking Up and Back Again: Transformation Through Poetry. She is published in the field of art and healing and presents internationally. Dr. Kaufman will be the keynote speaker at the 2016 National Association for Poetry Therapy conference. Her children’s book, Bird That Wants To Fly, about a sad bird who walks instead of flying because of traumatic life experiences, debuted as an inspired children’s opera in January 2015. Dr. Kaufman’s passion is healing through creativity. For more information, please see www.artsmedicineforhealthandhealing.com
Sunday September 20, 2015 – Book Discussion: The Blessings of a Skinned Knee, by Wendy Mogel In the trenches of a typical day, every parent encounters a child afflicted with ingratitude and entitlement. In a world where material abundance abounds, parents want so badly to raise self-disciplined, appreciative, and resourceful children who are not spoiled by the plentitude around them. But how to accomplish this feat? The answer has eluded the best-intentioned mothers and fathers who overprotect, overindulge, and overschedule their children’s lives.
Saturday September 26 – Book Reading by Lisa and Michael Cohn The authors of 
“Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence” and “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy” are a mom and son, Lisa and Michael Cohn. Michael is a Creative Roots participant and we are excited to have Michael and his mom share their work at Creative Roots! Lisa Cohn, a writer and author whose articles have appeared in numerous national publications, including The Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, Yahoo! Parenting, Mothering, Parenting, Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers, Dogster and others. In addition to being featured on the Today Show with Michael, she has been quoted by the Associated Press, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and Seattle Times and has appeared on many nationally syndicated radio shows. Lisa is co-founder of Arts Seen and Heard PR. To find out more about Michael and Lisa, visit http://www.bashandlucy.com/about-the-authors/
Saturday October 10 – Creativity & Wellness Conference Our 2nd annual Creativity and
Wellness Conference for Educators, Counselors, Therapists, Health Care Providers and Parents. A full day conference for professionals who work with kids and families, incorporating creativity and wellness in their work. Participants from the conference last year included: psychologists, creative arts therapists, college students, educators, parents and more. Click here to see last year’s program. Join us for a day of experiential workshops to explore your own connection to Creativity and Wellness, nurturing yourself and becoming more present for your students, clients and children.
Sunday October 18 – Book Discussion: Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown Daring Greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. It’s even a little dangerous at times. And, without question, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena—whether it’s a new relationship, an important meeting, the creative process, or a difficult family conversation. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen.
Saturday November 14 – Lori Dunlap of Teach Your Own
Sunday November 15 – Book Discussion: No Drama Discipline, by Dr. Dan Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson The pioneering experts behind The Whole-Brain Child—Tina Payne Bryson and Daniel J. Siegel, the author of Brainstorm—now explore the ultimate child-raising challenge: discipline. Highlighting the fascinating link between a child’s neurological development and the way a parent reacts to misbehavior, No-Drama Discipline provides an effective, compassionate road map for dealing with tantrums, tensions, and tears—without causing a scene.
Saturday December 12 – Guest Speaker TBD
Sunday December 13 – Book Discussion: Simplicity Parenting Today’s busier, faster society is waging an undeclared war on childhood. With too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time, children can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that allkids need for their attention to deepen and their individuality to flourish.
Saturday January 9 – Guest Speaker TBD
Sunday January 24 – Book Discussion: Creative Schools Ken Robinson is one of the world’s most influential voices in education, and his 2006 TED Talk on the subject is the most viewed in the organization’s history. Now, the internationally recognized leader on creativity and human potential focuses on one of the most critical issues of our time: how to transform the nation’s troubled educational system. At a time when standardized testing businesses are raking in huge profits, when many schools are struggling, and students and educators everywhere are suffering under the strain, Robinson points the way forward. He argues for an end to our outmoded industrial educational system and proposes a highly personalized, organic approach that draws on today’s unprecedented technological and professional resources to engage all students, develop their love of learning, and enable them to face the real challenges of the twenty-first century.
Saturday February 13 – Guest Speaker TBD
Sunday February 21 – Book Discussion: Face to Face The message in “Face to Face” is simple yet profound: Increase actual face-to-face connection and keep childhood real so children will be resilient, healthy, and happy. Major focuses of the book include how digital technology is influencing children’s lives and how resiliency and other social/emotional skills need special attention as parents navigate this new terrain.
Saturday March 12 – Guest Speaker TBD
Sunday March 13 – Book Discussion: Quiet In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
Saturday April 9 – Guest Speaker TBD
Sunday April 17 – Book Discussion: Brainstorm Between the ages of 12 and 24, the brain changes in important, and oftentimes maddening, ways. It’s no wonder that many parents approach their child’s adolescence with fear and trepidation. According to renowned neuropsychiatrist Daniel Siegel’s New York Times bestseller Brainstorm, if parents and teens can work together to form a deeper understanding of the brain science behind all the tumult, they will be able to turn conflict into connection and form a deeper understanding of one another.
Saturday May 14 – Guest Speaker TBD
Sunday May 15 – Book Discussion: It’s Your Mind, Own It Adolescence isn’t easy. But the youth-friendly “It’s Your Mind: Own It!” can help every teen have an awesome life. Written by veteran therapists Nicole Jon Sievers and Norene Gonsiewski, “It’s Your Mind: Own It!” is a treasure chest of neuroscience-based information to help youth 1) understand why they’re thinking what they’re thinking and why they’re feeling what they’re feeling, 2) learn tools to exterminate automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), and 3) master strategies for dealing with setbacks and for embracing challenges. This innovative manual for teaching teens to take control of their roller coaster of feelings is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Theory and delightfully illustrated. Featured topics include understanding the brain, coping with anger, managing anxiety, dealing with depression, getting motivated, finding success in failure, practicing compassion, maintaining balance in life, managing stress, and living with gratitude.
I can’t thank you enough for your kindness in hosting me in Portland…and helping put on such a wonderful event. YOU are the consummate host. It was a JOY from beginning to end working with you. And I’m delighted to meet you. – Tama Kieves, International Motivational Speaker