Goal setting and vision board workshop set Jan. 20

HealTree will present a goal setting and vision board workshop from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20, at 1632 Savannah Road, Suite 10, Lewes.

Research shows a strong connection between goal setting and success for individuals who create their own plans. Goal setting is linked with higher motivation, self-esteem, self-confidence and autonomy. When individuals focus on what they want in life, the brain can rewire itself in order to achieve fulfillment. Goals open people up to new possibilities and help shift problems to solutions.

Imagination is a key piece for goal setting. Studies show that people who visualize their goals before setting their actions activate their brain in a different way. Neurologists have shown that the brain cannot distinguish between reality and imaged reality. Individuals’ minds can believe that their goals are real, and eventually, the brain will drive their behaviors toward the goal.

Creating a vision board brings energetic intentions to one’s goals, and the brain responds with an increase of dopamine production. Dopamine functions as a motivator and creates the feeling of pleasure when one achieves a goal. Each small, completed step increases motivation and determination. These repeated actions, done consecutively over time, lead to goal attainment.

Vision boards bring embodiment of goals. Psychology shows that when a person embodies something and claims it as their own, it becomes integrated with their identity. This is known as the endowment effect. Embodying a goal programs the unconscious to make decisions that reflect ownership. Images used to create vision boards are powerful communication tools for the unconscious, which drives behaviors 90% of the time. Using images leads people to make decisions that outwardly reflect ownership of their desires. This can solidify the alignment between the conscious goal-oriented selves and deeper parts of people’s consciousness.

Workshop participants will be led through movement and meditation designed to aid them in uncovering their truest desires and learning how to bring these visions to reality. By the end of this class, participants will have a vision board to take home with them and clarity on their next steps to achieve their goals.

Cost of $55 per person includes a journal, an 8-by-10-inch canvas, magazine images and craft embellishments.

This workshop will be guided by Catrina Stiller, LCPMH, and Maxine Middlebrook.

Stiller is executive director of HealTree and a licensed professional counselor of mental health in Delaware. She holds a certification from the National Board of Certified Counselors, a Reiki II certification and a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Certification; she has also completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training.

Middlebrook often refers to herself as a fellow healing human, and she knows firsthand the benefits of authentic and holistic mental health care and wellness. Through a variety of both personal and professional experiences, Middlebrook has developed a great appreciation for the human experience. She is a certified mindfulness teacher through the MCT program and holds a master’s degree in management from Wilmington University.

To sign up and learn more, go to healtree.co or call 302-827-4683.