USC Dornsife College Of Letters Arts and Sciences

University of Southern California

Wellness and Wellbeing: Caring for Self and Community

Wellness and Wellbeing: Caring for Self and Community

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Wellness and Wellbeing: Caring for Self and Community

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Reading Time 2 minutes

Anyone can experience burn out – pastors, preachers and even volunteers. Leaders can help their congregations thrive by maintaining their own wellbeing and helping their teams do so as well.

As part of Thriving Congregations: A Series on Leadership, experts in mental and physical health shared their perspectives and practical exercises to support your wellbeing and engage with your members on wellness issues. They also addressed how congregations can respond to personal and collective traumas.

Physical Health:

Dr. Kimiko Yamada, a USC professor of physical therapy, is an expert in community health education. 

Mental Health:

Bishop Byron L. Smith Sr. is a clinical therapist and pastor who has completed over 3,000 mental health clinical face-to-face hours.

Panel:

CRCC’s Najuma Smith moderates a discussion with Dr. Kimiko Yamada, a USC professor of physical therapy, and Bishop Byron L. Smith Sr., a clinical mental health therapist, on how faith leaders can maintain their own and their community’s wellbeing. The panel addresses critical issues like:

– How to approach physical/mental health challenges within a congregation
– Preaching from a psychological perspective
– “Emotional CPR” and grounding techniques to cope with stresses
– Caring for oneself while leading a congregation
Read more about: Health care, preaching, Religious Leadership, Thriving Congregations