St. Thomas the Apostle to host 'Compassionate Listening' skills workshop Oct. 13
It seems everyone's talking these days but very few are listening. Are you a good listener? Would you like to be a really good listener - a compassionate one who listens from your heart?
Join the "Compassionate Listening," a free interactive workshop that will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in the Lighthouse room at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1500 Brookdale Road in Naperville.
Workshop facilitator Jill Otto, a senior support and counseling program manager at Wellness House in Hinsdale, will guide participants through the barriers encountered in listening compassionately. She also will provide steps to follow in order to become fully present to family, friends and colleagues. Since 1990, Wellness House has offered a variety of free programs and services that complement treatment offered by physicians and specialists to those living with cancer and individuals close to them.
Otto, a licensed clinical social worker, has three decades of social work experience that includes clinical supervision and counseling for adults and youth, program development and evaluation, and presentations at the state and national levels. She holds a master's degree in social work from Loyola University, and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
"Compassionate Listening" is being sponsored by the behavioral health ministry and the behavioral health ministry at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Hand sanitizer will be available at the door.
For further information about "Compassionate Listening," contact Kathy Ford, director of pastoral care/nursing at St. Thomas, at kford@stapostle.org or at (630) 355-8980, ext. 124.
Information about the behavioral health ministry is available by contacting Susan Kearney at (630) 355-8980, ext. 108, or at sdkearney@comcast.net.
St. Thomas the Apostle, a parish of the Diocese of Joliet, strives to bear the Good News of God's unconditional love to all generations through worship, faith formation, witness and service. Organized in 1984, the St. Thomas faith community numbers more than 3,400 households of more than 10,750 people. Complete news and information on parish events, guest speakers and special programs is available at www.stapostle.org. For general parish information, please call (630) 355-8980.