April 6, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
at the Lehigh Valley Hospital
1230 S Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown, PA 18103
Room ECC9 in the Kasych pavilion.
(Enter by the main desk and receive directions there)

April 6
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
The Healing Phoenix Arts Warrior Scar Jewelry Workshop is a dynamic program centering around providing a Post Traumatic Growth experience by introducing a new perspective and new possibilities for healing from a traumatic event. It allows group participants to open up to a unique experience opportunity through an initial group discussion guided by burn survivor Christopher Gage finding Post Traumatic Growth as a part of his journey.

Holly Gage, wife and mother to two burn survivors and renowned jewelry artist, will guide you through the Warrior Scar Jewelry activity. Participants can express themselves by making a precious Fine Silver jewelry keepsake. We combine art with discussion as a healing modality by replicating a healed scar from their traumatic experience.

Creating art can be such a powerful part of traumatic recovery. It can become a time of making and working out your inner thoughts and feelings without using words.

The Process:
You will mold a healed scar. This painless process can be done in a few minutes in privacy if desired.
With the mold, you'll use a high-tech moldable Fine Silver metal called Metal Clay which is made of nano-particles of Silver, a binder, and water to create the jewelry of your scar.
You'll embellish with a gemstone and/or inscription, and the design of your choice, whether a bracelet or pendant.
The piece is then put in a kiln (an oven approximately the size of a microwave oven) to sinter the metal, magically transforming it from its greenware state to a solid metal.
While your piece is in the kiln, we will take a break for lunch.
Finally, the jewelry gets polished in a tumbling machine and completed for wearing.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
We'll meet for an hour and share our experiences and stories as you feel comfortable. Attendees will leave with a beautifully finished necklace or bracelet with a centerpiece of their design in pure Silver.
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Peer Group Discussion
At the commencement of the program series, group facilitator Christopher Gage will engage the participants in a group discussion. Group discussion allows people suffering from various challenges to seek help in the company of others they can relate to. Christopher, a burn survivor himself, will begin the discussion by talking about his real-life experience as a burn survivor as it relates to the makeup of the attendees within the context of Post Traumatic Growth.
 
Open and honest discussion among members of an empathetic group will allow attendees to feel more comfortable telling their stories and realizing personal growth they have achieved from their experience – ultimately translating that experience into a beautiful piece of jewelry.
 
Through group talk, participants will realize the value of having a network of supportive relationships, being open to accepting them, and learning how to seek them out. A sound support system includes a variety of types of individuals and is not just limited to family members.
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In preparation for the jewelry creation portion of the program, we will discuss how powerful art can be as an outlet for trauma by expressing oneself through creativity and making aware that growth can happen when one opens oneself up to new experiences and possibilities.
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These guidelines will be carefully adhered to during the group discussion portion of the Healing Phoenix Arts Program as follows:
 
The group setting will be calm, safe, and nurturing. Participants will be respectful and kind to one another. One of the crucial aspects of group discussion is that the participants who come together feel part of an empathetic circle with no judgment.
The group will be fun and engaging. We'll laugh and enjoy the company of new friends as we break the ice to begin addressing the challenges that come with being a survivor.
Participant’s privacy. Whatever participants share in the workshop discussions stays in the workshop. Please understand that personal or private information does not have to be shared with the group, and participants will never be required to divulge any particular information at any time. Sharing is encouraged but not forced.
Each burn injury is unique. It is essential to understand and honor each persons’ individual journey as they have possibly gone through the worst thing in “their” life, so it is best not to compare your experience with what you feel is a lesser or more significant injury, and greet their journey with compassion.
 
In our past programs, we have experienced several examples of participants redefining how they see their scars – a fundamental change happens – when observing their beautiful piece of jewelry side-by-side with their injury.