Many adults find themselves constantly looking for the thing that will bring them happiness, often times trying to find it in the thrill of exciting experiences or material items. This seems to work in the moment when they get a hit of adrenaline, but soon after the moment is over, they find themselves in the quest for the next thing that will bring them another rush of adrenaline. This becomes a cycle where people continue to seek external things to help them fix how they feel internally.

What people may not know is that due to lack of emotional nurturance, many adults are emotionally disconnected from themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. This in turn leads them to experience less joy or satisfaction over mundane things to which they are constantly exposed.

In this keynote, trauma therapist and licensed professional counselor Yolanda Renteria, LPC, NCC will teach you the signs and impact of emotional disconnection, the impact this has had in your life, and offer steps to learn the process of reconnection. She will also describe the relationship changes that will emerge from emotional connection, and you will learn to find joy in small moments every day in your environment.

Ms. Renteria is trained in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Brainspotting, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She is also an adjunct faculty psychology professor at Northern Arizona University, and contributor for The Gottman Institute and Verywell Mind. Her work has been featured in Selena Gomez’s Wondermind, Parents Latina, and NPR, and she utilizes social media platforms to bring awareness of generational cycles that perpetuate trauma.

This event suitable for youth 12+. The event will be recorded but not live streamed. The video will be available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.

This event is presented by Family Action Network (FAN). Gorton Center is proud to partner with FAN as a sponsor of this event to bring this programming to our patrons.