Speakers

Alison Hedgepath, Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator. 1.5 years with CASA Jeffco/Gilpin

“CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are volunteers appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court and other settings. A CASA volunteer acts as the voice of the child, offering another set of eyes and ears for the court. CASA volunteers might: help siblings find permanent homes together, help a child access needed services, advocate for tutoring/therapy/extracurricular activities, and make recommendations to the judge on placement.

CASA Jeffco/Gilpin is lucky to have the support of 329 active CASA Jeffco/Gilpin volunteers. Yet, we are only able to serve 34% of the cases that need a child advocate, leaving hundreds of children without a voice in our court system. The devastating effects of broken lives can be changed when a CASA volunteer steps up to advocate for abused and neglected children.

There are several ways to help CASA Jeffco/Gilpin: becoming a CASA volunteer, donating money, donating in-kind items (toys, books, clothing), sharing about CASA on social media or in your community groups.”

As a psychotherapist and pastoral counselor, Dr. Audrey Boxwell has been researching the mind/body connection and their role in healing for the past 2 decades. She currently practices outside the office, taking patients and clients on walks or hikes to literally help each person move through long-standing psychological, physical and even spiritual issues with greater ease. According to Boxwell,

“Walking beside patients levels the playing field, eliminating the hierarchy existing in traditional office settings.  This, coupled with the forward action of walking and or hiking, serve as a perfect metaphor toward possibilities, rather than getting stuck in the past, focusing on missed opportunities or holding on to long held negative beliefs."  

In her new book, From Sole to Soul, A Daily Prescription for Moving Forward in Your Life, Boxwell presents daily doses of movement motivations in the form of bite-sized anecdotes, health facts and inspirational morsels to get readers up and out and on their way to creating a new day--one filled with personal goals and action steps to help them "walk their talk.”

Dr. Boxwell is also the developer of PsycheHike®, an integrated physical, emotional and spiritual program that reduces stress and increases overall health by lifting brain fog and bringing clarity to long held dreams and life purpose.