RESILIENCE SPOTLIGHT : “Ladies Retreat” proves therapeutic for MTIs Published Sept. 27, 2023 Chaplain Larry Spencer, 37th Training Group, JBSA-Lackland, a True North Chaplain, hosted a Ladies Retreat for female Military Training Instructors (MTI). The retreat was an opportunity to connect with each other and look at how to prioritize the many circumstances they face in life through a spiritual lens and apply their faith to their responses. One attendee said, “Being a wife, mother, and MTI, we ladies wear so many hats and rarely take the time to take care of ourselves,” said one attendee. “Being able to take a day where I could take a mental and physical break while being surrounded by other women who knew my struggles and stressors was amazing. I was able to bond with women who had the same life stressors and experience, whether it was as women, as a line instructor, as a mother, as a wife, and even as a recently separated spouse. This trip was therapeutic in ways I wasn’t expecting, and I am forever grateful to the chaplain and his team.” The gender-specific retreats are something Chaplain Spencer has found extremely helpful for Airmen and Guardians in need of help building their resilience. “I have learned that our MTIs will open up much more if we do men’s and women’s retreats,” he said. “It provides them a safe space to discuss circumstances that they face. This retreat really enabled the female MTIs to bond with each other, giving them relationships they can pull on in their daily schedules.” True North is a prevention-focused resilience program that seeks to build a resilient force and family, promote positive outcomes, and create a more efficient human weapons system by providing permanent, in-unit access to preventative behavioral and spiritual care. Visit the True North page to learn more.
RESILIENCE SPOTLIGHT : “Ladies Retreat” proves therapeutic for MTIs Published Sept. 27, 2023 Chaplain Larry Spencer, 37th Training Group, JBSA-Lackland, a True North Chaplain, hosted a Ladies Retreat for female Military Training Instructors (MTI). The retreat was an opportunity to connect with each other and look at how to prioritize the many circumstances they face in life through a spiritual lens and apply their faith to their responses. One attendee said, “Being a wife, mother, and MTI, we ladies wear so many hats and rarely take the time to take care of ourselves,” said one attendee. “Being able to take a day where I could take a mental and physical break while being surrounded by other women who knew my struggles and stressors was amazing. I was able to bond with women who had the same life stressors and experience, whether it was as women, as a line instructor, as a mother, as a wife, and even as a recently separated spouse. This trip was therapeutic in ways I wasn’t expecting, and I am forever grateful to the chaplain and his team.” The gender-specific retreats are something Chaplain Spencer has found extremely helpful for Airmen and Guardians in need of help building their resilience. “I have learned that our MTIs will open up much more if we do men’s and women’s retreats,” he said. “It provides them a safe space to discuss circumstances that they face. This retreat really enabled the female MTIs to bond with each other, giving them relationships they can pull on in their daily schedules.” True North is a prevention-focused resilience program that seeks to build a resilient force and family, promote positive outcomes, and create a more efficient human weapons system by providing permanent, in-unit access to preventative behavioral and spiritual care. Visit the True North page to learn more.