The Center to Thrive

10/11/2025

Today is World Mental Health Day. Often the struggles of people with mental health challenges are hidden or invisible. Some people choose to wear a sunflower 🌻 to show that they may need extra support.

"The Sunflower symbol doesn’t focus on the invisible, it triggers a simple question ‘How can I help you?’ to focus on the support or understanding you need. Simply by wearing the Sunflower, you’re letting everyone, or those who are aware, know that you might need extra help, understanding, or just more time." In facts - the Sunflower https://share.google/17sJ7O1vqLNHbnQrR

If you are feeling invisible, struggling to be seen and heard, and you identify as a woman, inquire via DM or WhatsApp, about our Creating Safety to Be Seen & Heard weekly group on Zoom. Everyone deserves safety to be seen, heard, and understood.

We all need extra support sometimes. A symbol, like the Sunflower, 🌻 can make it easier for people to offer assistance, rather than you needing to ask for what you need all the time.💞

10/04/2025

Today is Mary Starks Whitehouse's birthday (1911 -1979). She was the founder of movement in-depth, also called "Authentic Movement," and one of the founders of Dance/Movement therapy.

She described authentic movement as: "When the movement was simple and inevitable, not to be changed no matter how limited or partial, it became what I called ‘authentic’- it could be recognized as genuine, belonging to that person…[a] truth of a kind unlearned, but there to be seen."

Mary Starks Whitehouse also said, "We no longer know it, but there was a time when movement was our language. We were undivided."

Lakshmi is grateful for Mary's teachings and her students' teachings, some of whom were Lakshmi's teachers, mentors, and colleagues.

09/07/2025

Ravi and Lakshmi attended the Ipswich Aware and Essex County Outreach memorial ceremony for the 1,596 people who died of overdose in Massachusetts last year. It was a sobering sight to see the 1,596 purple flags representing all those who died. Our hearts go out to their family members. Some who have lost loved ones to overdose attended this event, were shown in other photos in this article, and the group photo included Lakshmi and a rainbow which appeared during this ceromony. 💜🌈

https://thelocalnews.news/2025/09/04/ipswich-aware-honors-lives-lost-to-overdose-with-first-ever-flag-planting-ceremony/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMq7YFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHiyNE2fcXev9BPboWjkrsAi9x3oZ1UfuCsB-33O9XJzO-p5y

More than a dozen community members met outside Immanuel Baptist Church to plant hundreds of flags for overdose awareness.

08/20/2025

"What the world needs now is love sweet love, no not just for some, but for everyone!"

08/19/2025

The first Mobile Market will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Ipswich Family YMCA at 100 County Road, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The second Mobile Market will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the Cape Ann YMCA at 7 Gloucester Crossing Road in Gloucester, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Each Mobile Market will offer a variety of fresh produce, including fresh romaine lettuce, corn, eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, bananas, apples, and more.

https://thelocalnews.news/2025/08/18/the-open-door-partners-with-cape-ann-ipswich-family-ymca-for-mobile-markets-this-week/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMQ1HRjbGNrAxDUB2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeEVRuBIX-MJ355bwxFa_Yfjgjt4Gjs1ObxZnU2Pkqf_aW2qgODCGlkJZCifM_aem_XDe7Oj4ifswcr5Qvxzchwg

The Open Door partners with Cape Ann and Ipswich Family YMCA for mobile markets, providing fresh produce to the community.

07/26/2025

For 35 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has been crucial for providing accessible resources and opportunities for individuals with disabilities acr...

07/25/2025

Happy 150th Birthday C.G. Jung! He was born: July 26, 1875, Kesswil, Switzerland. His in depth psychology, use of art and dreams in psychoanalysis, and his influence on dance/movement therapists, enriches the work of Lakshmi Sirois, here at The Center to Thrive. So many are grateful for his contributions.

07/01/2025

If it is not raining, Ipswich Downtown Tuesday (free music, poetry, & dance) begins tonight!

06/16/2025

A conversation on fathers, parenting, communication, compassion, and a little on destigmatizing therapy with Michelle Obama and Bruce Springsteen. A little bit of acknowledgement can go a long way.

Legendary musician Bruce Springsteen joins Michelle to answer a question from a listener who is struggling with her relationship to her father. Bruce talks a...

04/26/2025

Today!

Come join us for World Tai Chi and Qigong day at 130 County Road, Suite L, Ipswich, MA

03/26/2025

The Center to Thrive is celebrating Trans Week of Visibility + Action (TWOVA)—a national week of resistance, political education, and mobilization for trans lives, anchored by the Gender Liberation Movement and promoted by the Womens March.

This week is about power. It’s about survival. It’s about showing up for trans youth right now—as the right escalates its war on trans lives, from bathroom bans to criminalizing care.

TUES 3/25 – Trans History Can’t Be Erased

WED 3/26 – Trans Health Is Liberation

THURS 3/27 – Ban Bathroom Bigotry

FRI 3/28 – Trans Workers Unite!

SAT 3/29 – Reproductive Justice = Gender Liberation

SUN 3/30 – Trans Migrant Liberation Now

MON 3/31 – Trans Futures = Gender Liberation

03/22/2025

Lakshmi works to create safety for silenced voices to be heard and tentative voices to become assertive. Ask about the Creating Safety to Be Seen & Heard Women's Therapy Group.

Alicia Keys' voice is one of Lakshmi's favorites, especially when she speaks truth and sings!

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