Helen Bzdel BA, BSW, RSW(SK), CLL, CLYL, CTRTC
Laffing Out Loud Lafter Yoga with Helen
Certified Laughter Leader, Certified Laughter Yoga Leader
Choice Theory/Reality Therapy Certified
FNIHB Approved Mental Health Therapist
Saskatoon Search & Rescue Clinical Consultant
Helen is a mental health professional, Certified Laughter Leader and Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. Helen has been a Social Worker for sixteen years and she has worked as a Clinical Social Worker for the last ten years.
Helen reports that becoming a Certified Laughter Leader and Certified Laughter Yoga Leader is one of the best choices she ever made. Helen believes strongly in practicing self-care and loves to share the benefits of therapeutic laughter and humour in order to help people reduce their stress and enjoy life more fully. She finds sharing laughter with others to be very rewarding and wants to share this wonderful experience with as many people as she possibly can. Helen is open to any requests she receives about presenting on the benefits of laughter and is particularly interested in how laughter positively affects people with anxiety and mood disorders, as well as addictions.
Interests
Helen enjoys reading, learning new things, laughing, scrapbooking and card making, as well as spending time with family and friends. Helen has been involved in teaching Laughter Yoga groups and giving presentations on the many benefits of laughter since December of 2007. Helen has volunteered as a Social Work Mentor at the SWITCH (Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health) Clinic in the Westside Community Clinic since its inception in October of 2006. Helen has been a volunteer member of Saskatoon Search and Rescue since February, 2009 and is their Clinical Consultant.
Helen also has her own private counselling practice - "
A Life's Journey Counselling" Helen plans to start a Masters degree program in Social Work in September, 2010.
Helen is an affiliated member of the following Professional Organizations:
- William Glasser Institute - due-paying member in training
- World Laughter Tour
- Dr. Kataria School of Laughter Yoga
- AATH (Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor)
- Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers
Products/Services offered:
- Keynotes (on the topics of Humour & Health, Humour & Mental Health, Humour & Therapy and Humour & Happiness, Self-Care through Humour)
- Workshops (on the topics of Humor & Health, Humour & Mental Health, Humor & Therapy and Humor & Happiness, Self-Care through Humour)
- Retreats (on the topics of Humor & Health, Humour & Mental Health, Humor & Therapy and Humor & Happiness, Self-Care through Humour)
- Presentations on the benefits of laughter to Mental Health and Addictions facilities
- Certified Laughter Leader (in affiliation with World Laughter Tour)
- Certified Laughter Yoga Leader (in affiliation with the Dr. Kataria School of Yoga Laughter
- Certified Laughter Clubs (in affiliation with World Laughter Tour & the Dr. Kataria School of Yoga Laughter)
- Presentations and laughter yoga sessions for First Nations communities
- Presentations and laughter yoga sessions for counselling agencies
- Presentations and sessions on laughter, wellness and team building to major corporations
- Presentations and sessions on laughter, wellness and team building to schools, technical schools and the local university
- Presentations and sessions on laughter, wellness and team building for mental health professionals
- Various Laughter Yoga presentations and groups for seniors
- Laughter yoga sessions with people who have sustained brain injury
Achievements:
- Keynote speaker at the Families Living with Mental Illness Workshop (theme – self-care) – session presented was “Laughter for the Mental Health of It”
- Monthly presentations on the benefits of therapeutic laughter and laughter club for in-patient addictions facility
- Presentations and laughter clubs in an out-patient mental health facility for groups on Stress and Anxiety and Bipolar Education
- Twice monthly laughter club in the community
- Therapeutic laughter exercises/ laughter club for a professional institute of massage therapy class
- Succeeded in getting our City Council to proclaim Sunday, May 4, 2008 World Laughter Day in the City of Saskatoon
- Co-planned and Co-facilitated Saskatoon’s First and Second Annual World Laughter Day Celebration for Sunday, May 4, 2008 and Sunday, May 3, 2009
- Laughter sessions for Nurses in a forensic/hospital/treatment setting
- Presentations and laughter clubs for daycare staff
- Presented laughter group and presentation to University of Saskatchewan ESL (English as a Second Language) students
- Presented laughter group and presentation to Saskatoon Housing Coalition
- Presented laughter group and presentation to Assistant Wardens in the Prairie Region from the Correctional Service of Canada
- Presented laughter group and presentation to elementary school students
- Various Laughter Yoga presentations and groups for seniors
- Laughter session for patients/offenders in a forensic/hospital/treatment setting
- Contract Laughter Yoga Sessions in a rural community
- Laughter yoga presentations and sessions in First Nations communities
- Laughter yoga presentations and sessions with Bachelor of Social Work students
- Laughter yoga presentations and sessions with counselling agencies
- Participated in the Advanced Laughter Leader Workshop in Columbus, Ohio
- First Certified Laughter Leader out of several thousand CLLs to get the World Laughter Tour logo tattoo!
- Laughter session and presentation at Saskatoon Crocus Co-op for people with mental health disorders
- Laughter session and presentation for the Women's Program at the SWITCH (Student Wellness Initiative toward Community Health) Clinic
- Laughter session and presentation for Public Service Week session for staff at Willow Cree Healing Lodge and staff at the Regional Psychiatric Centre
- Laughter session and presentation for TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) group in rural community
- Laughter sessions and presentation for Nurse Supervisors at the First Nations & Inuit Health Nurse Supervisor Conference
- Laughter sessions with staff at the SIAST Staff Training Day
- Laughter sessions at the Humboldt Heritage Fair (four groups of twenty-five students mixed from grades 4 - 8)
- Laughter session and presentation for International Women's Symposium
- Laughter session and presentation for CUMFI (Central Urban Metis Federation Inc.) International Women's Day Celebration event
- Laughter session and presentation for Welcome Wednesday support group and the community sponsored by Mental Health and the community of Hudson Bay, SK
- Laughter session and presentation for the Electrical and Instrumentation engineers and support staff at AMEC Americas Limited
- Laughter presentation/session and team building with Farm Credit Canada employees
- Laughter session and presentation for Cameco Corporation
- Laughter session and presentation for the Bridges group at Saskatoon City Hospital
- laughter yoga sessions with SARBI (Saskatchewan Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured) & SBIA (Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association), Saskatoon Chapter