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Women's Health Lecture Series

Fall 2008

All lectures are open to the public
Location: Rachel Carson Hall 68
Time: Tuesday, 12-12:50 pm

September 4: Understanding Our Bodies: A Self-Help Approach Women's Health Specialists' (WHS)
Jenny Mourgos, SSU alumna and health worker, and Lisa DeMartini, clinic manager, will share fertility awareness techniques through a cervix slide show and discuss the politics of pharmaceutical companies in an open forum -- bring questions and an open mind! WHS was founded in 1975 in Chico by nine laywomen dedicated to helping other women obtain health services that were otherwise unavailable to them. Currently, WHS has sites in Chico, Redding, Sacramento and Santa Rosa. By understanding women's ever-changing health care needs and the obstacles that prevent women from obtaining care, WHS provides women-centered, women-controlled care. WHS is a feminist clinic dedicated to serving women by vowing to inspire and empower all of those whom they encounter in their work.

September 11: HIV 101: A Gendered Perspective
Christopher Bowers, a local Outreach Specialist with Face to Face/The Sonoma County AIDS network, will be discussing HIV prevention. The presentation will include the basic components of HIV prevention including transmission, risk factors and testing, but with a more nuanced gender analysis. Find out why women and people of color have an increased risk of getting HIV as well as why HIV is of particular concern to the transgender community. Mr. Bowers will also discuss and debunk persistent myths around HIV, giving a more clear and realistic view of the current epidemic. Christopher Bowers has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Evergreen State College where he majored in Community Social Services and Gender Studies.

September 18: Eating Disorders: How to Recognize Them and Get Support
The presentation will cover the types of eating disorders, statistics regarding prevalence rates, etiology, and how to get the proper support for yourself or a friend. Alissa Hirshfeld-Flores, MA, MFT, is a psychotherapist currently working with the PsychStrategies, Inc., group practice in Santa Rosa. Her areas of specialization include eating disorders, grief and loss, life transitions, women's issues, and issues surrounding pregnancy and postpartum.

September 25: You Can Be Proactive About Your Breast Health Breast Thermography:
The only preventive, non-invasive, 100% safe breast screening for women 20 years and older. Join Renee Russo and Jenna Montgomery, as they empower you with practical actions you can take TODAY, to maintain or improve your breast health. Mammograms can be too late... breast thermography can find unhealthy conditions up to 12 years before a mass is detected using any other technology. Renee and Jenna are Board Certified Thermographic Technicians, and currently offer breast screenings in Ukiah, Sebastopol, Napa and Novato.

October 2: Acupressure for Women's Health
Acupressure is a safe and effective way to help balance all stages of women's health. Stephanie Halderman will cover self-help acupressure & therapeutic massage techniques for hormonal balance, PMS, menopause, pain, emotional balancing and more. Stephanie Halderman, Dipl. ABT, EMT, CMT is a diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. She is the founder of Eastern Holistic Center in Sebastopol offering private sessions, classes and certification programs.

October 9: You First: The Art and Science of Eating
Najine Shariat, Clinical Dietitian/Nutritionist, has an unparalleled approach to nutrition and the "art of living" which links nutrition to how we live, to helping prevent and treat major diseases, and making eating a pleasure. Ms. Shariat graduated from McGill University School of Nutrition/Dietetics in Canada. In October 2005, Najine traveled to Paris to finish her training in bringing the latest (and oldest) ideas from Europe to her patients! Ms. Shariat is also the founder of IT'S YOU! Nutrition clinic, which is located in Santa Rosa and has recently opened a second establishment in San Diego.

October 16 & 23: The Intimate Relationship
The way we discuss intimate relationships, domestic violence, and victim services impacts our lives on a personal and political level. This "talk", or discourse, influences how we form and navigate intimate relationships and shapes the ways in which we respond, as an individual and/or as a society, to abuse within relationships. Is domestic violence a "human rights" issue? What are the necessary components of a healthy relationship? Join Michelle Doyel, Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Victim Advocate from the Petaluma Police Department to explore how positive communication in our relationships can be a powerful catalyst in social change. The second half of this presentation (held on 10/23) will examine sex, sexual assault and the importance of sexual health within intimate relationships. Ms. Doyel will be returning to help us explore how setting healthy boundaries, communicating about sex and speaking out against sexual assault can change the world!

October 30: Bridging the Gap: Health Care Obstacles for Transgendered and Lesbian/Bisexual Women
Dawn Hartbatkin, M.D., from Lyon Martin Health Services in San Francisco will address the obstacles faced by women and transgender people in obtaining quality health services. Lyon-Martin Health Services is the only free-standing community clinic in California with a specific emphasis on lesbian/bisexual women and transgender health care. Founded in 1979 by a group of medical providers and health activists, Lyon-Martin bridges the gap in sensitive health services available to low-income, uninsured women (primarily lesbians and bisexual women) and transgender people, who have often tended to go longer without routine care because of the difficulty in finding culturally sensitive health providers.

November 6: Chemical Rites of Passage in College-Age Populations: When Is Too Much Enough?
Phyllis Haig, MFT, will present compelling information from current trends in substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment and harm reduction methods as well as local resources and a quiz to self-assess personal use and function. Ms. Haig, an SSU alumna, is a frequent college presenter, and an expert in substance abuse and mental health treatment fields. Please join us as she offers a humorous, non-shaming, feminist approach to the topic of substance abuse.

November 13: A Force of Nature: Revealing the Strength of Your Nature Through Yoga
Barbra Brady is a certified yoga teacher who holds an MA in Liberal Studies in Museum Exhibition Theory and Religious Studies. As a student of Rod Stryker’s Parayoga teacher training, Barbra's teachings in Tantric Hatha Yoga focus on creating a personal practice of yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation that are aligned with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, or "The Science of Life." These practices are the most authentic to yoga as it was first formulated 5,000+ years ago. Far more than physical exercise, Tantric Hatha Yoga's techniques hold particular power for women, as they increase our capacity to live our lives to the fullest and attune to and manifest our destiny while remaining balanced in our intuitive nature.

November 20: Rebuilding Lives: The Feminization of Poverty and its Impact on the Homeless Population
Please join Tanya Wulff, Case Manager and Annie Nicol, FNP, from the Committee On The Shelterless (COTS) to explore the feminization of poverty and its impact on the homeless population. Both Ms. Wulff and Ms. Nicol work at the Mary Isaak Center (MIC), which provides a transformative program designed to support individuals while they put their shattered lives back together again. In addition to providing basic human needs, the MIC also offers, and in fact, requires, residents to address the core issues of their homelessness. Often homelessness is a direct result of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) as well as substance abuse and health issues. We will explore how ACES, along with substance abuse and health issues, directly attribute to homelessness.

December 4 & 11: Film Viewing: “The Business of Being Born”
Danielle Ronshausen, doula and SSU alumna will join us with the highly acclaimed documentary, "The Business of Being Born." The makers of the film depict both sides of the childbirth debate: have your baby in hospital or at home with a midwife? The first half of the film will be shown on 12/4, and the second half on 12/11. Ms. Ronshausen will answer any burning questions at the end of this highly controversial video.


*There is still plenty of enrollment space available for this class. Come listen to fantastic speakers and increase your knowledge. Sign up today!

 
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