The Center to BE offers several intensive programs which are provided over several days and involve significant participation by those who attend. Weaving Retreats, four day weekend retreats for women Training in Healing and Transformation, an 80-hour, multi-cultural wellness education program; Compassion and Leadership, four-day programs to explore the spiritual energy of Compassion as a critical competency of 21st Century leadership; RISEN (Re-Investing Spirituality and Ethics in Networks), a nationally recognized program of applied spirituality for heath care organizations. These programs are described below. For details about who should attend, locations and fees, please Contact Us.

Weaving Retreats

The Weaving Retreats, four-day weekend retreats for women, have been presented by 
Rhea Emmer, CSA and Doris Klein, CSA since 1990. The Retreats are a gathering of the "Sacred Circle" where women of all faith traditions and backgrounds come together to rest, reflect and experience the unconditional love of God. 

They come to know God in the weaving of the fabric of their daily lives, in praying their woundedness and tears, in drinking deeply from the well of their bodies and souls, in embracing a spirituality of surrender and in discovering the wisdom of women's ways of knowing. The Weaving Retreats are unique and powerful experiences blending solitude and community, teaching and reflection, and weaving ritual throughout the weekend. Massage and the labyrinth experience are also provided. 

Typically the retreats are offered on four weekends each year. They are held at Cedar Valley Retreat Center in West Bend, Wisconsin beginning on Thursday evenings and concluding at noon on Sundays. A maximum of 28 participants attend each session. Announcements and registration forms are mailed in mid-summer through The Center to BE. 

Training in Healing and Transformation is a hands-on program of holistic wellness practices for women and men who serve people in need. It combines the wisdom of many cultures and the work of present day scientists and practitioners to teach simple but effective self-care practices for restoring balance of body, mind and spirit. The intensive program of four 20-hour sessions includes theory and technique, has a rigorous curriculum with practicum and is certified for 8 continuing education units. Participants are prepared to teach techniques of self-empowerment to alleviate the effects of stress, pain, trauma and woundedness.

Developed and taught by Patricia Cane, Ph.D., Training in Healing and Transformation began as a way for people in Central America to learn to care for themselves in the midst of lives often immersed in trauma, violence, poverty and the effects of natural disasters. The practices are used now in 25 countries inNorth America, Central America, South America, Indonesia, Africa and the Caribbean.

North American women and men, through CAPACITAR training at The Center to BE have shared what they have learned with patients suffering from cancer, Alzheimer's Disease and chronic pain; with staff and clients in recovery programs; with residents of assisted living and long-term care facilities; with people in 12-step programs and domestic violence shelters; with refugees and torture survivors and with people experiencing hearing loss. 

CAPACITAR, Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Santa Cruz, California with a vision to bring peace, healing and wholeness to our world. Capacitar is a Spanish word meaning to empower, to encourage, to bring one another to life. 
 

Participants in Training in Healing and Transformation learn wellness modalities which include Tai Chi movement meditation, breathing practices, simple massage practices, polarity, visualization, energy exercises, active listening, chakra theory and exercises, and acupressure protocols.

They gain a working understanding of theories underlying healing, energy work, the new cosmology, the holographic universe, Team Spirit and leadership development, multicultural message systems, field theory, energy systems and other related theories. 

The program fosters respect for cultural, religious, ethnic, age and gender diversity; creates an environment that welcomes diversity; and encourages an openness to learning from others. Important components of the program are the participants' commitments to their own personal healing process and the application of their learnings to specific groups or cultures in their local communities. 

This training is intended for people whose professional and/or volunteer work is in service to others who are in need of healing due to causes which may include poverty, physical or mental illness, abuse, trauma or violence. Those in the healing professions, education, ministry, psychology, social work and spirituality are able to apply the lessons of the training immediately to the populations with whom they work. 
Key features of the program: 

• The program integrates an inclusive spirituality, body wisdom practices and a research-based focus resulting in an experience that is truly holistic, incorporating body, mind and spirit. 
• The practices require no equipment or devices. 
• The practices can be adapted to all age groups and different levels of physical and mental ability. 
• The program was designed with the intention that those who learn the practices will pass this learning on to others who, in turn, will share it with even more people. 
• The practices empower individuals to actively participate in their own healing processes by regaining and maintaining balance of body, mind and spirit energy.

Compassion and Leadership Programs

November 6-9, 2008
Energy for Leadership: Activating the Potency of Compassion
Registrations due by October 20, 2008; Early Bird discount for registrations
received by August 1, 2008

Click here for brochure and application materials.

Engaging the Power and Creativity of Compassion
Next Presentation Dates to Be Announced

Cedar Valley Retreat Center
West Bend, Wisconsin

Click here for brochure and application materials.

Senior leaders, self-employed professional and educators or consultants who work with senior leaders are invited to participate in the deeply rewarding programs of Compassion and Leadership. The Center to BE presents two unique opportunities to explore with other successful leaders how Compassion in the workplace can be a powerful and expansive energy resource for 21st Century leadership.

Both Engaging the Power and Creativity of Compassion and Energy for Leadership: Activating the Potency of Compassion, are the result of research which examined how recognized leaders named Compassion as an influence in their development. Although Compassion is often considered a soft and relational quality of leaders, it is also a source of courageous resiliency and true creativity in dealing effectively with difficult organizational challenges and tough business decisions. The programs have been designed to involve, excite and challenge those who attend. They engage the whole brain and the whole being-body, spirit, emotions, experiences--- in the learning process.

Engaging the Power and Creativity of Compassion guides participants in developing an understanding of Compassion in the workplace that extends beyond common notions of empathy and caring. It introduces them to Compassion as a powerful, inherent and often overlooked source of energy. Compassion is awakened, sometimes slowly, sometimes dramatically, through experiences which touch the heart and ultimately lead to personal and professional change. It places Compassion in the context of a 21st Century world view.

Energy for Leadership: Activating the Potency of Compassion explores Compassion through individual and organizational energy systems and their impact on the workplace. It draws upon practical tools, models and theories such as the Enneagram, the Map of Human Consciousness and multi-cultural message systems as well as the mystical traditions of the East and West.

The programs complement each other and neither is a pre-requisite. Please consider joining other leaders at one or both of these distinctive programs. For detailed information, please contact: The Center to BE at 414-672-5932 or mwilbur.centertobe@sbcglobal.net

Created in 1982, the Re-Investing Spirituality and Ethics in our Networks (RISEN) program continues to impact the health care professional in a meaningful way. Over 7,500 clinical and administrative professionals have participated in the program in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Maine. A large percentage of the participants have been registered nurses. 
The overall objective of the program is to enable participants to become more conscious and committed to their own spiritual growth in order to facilitate the healing process in others. The program :

• Raises consciousness of the power of the human spirit for health and healing; 
• Integrates spirituality as a resource for personal and professional growth.; 
• Assists in creating a "community of spirituality" in the workplace. 

Time Commitment for Participants
 

Phase I	Mentor Training - 2 eight-hour days
Phase II	Spiritual Health - 4 eight-hour days plus a practicum of 6 one-hour sessions
Phase III	Ethics (optional) - 2 eight-hour days

Phases 

Phase I Mentor Training 

This phase includes 16 hours of on-site education by two faculty. The major objectives of the phase are to identify personnel with the interest and ability to function as mentors to participants, and to orient the mentors to the mentoring function. Another objective of this phase is to administer and interpret the Myers Briggs Type Indicator as a coaching tool. 

Phase II Spiritual Health

This is the most intensive phase of RISEN involving 32 hours of classroom presentation, 6 hours of practicum consultation, and a two hour graduation program. This phase explores the educational-spiritual dimension of human health. It provides the participants with insight into and appreciation for their spiritual potential and facilitates the development of professional skills in diagnosing the spiritual needs of patients and the treatment of those needs. This phase is presented by two faculty and includes administration of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator to all participants with an interpretation of their responses. A three-month practicum follows the on-site presentation. 

Phase III Ethical Decision Making (optional)

This phase involves 16 hours of on-site consultation by two faculty, one of whom is a Christian ethicist. Skill training is provided to facilitate a relational and principled approach to ethical decision making. The purpose, scope and structure of institutional ethics committees are also discussed. 

Faculty

Sister Rhea Emmer is the co-creator and Director of the RISEN program for The Center To BE, an inclusive spirituality center in Milwaukee, WI. Sister Rhea holds a Doctorate of Ministry Degree in Creation Spirituality from the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, CA. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University, Omaha, NE. and a B.S.N. from Marian College in Fond du Lac, WI. Her work experience includes clinical nursing, nursing administration and nursing education. Her doctoral work has broadened her focus to include spiritual development of leaders and organizational spirituality. In addition, she has a private practice in spiritual companioning, pastoral counseling and body energy therapy. 

Margarett Anne Schlientz is a consultant and president of her own consulting firm. Dr. Schlientz obtained a Ph.D. in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master's Degree in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Maryland and a Master's degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University. She has held positions in nursing administration and nursing education, both at the Baccalaureate and Masters level and has worked as a clinical specialist in psychiatric nursing. Presently, she is an internal consultant working with the needed behavioral changes in health care systems, particularly with affiliations and mergers and/or those attempting to ready and/or improve the culture for successful implementation of TQI/CQI (Demming).
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Nickijo Hager has served Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, La Crosse, Wisconsin, as Vice President for Mission and Organizational Development since 1994. Nickijo has experience in critical care nursing, nursing management and leadership, education of health care professionals and program development. Currently her work centers around values integration, organizational team development, strategic planning, spirituality and presence, and end-of-life decision-making. Nickijo holds a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and a Masters in Science of Nursing from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition, Nickijo is certified in Labyrinth Facilitation, RISEN faculty, Spiritual Direction by the Center for Spiritual Guidance in Minneapolis and Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.

Certification Program
RISEN may be purchased by a local facility or health care system and faculty prepared through a Certification Program. Potential facility-based faculty are required to experience the RISEN Program prior to certification. The Certification program is a four-day intensive seminar dealing with spirituality. An additional day for the ethics portion of the program is optional. 

Cost
Summary of agreement terms upon request. 

Comments from Participants 

"The RISEN experience helped me integrate the technical aspects of care with the intangible or spiritual needs. That in turn helped me to empower the clients to participate in their own healing process." (Staff Nurse) 

"RISEN gave me the confidence to cut through the stress of my daily activities, especially in our fast-paced x-ray department. Active listening allows me to approach the client's anxiety and fears directly. A lot of care can be given in a short period of time." (Manager, Radiology Department) 

"We have been trying to find a better way for our employees to own the values and mission of our hospital. In order to have a corporate spirituality we need them to claim their own personal spirituality and RISEN explores that in a well-organized fashion." (Hospital CEO) 

"The ethics portion of RISEN helped open my eyes to the human story as the context for applying the ethical principles. I feel a confident excitement about 'doing ethics' now." (Director, Infant Intensive Care) 

"The challenges for the direct care giver are going to escalate. RISEN is an important in providing insight, skill and support to care givers to help them be responsible for meeting their own need (for balance) while improving the quality of their work life." (Hospital COO) 

For more information about RISEN, please contact
Sr. Rhea Emmer at 920-921-4864 or rheacsa@charter.net or Marjorie Wilbur at 414-672-5932 or mwilbur.centertobe@sbcglobal.net