Greetings to this wonderful WRAP community!
If you are thinking about going to the WRAP Symposium in Great Falls, Montana, in October, my suggestion to you is—GO!
I am old now, and traveling is no longer an option for me. However, I am excited to be sharing a virtual keynote speech and holding virtual Q&A sessions with Facilitators during the Symposium, and I hope to see both familiar and new faces in the audience.
Over the years, since I began studying mental health recovery back in the late 1980s, I have attended many, many conferences. Because of the effectiveness and power of conferences, wellness recovery and even the possibility of mental health and other types of recovery is now recognized by many, many more people across the country and around the world.
The power of people getting together in person and sharing their stories with others—what has worked for them and what hasn’t—either by attending plenary sessions, workshops, or just chatting during leisure time, is life-changing.
In addition to hearing and sharing stories in Montana, you will likely add to your support system by attending. I continue to be in close contact with people I met years and years ago at conferences. Several of them became my biggest supporters.
I attended my first national mental health recovery conference back in 1989. At that time I had completed a body of research on how people with mental health issues get well, stay well, and move on with their lives. I had been invited to present my findings, but, at that time, before we were even supposed to say “recovery” with respect to mental health, the conference planners did not feel many people would be interested in what I had to say. They were so wrong. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive and marked the beginning of my long career as a mental health recovery researcher, advocate, and teacher. They did not realize that attendees, especially those of us who had experienced mental health issues, were desperate for the kind of information I was sharing and so willing to share what was working for them.
That conference was the beginning of my long career of learning about wellness recovery from people who have mental health issues and other life challenges. I was then able to share the information with others at conferences, through books (I have written many now), by holding workshops around the world, and through webinars. I still do an occasional webinar, although I claim to be retired.
Now it is time for me to pass the torch on to all of you. We need all of you, everyone, to be spreading the word about mental health and wellness recovery, however it works best for you.
If you are just beginning your journey, the place to begin is in Montana this October 6-8. It’s also the place to be if you are already well along on your wellness path, as you will enhance your knowledge and understanding while meeting, supporting, and being supported by many, many others. I hope you’ll join the WRAP community for this unforgettable experience.
And please do be in touch. I may not be able to answer every email, but you mean so much to me, and I would be delighted to hear from you at maryellencopelandgmail.com. Let me know what works for you, and what doesn’t.
I hope to see many of you in the audience when I offer my keynote address!
Register Now! Early Bird Registration Pricing Ends July 31!
WRAP Co-Originator
