Impact Bay Area brings self-defense class to Women’s Recovery Association

Women’s Recovery Association, a program of HealthRIGHT 360, provides individualized and integrated clinical services designed to address the complexity of women’s needs. Their comprehensive programming includes individual and family counseling, group therapy and educational groups that focus on women’s recovery from substance abuse and related addictive behaviors. Women’s Recovery Association’s Life Skills group is geared toward learning skills associated with managing and living a better quality of life. The group is designed to teach a variety of skills that support clients to accomplish their ambitions and live up to their full potential. During a brainstorming session about what skills the clients were interested in, one group suggested they would enjoy learning self-defense. Case manager Joanna Smiley looked into companies around the Bay Area that offer self-defense classes and came across Impact Bay Area who generously offered to do an hour-long introductory workshop for our clients for free.

“Impact is a great company because they are trauma-informed and teach empowered self-defense instruction to meet the individual physical and emotional needs of each participant,” Joanna said.

A great partner for Women’s Recovery Association, Impact Bay Area is a 501c3 organization where people can get practical self-defense and personal safety training in a welcoming environment regardless of age, physical fitness, gender, orientation, or weight. During the Life Skills workshop in February, Impact Bay Area instructor Dani Villalobos offered an overview of each technique and an opportunity for each participant to practice. It was informative, empowering, and a lot of fun.

“It was wonderful to see our clients, many of whom are trauma survivors, taking up space, using their voices, practicing the techniques with power and confidence, and laughing in the process,” shared Joanna.

HealthRIGHT 360 is thankful for their generosity in helping the clients at Women’s Recovery Association

A The Women’s Recovery Association exists to restore women of all ages and circumstances to a life of dignity and respect, free from the effects of substance abuse.

Impact Bay Area, a nonprofit organization that teaches effective boundary setting, personal safety, and physical self-defense skills 

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