CHICAGO -January 2025- As we embark on a new year, many individuals are seeking ways to redefine their purpose and intention in life. The Family Institute at Northwestern University is offering opportunities to help individuals reconnect with their minds and bodies through the power of mindfulness. 

With nearly 50% of Americans setting New Year’s resolutions to improve some aspect of their lives, mindfulness has been shown to offer a number of meaningful benefits. These include reducing stress, enhancing self-awareness, increasing emotional resilience, and fostering more intentional living. Recent studies have also highlighted the effectiveness of mindfulness practices, such as breath awareness, body scanning, and mindful movement, in reducing anxiety. In fact, individuals who practiced Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction saw a 20% reduction in the severity of their anxiety symptoms.  

In addition to its day-to-day programming, The Family Institute will provide new programing to support the mental health needs of their community this Winter and Spring through various psychoeducational events and resources.  

Cultivating Calm: Strategies for Inner Peace: Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 12:00 PM CST 

In this virtual 1-hour webinar, Karla Hargrove, M.A., LPC, Staff Therapist and Certified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Caroline Callahan, M.S., AMFT, Staff Therapist, will discuss practical strategies to help cultivate calm and restore balance. Participants will learn how to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and grace. Please click here to learn more and register.  

Special Program for Parents and Caregivers: Restoring Resilience-Mindfulness Tools for Today’s Parent 

In light of the recent U.S. Surgeon General’s report on parental stress and mental health, The Family Institute is launching a transformative four-week program designed specifically for parents and caregivers. The program will explore themes such as self-awareness, forgiveness, self-compassion, emotional resilience, and healing, to help participants manage the unique challenges they face. This program is in response to growing concerns about parental stress, with recent data indicating that 33% of parents report experiencing high levels of stress compared to 20% of other adults. 

“I am thankful the U.S. Surgeon General is naming various stress factors that impact parents’ mental and emotional health in comparison to other adults. As a national concern, it speaks to how imperative it is for parents to be interconnected with their own needs and ways society can shift towards meeting those needs to support the parenting journey in today’s world,” states Karla Hargrove, M.A., LPC.  

The Family Institute’s mindfulness program is designed to offer meaningful support to parents and caregivers who are managing these challenges. Participants will see benefits such as:  

  • Reduced stress and a greater sense of calm amidst parenting challenges  
  • Increased emotional resilience and the ability to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. 
  • Stronger connections with yourself and your family through mindful presence. 
  • A toolkit of restorative practices to sustain your energy and joy in parenting. 

This virtual 4-week program begins on Friday, February 21 at 10:30am running weekly until March 14, 2025. Cost is $189. Please click here to learn more and register.  

8-Week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Series  

This Spring, The Family Institute will once again offer an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that will introduce the practice of mindfulness-bass stress reduction that will help participants create stronger mind-body connection, increase emotional health & well-being, and reduce depression, stress, and anxiety.   

The cost of this virtual 8-week program is $400 and will begin in April 2025 through May 2025. To learn more please visit our Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction page.  

Request an Appointment 

For those in need of more immediate support or interested in additional therapy services, please visit The Family Institute website at www.family-institute.org to schedule an appointment with one of their expert therapists.  

Media Contact: Crystal Reynolds creynolds@family-institute.org

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ABOUT THE FAMILY INSTITUTE AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY   

Incorporated in 1969, The Family Institute at Northwestern University is committed to strengthening and healing families, couples, children and adults through the highest quality, relationship-based mental health services. As partners to see change, The Family Institute brings together research, education and clinical practice leading to growth for our clients, the next generation of therapists and the field of behavioral health.      

Through the Bette D. Harris Family & Child Clinic, The Family Institute provides therapy services at no cost to clients who qualify. The Clinic is staffed by Northwestern University graduate level therapists-in-training from the Master of Arts in Counseling and Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy programs, who are educated and supervised by highly trained licensed therapists. Our therapists-in-training work closely with licensed therapists to create a collaborative, deeply impactful, affordable therapy experience.