CLS: Wellness for Our Times

Center your soul, health, and wellness through the power of music and creativity.

MICHAEL SHIRTZ

“How Music & Creativity Impact the Human Experience”
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday, July 25 | Orchestra Hall 

Join Michael Shirtz for a presentation examining the engagement in music therapy and exploring methods of creativity in our lives. Why are these experiences essential in establishing a mindful presence in the human soul? Through stories, examples, and discussion, Shirtz will share how music and creativity generate a response that calms, connects, and creates our human experience.

Michael Shirtz, a performer, producer, composer and conductor, is known for his versatility with jazz, contemporary and classical music. Credited as a “songsmith” for his vocal interpretations and arrangements, Shirtz is an active singer, vocal coach and music director for educational, repertory theatre, collegiate and pops music productions. He has served on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music at Capital University, American Music Academy, Music Faculty Chair and Dean of Business, Arts & Communications at Terra State Community College, guest director with Pellissippi State College, and Associate Director/Project Manager of the Tri-C JazzFest. Through education, he has focused on the methods of creativity, innovation and performing arts to build cultural enrichment and opportunities of economic and community development. Currently, he teaches music composition and arts entrepreneurship at the Heidelberg University School of Music & Theatre, conductor of the Symphony Chorale and Firelands Symphony School of Music, and artistic producer of the Jazz@8 Series presenting jazz concerts and workshops with artists-in-schools programs.

DR. AMY SAPOLA

3:30-5 p.m., Monday, July 25 | Orchestra Hall

Dr. Amy Sapola is passionate about helping people achieve radiant health through reconnecting with their own intuition, nature, and deep nourishment as well as working on public health issues related to the social determinants of health, soil health, and planetary health. Dr. Sapola is a Certified Wellness Coach, Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP) and Doctor of Pharmacy with a B.S. in Nutrition. She has also completed a 2-year fellowship with honors in Integrative Medicine from the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM). Dr. Sapola is the Director of Farmacy at The Chef’s Garden and works to help guide consumers towards a mindful relationship with food by connecting the benefits of healthy soil, to healthy plants, and ultimately, to healthy people.  As a mother of two young children, master gardener, passionate cook and long-time yogi, Sapola follows an integrative approach to health and wellness personally and professionally.

CECILE BRENNAN

“What Does It Mean to be Well?”
10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 26 | Orchestra Hall

This presentation will begin with a holistic concept of wellness that takes into account physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellness. A brief description of each component of wellness will be presented, and participants will become acquainted with some of the recent research into what constitutes wellness. This introduction to wellness will be followed by a more in-depth description of some of the major components of physical wellness: eating, sleeping, exercising, and attention to body “history”. Participants will be encouraged to assess their own physical habits and determine what is working and what would benefit from a change of habit. As with all the lectures, the goal is for participants to have ample time to ask questions in order to fully engage with the material being presented.  While each lecture focuses on an adult audience, the differences in wellness goals throughout the lifespan will be mentioned.

“Emotional & Social Wellness”10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 27 | Orchestra Hall

What does it mean to be emotionally balanced and socially supported? This lecture will review what an emotionally balanced and socially connected life looks like, and what can interfere with emotional and social wellness. Participants will be encouraged to consider their current life practices as well as their emotional and social history in order to begin to arrive at a plan to enhance their own emotional and social wellness.

“Spiritual Wellness”
10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Thursday, July 28 | Orchestra Hall

Given our thinking minds, human beings have a need for spiritual and/or existential meaning in their lives. This is true even for individuals who may not affiliate with a specific religious/spiritual tradition. Recent research into wellness has emphasized this point by presenting clear evidence that people without a “meaning-making system” are at higher risk for physical and emotional disturbances. In this presentation, components of spiritual wellness will be reviewed, and participants will be encouraged to assess their own spiritual wellness.

“Creating a Personalized Wellness Plan”
3:30-5 p.m., Thursday, July 28 | Train Station

This culminating workshop will provide participants time to work individually and in small groups to create a personalized wellness plan. The workshop will be actively facilitated by the presenter in order to assists participants in the creation of the plan. The goal is to have participants leave the workshop optimistic and energized about their ability to shape a healthier, happier and more socially connected life.

Cecile Brennan is a licensed professional clinical counselor with a supervisory designation, a counselor educator and a clinician in private practice.  She is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling at John Carroll University.  During her time at John Carroll, she was the first chair of the newly established Department of Counseling, developed a certificate program in Spiritual Wellness & Counseling and helped establish the substance-use disorder concentration and certificate program.

In addition to her work with John Carroll University, Dr. Brennan is an employee assistance counselor at Moore Counseling & Mediation Services.  She meets with clients individually and presents webinars and in-person workshops.

Dr. Brennan also has extensive experience in the field of education.  She has worked with children from elementary school through high school as both an educator and a counselor.  This depth of experience has led her to present professional development workshops for teachers, school counselors and administrators.

Dr. Brennan’s primary areas of scholarly inquiry are counseling ethics, the interface of spirituality and counseling, the socio-cultural context of mental dysfunction and wellness and mental health.  Dr. Brennan is active in a number of professional organizations and regularly presents at local, state and national counseling conferences.  In addition, she has written a number of scholarly articles and book chapters.