Edwina Tries… LGBTQIA+ Friendly Game Night

Contributed

This month, Edwina attended an LGBTQIA+ Friendly Game Night hosted by Journey to a Trauma Informed Life's community outreach department, Journey: Healing Together, and learned more about their approach and services.

Journey: Healing Together is the community outreach arm of Journey to a Trauma Informed Life, a counseling and therapy group founded by Will Koehler, Tyler Titus, and Rachel Lohr in 2019. Since 2023 it has been co-owned by Koehler and Angelica Spraggins, LPC and has a staff of more than 15 counselors focused on helping diverse groups of people "including LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, people living with disabilities, and New Americans, to heal from the deep-seated traumas of discrimination, systematic oppression, and marginalization..." according to their website.

Journey: Healing Together, in its goal to "provide opportunities for diverse groups to gather, heal, restore, discover, and rebuild" is offering Wellness Weekend events. I joined May's Friday Game Night and had a wonderful time. Game nights are an 18+, LGBTQIA+ friendly, sober space, with snacks provided, that runs on a "pay as you can" donation model. We played a couple of easy but intense board games that encouraged friendly discourse and conversation. I learned more about the counseling practice and the community organization from host Eric Reiche, LPC, ATR and they made me feel very welcomed and included in the fun.

In my follow up contact with Eric, they wanted to make sure it is known that Journey "strives to create welcoming, affirming spaces for healing, connection, and joy… with monthly themes that highlight intersectional wellness." The last dates for the Spring 2025 session are June 21 and 22 and will focus on Pride and Black Celebration. Friday Game night will be trivia focused, Saturday's family-friendly "Crafternoon" will be making rainbow pocket shrines, Saturday evening's Dissociation Support Group welcomes all systems and loved ones, and Sunday's Recovery Meeting is open to anyone in recovery or seeking supportive community dialogue.

For everyone's safety and comfort the group has a rules page posted when you sign in – this is a space to feel completely welcomed to be yourself. In the current political climate, creating that kind of atmosphere can feel like a revolutionary act. Journey continues to fight the good fight to promote inclusion and healing for underserved groups through their community outreach.

For more information and a complete list of events visit: atraumainformedlife.com

Edwina is Erie's (self-proclaimed) biggest fan who loves being a tourist in our own town. If you have an idea of something new she should try you can email her at edwina.capozziello@gmail.com