Health and Wellness Conference, April 1 & 2
March 15, 2011 -- A health and wellness conference that focuses on integrated healthcare will be held at the Mountaineer Square Conference Center in Mt. Crested Butte on April 1 and 2.
This conference is hosted by the Western State College of Colorado (WSC) Psychology Program, WSC Rural Behavioral Health Class, Active Minds (WSC student health club) and the Gunnison/Hinsdale Early Childhood Council.
Titled “Bridging the Gap: An Integrated Approach to Health and Wellness,” the conference brings together traditional and holistic methods for addressing and treating health issues, as well as other topics of interest to health professionals, educators, students and community members. This conference also focuses on special interests to practitioners in rural communities.
“This conference is an opportunity for members of our community as well as the surrounding counties to gain a broader understanding of the importance of an integrated approach to health,” explained Kari Commerford, a WSC lecturer in psychology whose students are organizing the conference. “Health encompasses every area of our lives including our biological functions, our adaptability, flexibility, community health, spiritual health and our ability to get along with the important people in our lives.”
Sue Cooper, a psychologist and educator who has been in private practice for 25 years in Colorado Springs, will serve as the keynote speaker at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 1. She will address what it means to be emotionally healthy and how that connects with physical and spiritual health. Cooper specializes in eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. She also teaches graduate courses in psychology as a professor emeritus at the University of the Rockies, where she served as the vice president of academic affairs.
The conference also includes a panel of psychologists and nurses addressing ethical issues that emerge when practicing in rural areas. Additional session topics include prescription drug abuse, medical marijuana, Reiki, chiropractic health and youth development.
In addition to the sessions, individuals from the Crested Butte/Gunnison Wellbeing Connection will provide free massages, acupuncture and other health services for attendees.
The costs for the conference are $30 for WSC students and alumni, and $60 for others. A one-day rate is $20. Lunch is included on Saturday. Hotel accommodations and Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski passes are available at a discounted rate. All proceeds from the conference will go back into community programs.
Attendees also can earn continuing education units for attending this conference. The cost is $80 for two credits. Contact WSC Extended Studies at (970) 943-2885 to register for the credits.
For more information or to register, call (970) 943-3018. To view the conference schedule and topics, visit www.western.edu/psychconf.
