Brewing Wellness is a podcast created by the UFT's Member Assistance Program to support the mental health and well-being of our members.
In order to do the work you do every day and be present for your loved ones, students, patients and colleagues, your cup has to be full. Brewing Wellness focuses on mental health and wellness topics that can help us all thrive in our professional and personal lives.
A new episode is released on the last Monday of each month.
Listen to Brewing Wellness wherever you get your podcasts. It’s available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts and SoundCloud.
Current episode
Our physical and mental health are connected: Research shows that exercise can boost your mood and lead to a more positive outlook on life. In this episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Shanna Honkomp, a social work graduate and yoga instructor, and Stuart Kaplan, UFT Staten Island Safety and Health representative and chair of the UFT Runners Committee, share the benefits of staying active and offer tips for how to find what works best for you.
Previous episodes
Learn ways to lower the stress and increase the learning and joy in your classroom by using mindfulness techniques and movement, theater and the visual arts. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by Julie Flynn Badal, a longtime public school teacher and artist, who offers workshops on contemplative practices, movement and the arts at The Meadow. She will explore a variety of ways to engage students and incorporate mindfulness practices and the arts in the classroom, a benefit to both students and educators.
How do you help a student who is being bullied find their voice and power? In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by author and attorney S.P. Brown, who will share stories from her book, "Kyrie’s School Blues," about a home-schooled 4th-grader’s rocky transition to the classroom. Jamie Lepow, a licensed social worker and senior administrator in the city Department of Education’s Office of Safety and Youth Development, joins the conversation to discuss ways to help students overcome conflicts and bullying.
What does it take to transform your life when you face great adversity? In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by S.P. Brown, an author, attorney and former corporate executive. This native New Yorker overcame childhood verbal and physical abuse, spurred on by her love of books and writing. “Gifts in Brown Paper Packages,” her latest novel, shares her real-life experience as she escaped domestic abuse to find her way in the world.
With the new year fast approaching, it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and think about changes you’d like to make in the months ahead. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by Donna Resmini, a wellness and fitness coach. She will discuss ways to set yourself up for success, including how to have a magic moment every day, the importance of gratitude and other wellness practices and, most important, how to focus on being present, not perfect.
Trauma shapes the way students present in the classroom and in their homes. In this episode of the Classroom Café podcast, we are joined by licensed mental health professional Ashley Groesbeck. She will highlight the importance of finding out what's going on in your students' lives and share techniques to build body awareness and mindfulness. These and other tools help students — and adults — to build resiliency and increase their capacity for joy and growth.
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