WELLNESS INTENSIVE

Upcoming cohort dates coming soon!

 

Overview:
Bastion’s Wellness Intensive is a free, 10-week program for veterans and active duty service members in the Greater New Orleans area. Our social work team leads weekly psychoeducation groups to help participants better manage symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. These sessions are designed to highlight the powerful role of the body in healing.

 

This on-site program utilizes body-based and science-backed techniques centered on resilience. Together, participants build a supportive and open community guided by dedicated social workers. Participants are provided opportunities to practice new tools and techniques, connect with other veterans in a validating environment, and nurture Post Traumatic Growth.

 

Format:

  • Weekly group psychoeducation session; in-person at Bastion
  • Each cohort begins with an Orientation session to connect new participants with Wellness Intensive alumni and learn more about what the program entails.
  • Every session includes a community meal plus time to connect with peers and reflect on the day’s topics.
  • Throughout the week, participants choose from available mind-body wellness modalities offered at Bastion with a minimum requirement of one per week.
    • Examples include: Yoga, Walking Group, Acupuncture, Cupping, Meditation, Sound Bath, Tai Chi, Art Sessions, TRE (Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises), and more.
  • Participants will also be offered individual appointments with a member of the social work team. 

 

Schedule & Eligibility: 

  • Veterans and active duty service members, 18 years or older
  • 1.5 hours of group session & TRE per week + 1 mind/body intervention per week
  • Ten weeks, including one week of orientation and a graduation ceremony week 

 

A Sample of Previous Topics:

  • The Science of Stress & Trauma
  • Managing Stress/Coping Skills
  • Communication & Boundaries
  • Alternative Treatments for Mental Health


Meet the Wellness Intensive Team:

This program is led by Bastion’s social work team: Lovella Calica (LCSW),  EJ Bond (LCSW), and Breyana Robinson (MSW Intern). Lovella has worked with veterans for more than 20 years. With a focus on mind-body interventions, she is trained in TRE and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)  and certified with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. EJ has worked with active duty military since 2008 and has experience treating PTSD and other mental health-related issues with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), EMDR, Prolonged Exposure (PE), and other effective treatments. EJ is a drummer and percussionist who recognizes the value of whole-body focus in wellness and healing.

 

To register, fill out the interest/registration form as soon as possible if you are interested. 

 

Please fill out the form even if the schedule doesn’t work for you at this time. We will be offering future groups throughout 2026 and plan to accommodate more evening hours as well as offer a group for veterans and military family members/caregivers.

 

Email Lovella at [email protected] with questions.



Testimonials:

 

“I appreciate the support and dedication of the moderators. As United States Military Veterans it takes a lot to march on beyond our hardships and memories associated with our time in service. I am so proud of our group members for putting in 10 weeks worth of work in order to heal, for sharing 10 weeks worth of advice with the intent of helping others heal and for finding the strength not to give up on themselves no matter how hard at times it may seem.”

  • Cohort 2 Veteran Graduate 

 

“I’m grateful for Bastion and the community because it got me out of my apartment and out of my comfort zone. I met some great people while there, both staff and participants. There’s a lot of love and compassion going around at Bastion and it’s comforting to know y’all are there if I need you. Thank you.” 

  • Cohort 2 Veteran Graduate

 

“Bastion has really, really opened my mind up and opened up a lot of our minds to different types of therapy but we all can agree that we found something that we can take away that works for us.”

  • Cohort 3 Veteran Graduate

 

“This Wellness Intensive helped pull me back from the self-isolation and spiral of depression that had settled in.  Being around other veterans, going through their trials with them, and being helped by them has been inspiring and nurturing. I am in a better place now, and feel that it is in large part due to this program.”

– Cohort 4 Veteran Graduate




Online Resources:

What is TRE? 

  • TRE stands for Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises is a series of movements and stretches designed to help kickstart a natural shaking mechanism in the body to release muscular tension and stress. To learn more, visit TREforall.com or watch the video below. 
  • Bastion offers TRE with Lovella every Wednesday at 1:30pm. This wellness resource is cost-free and open to the public.

Wellness

WELLNESS INTENSIVE

A ten-week psychoeducation program facilitated by Bastion’s social work team

Upcoming cohort dates coming soon!

Overview:

Bastion’s Wellness Intensive is a free, 10-week program for veterans and active duty service members in the Greater New Orleans area. Our social work team leads weekly psychoeducation groups to help participants better manage symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. These sessions are designed to highlight the powerful role of the body in healing.

.

This on-site program utilizes body-based and science-backed techniques centered on resilience. Together, participants build a supportive and open community guided by dedicated social workers. Participants are provided opportunities to practice new tools and techniques, connect with other veterans in a validating environment, and nurture Post Traumatic Growth.

Format:

  • Weekly group psychoeducation session; in-person at Bastion
  • Each cohort begins with an Orientation session to connect new participants with Wellness Intensive alumni and learn more about what the program entails.
  • Every session includes a community meal plus time to connect with peers and reflect on the day’s topics.
  • Throughout the week, participants choose from available mind-body wellness modalities offered at Bastion with a minimum requirement of one per week.
    • Examples include: Yoga, Walking Group, Acupuncture, Cupping, Meditation, Sound Bath, Tai Chi, Art Sessions, TRE (Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises), and more.
  • Participants will also be offered individual appointments with a member of the social work team.

Schedule & Eligibility:

  • Veterans and active duty service members, 18 years or older
  • 1.5 hours of group session & TRE per week + 1 mind/body intervention per week
  • Ten weeks, including one week of orientation and a graduation ceremony week

A Sample of Previous Topics:

  • The Science of Stress & Trauma
  • Managing Stress/Coping Skills
  • Communication & Boundaries
  • Alternative Treatments for Mental Health

Meet The Team

Meet the Wellness Intensive Team:

This program is led by Bastion’s social work team: Lovella Calica (LCSW), EJ Bond (LCSW), and Breyana Robinson (MSW Intern). Lovella has worked with veterans for more than 20 years.
.

With a focus on mind-body interventions, she is trained in TRE and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) and certified with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. EJ has worked with active duty military since 2008 and has experience treating PTSD and other mental health-related issues with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), EMDR, Prolonged Exposure (PE), and other effective treatments. EJ is a drummer and percussionist who recognizes the value of whole-body focus in wellness and healing.

To register, fill out the interest/registration form as soon as possible if you are interested.

.

Please fill out the form even if the schedule doesn’t work for you at this time. We will be offering future groups throughout 2026 and plan to accommodate more evening hours as well as offer a group for veterans and military family members/caregivers.

.

Email Lovella at [email protected] with questions.

Testimonials

“I appreciate the support and dedication of the moderators. As United States Military Veterans it takes a lot to march on beyond our hardships and memories associated with our time in service. I am so proud of our group members for putting in 10 weeks worth of work in order to heal, for sharing 10 weeks worth of advice with the intent of helping others heal and for finding the strength not to give up on themselves no matter how hard at times it may seem.”
Cohort 2 Veteran Graduate
“I’m grateful for Bastion and the community because it got me out of my apartment and out of my comfort zone. I met some great people while there, both staff and participants. There’s a lot of love and compassion going around at Bastion and it’s comforting to know y’all are there if I need you. Thank you.”
Cohort 2 Veteran Graduate
“Bastion has really, really opened my mind up and opened up a lot of our minds to different types of therapy but we all can agree that we found something that we can take away that works for us.”
Cohort 3 Veteran Graduate
“This Wellness Intensive helped pull me back from the self-isolation and spiral of depression that had settled in. Being around other veterans, going through their trials with them, and being helped by them has been inspiring and nurturing. I am in a better place now, and feel that it is in large part due to this program.”
Cohort 4 Veteran Graduate

Online Resources:

What is TRE?

TRE stands for Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises is a series of movements and stretches designed to help kickstart a natural shaking mechanism in the body to release muscular tension and stress. To learn more, visit TREforall.com or watch the video below.

Bastion offers TRE with Lovella every Wednesday at 1:30pm. This wellness resource is cost-free and open to the public.