Women & Children First in partnership with Books & Books is delighted to present a virtual event with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin in celebration of her new book, Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included). For this event, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin will be in conversation with Dr. Kali Cyrus. This event will be held on Zoom webinar. Books & Books will be managing this event. Women & Children First will send registered attendees a link to join on the day of the event.

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Dr. Lakshmin is a physician specializing in women’s mental health, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine, the founder of Gemma, the digital platform focused on women’s mental health and equity, and a contributor to The New York Times. In REAL SELF-CARE she explains why our understanding of self-care is incomplete at best and manipulative at worst. Fixing your troubles isn’t simple as buying a new day planner. We cannot meditate our way out of a 40-hour work week without childcare. In fact, these faux self-care practices keep us looking outward, comparing ourselves with others or striving for perfection. Worse, they exonerate an oppressive social system that betrays women and minorities. Real self-care is not a thing to do– it’s a way to be. When we practice it, we shift our relationships, our workplaces, and our broken systems.

Packed with actionable strategies, REAL SELF-CARE is a complete roadmap for women to set boundaries and move past guilt, treat themselves with compassion, get closer to themselves, and assert their power. Using case studies from her practice, clinical research, and her signature down-to-earth style, Dr. Lakshmin guides readers on:

·        Why the game is rigged: How our patriarchal society saddles women with contradictions, leaving us burnt out, disconnected, and primed to practice faux self-care.

·        What we’re really searching for: Are you using faux self-care to escape your reality? To feel a sense of achievement? To maximize efficiency?

·        How to get started: Practical exercises and tools to build boundaries and self-compassion, to make space for yourself, and to access your power in the face of systemic injustice

·        Why real self-care matters: When we practice real self-care, we initiate a cascade effect that impacts our families, workplaces and social systems.

Kali Cyrus MD MPH is a psychiatrist, a co-founder of Gemma, and an advocate for mental health and health equity who brings a unique approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a Stanford, Emory, UIC, and Yale trained physician, a public health thought leader, and a featured expert on Season 3 of Showtime’s Couples Therapy. Her work is informed by her personal experience as a Black, Queer woman. Dr. Cyrus is a Board Member of the Committee to protect Medicare, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In her academic work, Dr. Cyrus has developed curricula to help medical trainees understand and respond to oppression. Pairing her deep expertise with humor, Dr. Cyrus brings humanity to challenging topics and works with individuals and corporations around issues of race, identity, and conflict.

Image Description: A light green graphic with the faint pattern of open books. A small cover image of REAL SELF-CARE is positioned next to a photographs of the author. The text reads, “Women & Children First presents DR. POOJA LAKSHMIN at 7 p.m. CST, via Zoom Webinar.” 

Accessibility: Email wcfbooks@gmail.com with questions or to request accommodations.

**All of our virtual events are recorded. The recordings are later uploaded with closed captioning to our YouTube Channel within a week or two of the event. **

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Tags: Chicago, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, Edgewater, Kali Cyrus, Real Self Care, Real Self Care by Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, Women & Children First Bookstore