Retreats, Workshops and Lectures

Dr. Coffey leads highly experiential half-day workshops and day-long retreats for those in search of deeper self-understanding and healing. She also attends ongoing therapy or support groups as a guest facilitator, providing members with an opportunity to utilize the creative arts therapies. Dr. Coffey speaks with parents, teachers, and/or schools about the significance of fostering children's creative outlets from the earliest age. With advance notice, individual programs can be created to suit your needs. To plan or schedule an event, contact Dr. Coffey.

Events offered by Dr. Coffey in 2007 & 2008

"Using the Creative Arts Therapies to Explore One's Sense of Self Before and After Being Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis"
Twice-invited guest workshop facilitator for support group. (April 2008 in Fredericksburg and Richmond, Virginia)

After-School Creative Arts Group: "To Create is Great!"
Dr. Coffey will offer two six-week sessions of an After-School Creative Arts group for children in third to sixth grades. Children will read and write poetry, make art, listen and dance to music and create and perform in their own short plays.

Session one: This session has a poetry, art and drama focus. It begins Tuesday, Oct. 9 and runs through Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007. Classes run from 4-5:30 pm.

Session two: This session has a music, art and drama focus. It begins Tuesday, Jan. 8 and runs through Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. Classes run from 4-5:30 pm.

Enrollment for both sessions is limited to eight children. Registration is closed for this event.

"Using Improvisational Acting Skills to Bring Art to Life"
Grant-funded guest artist hired to teach adolescents in a residential setting. (July 2007 at United Methodist Family Services Charterhouse School in Richmond, Virginia)

"What Does Love Look Like and How Do We Foster a Loving Spirit?" – invited speaker for this two-part creative arts workshop for parents and their children. (January 2007 at All Souls Church in Henrico County, Virginia)

Successful past events

"To Stir It Up Is To Be Divinely Inspired" – hired as workshop facilitator for staff of advertising agency (October 2006 at Neathawk Dubuque & Packett in Richmond, Virginia)

Artist-in-Residence – hired to teach drama classes to children and adolescents (July through August 2006 at Four Winds * Westward Ho Camp on Orcas Island, Washington)

"Embracing the Combined Healing Effects of Poetry, Music and Art" – hired guest co-facilitator of Therapeutic Recreation Group. (January 2006 at The Virginia Home in Richmond, Virginia)

"Studying the Benefits of the Creative Arts Therapies" – Funded by a modest grant from the Restless Legs Foundation, Dr. Coffey worked with Dr. Pamela Hamilton-Stubbs as the pair used both quantitative and qualitative instruments to demonstrate the benefits of bringing creative outlets to the RLS patient population. (February through May, 2006 in Henrico County, Virginia)

"The Welcoming Womb" – invited workshop facilitator for "Defining Moments: An Exploration of Birth Through the Arts." Workshop participants envisioned and created the first warm "nests" their babies will inhabit. Embracing the interconnectedness of our minds, bodies, and spirits, Dr. Coffey invited participants to celebrate what she believes are the first steps on the path leading to conception and birth. (January 2006 in Richmond, Virginia)

"Creative Arts Therapies: An Introduction to the Benefits that Alternative Means of Communication Can Bring to Patients" – invited speaker to Central State Hospital's "Brown Bag Lunch and Lecture" series. (November 2005 in Petersburg, Virginia)

"Unleashing Your Creative Spirit" – invited creative arts therapy experiential workshop facilitator for members of the Circle of Friends support group at the Jewish Community Center. (October 2005 in Henrico County, Virginia)

"Identifying Our Sources of Strength: Developing a Healthy Attitude Through Art" – one of three guest speakers and sole experiential exercise facilitator for the Richmond Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Event sponsored by Teva Neuroscience at Sheraton Richmond West. (September 2005 in Henrico County, Virginia)

"Incorporating the Creative Arts into the Coping Strategies of Patients Diagnosed with Restless Legs Syndrome" – invited guest speaker to the RLS support group facilitated by Dr. Pamela Hamilton-Stubbs at Henrico Doctors' Hospital. (May 2005 in Henrico County, Virginia)

"Tuning Into The Moment" – hired to facilitate art therapy-based experiential moments to those visiting the Arts for Replenishment and Change booth in the Wellness Tent. Moments happened following the Richmond Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's "Walk For the Cure." (April 2005 in Glen Allen, Virginia)

"Using The Creative Arts Therapies to Explore One's Sense of Self Before and After Being Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis" – invited workshop facilitator for self-selected group. (March 2005 in Arts for Replenishment and Change studio space in Richmond, Virginia)

"Playing With the Creative Arts Therapies on the Road to Better Understanding Oneself" – invited facilitator for Middle School-aged girls' on-going support group. (February 2005 in Ashland, Virginia)

"Incorporating the Creative Arts into the Coping Strategies of Persons Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia" – invited guest speaker to the Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) support group. (September 2004 in Chester, Virginia)

"Alternative Treatment Options: Grand Rounds Panel Discussion and Presentation" – one of three alternative treatment practitioners invited to speak to the clinical staff of Chesterfield Mental Health Center. (June 2004 in Chesterfield, Virginia)

"Ways to Handle our Feelings and Understand our Clients' Diagnoses, Feelings, and Behaviors: A Workshop on Borderline Personality Disorder" – presented in conjunction with Dr. Cheryl Al-Mateen to the staff of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children. (May 2004 in Richmond, Virginia)

"Incorporating the Creative Arts into the Coping Strategies of Patients Diagnosed with Restless Legs Syndrome" – invited guest speaker to the RLS support group facilitated by Dr. Pamela Hamilton-Stubbs at Henrico Doctors' Hospital. (March 2004 in Henrico County, Virginia)

"The Hurried Child" – invited guest speaker to the Parents Teacher Association of Tuckahoe Montessori School, Inc. (March 2004 in Richmond, Virginia)

"Drawing Beneath The Surface of Ourselves" – invited creative arts therapy workshop facilitator for members of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Glen Allen (October 2003 in Glen Allen, Virginia)

"Divorce Recovery 2003: A Future With Hope" – invited co-facilitator and creative arts therapist for the Teens Support Group. (October and November 2003 at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia)

"Bringing Issues of Bereavement to the Table and Thus Close to the Heart" – invited speaker for the clinical staff of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children. (August 2003 in Richmond, Virginia)

"Using Poetry, Play, Fairy Tales, and Psychodrama Techniques to Foster Greater Self-Compassion and Understanding" – invited guest facilitator for an on-going adult women's therapy group. (June and August 2003 in Richmond, Virginia)

"Incorporating the Creative Arts Therapies into the Lives and Work of Life Coaches: Practical Tips for Staying In Tune with Oneself" – invited presenter to members of the local chapter of the International Coach Federation. (May 2003 in Glen Allen, Virginia)

"Arts for Replenishment and Change: Healing Trauma Through Creative Expression - Parts I and II" – invited speaker for the Virginians Against Domestic Violence Training Institute: "Understanding Trauma and Its Impact on Survivors and Helpers." (May 2003 in Williamsburg, Virginia)

"Using Movement, Improvisation, and Family Sculpting to Foster Greater Self-Compassion and Understanding" – invited guest facilitator for an on-going adult women's therapy group. (April 2003 in Richmond, Virginia).

"Discovering Your Personal Vision: Tapping Intuitive Imagery to Claim Your Path" – day-long retreat incorporating journaling, movement, art, and music presented by Dr. Coffey and Life Coach colleague, Laura Roelofs. (November 2002 in Richmond, Virginia)