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Health & Wellness
Summer 2021
Special Supplement to The SanTan Sun News
HEALTH
WELLNESS
Your Local Guide to Better Living
Summer 2021
‘Healing with Purpose’ sessions at Tuk Urban Kafe BY COTY DOLORES MIRANDA Contributor
Two free “Healing with Purpose” classes are being hosted by Jenny Preece, owner/operator of Blue J Way Creative Healing in Chandler. Healing with Purpose classes center on grief resulting from loss. Such loss can result not only in an emotional response, but physical, cognitive and behavioral responses as well, Preece said, explaining it can result from death, divorce, job loss – or even the loss of hopes or dreams. The hour-long classes are 2:30 p.m. June 23 and July 21 at Tuk Urban Kafe, at 15815t S. 50th St. in the Liv Generations building in Ahwatukee. As with her private and tailored sessions held at her Chandler studio, Preece said the classes will help people use the creative process to “move toward a healthy, fulfilling life.” Dealing with grief isn’t limited to death. As Preece knows first-hand, it can result from other losses including health, divorce and other big life changes. “Life is like photography,” said Preece, who is also a professional photographer who has worked with corporations like Pottery Barn and Avnet, Inc. “You need the negatives to develop.” Preece speaks in a soft voice, which some of her patients consider a calming mechanism. In fact, it is spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder
and I started focusing on the beauty of the Island. The differences of the culture and people and seeing those as unique and wonderful. Little did I know photography would be a passion and a career that saved me during the darkest moments of my life.” She was a professional photographer for 20 years and recently published a photography book, “Sunrise. Sunset. Repeat.” One of her Instagram accounts remains an outlet for her photography. “I use @creative_adventuristsfamily as my therapy, and love that I can use my photography talents again on a smaller scale,” said Preece. “I also love teaching my clients the art of phoJenny Prrece, owner of Blue J Way Creative Healing, is conducting some free grief-management cours- tography as well.” From her youth, Preece es at the Tuk Urban Café at Liv Generations in Ahwatukee, just across the I-10 from Chandler. (Pablo has traveled the world. Robles/Staff Photographer Her undergrad work was at the University of Utah in Blue J Way Creative Healing services me on my path to healing.” recreation management and travel and are professionally-priced, but Preece Preece spoke of “rough patches” tourism. has a reason for offering the free classfollowing a divorce and then raising her “I’ve been to 46 states and hope to es to the community. three children as a single mother. get to all 50 by the age of 50, a life“COVID-19 has affected a lot of peo“I went through some pretty dark long dream of mine. I’ve also been to ple’s finances or brought loss of family. times. Learning to manage my own 19 countries including an internship in The world has changed. I’ve been a emotions and realizing I needed to go Japan.” strong supporter of RAK - random acts The monthly Ahwatukee classes of kindness, and it’s something I pracwere the result of LivGenerations Ahtice. I have been given much by those watukee’s Senior Leasing Director Sheri around me, so over the years, I’ve tried Simpson’s desire to offer grief coping to find community events to particiclasses. The Tuk Urban Kafe is a popular pate in or hold myself,” she explained. eatery and coffee house in the main “So, I wanted people in the commubuilding. nity to be able to attend these classes “I wanted to start grief sessions, free of charge. RAK has helped me and but I wanted something a bit different my children get through life’s darkest so when I learned more about Jenny moments. So, if I can be that light for and Blue J Way, I asked her if we could someone else. I am happy to be.” – Jenny Preece partner together,” said Simpson. “These When Preece quotes Ziad K Abdelmonthly meetings are open to the pubnour’s “Life is like Photography…,” she lic though they need to make reservaknows of what she speaks. tions by phoning me.” “My family moved to Saipan, an isback to school and get a master’s as a Attendees can join at any time as land in Micronesia, when I was 12. It was single mom in order to have other opthere that photography entered my life. long as they reserve ahead. tions for other professions. I received For more information on Jenny I was so mad at my parents for taking a scholarship for my masters program,” Preece and her services, see BlueJCreme away from everything I knew and she said of the creative life, humanativeHealing.org or phone 480-656thought I loved,” she said. ities and depth psychology degree she 8385. “After being angry and upset, my earned at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Preece and Blue J Way are also on dad said to me, ‘Jenn, you can either Santa Barbara. Facebook and can be followed on look at the negative and all the things “While in school I realized that this Instagram: you’re mad at and keep hitting your was not only what I needed but other @bluejcreativehealing and @crehead against a brick wall OR you can people needed to help them heal,” she choose to find the positives.’ I decided I ative_adventuristsfamily . The latter said. “After graduation Blue J Way was born. I help people work through tough was tired of hitting my head against the has photos of her life in Saipan. To reserve a space at the Healing brick wall. emotions in a creative way while helpwith Purpose classes in the Tuk Urban “We bought several of those disposing them understand emotional health’s Kafe, phone Sheri Simpson at LivGenerable cameras as well as a regular camera connection with the body.” ations Ahwatukee at 480-800-7304.
I went through some pretty dark times. Learning to “manage my own emotions and realizing I needed to go back to school and get a master’s as a single mom in order to have other options for other professions. I received a scholarship for my masters program.
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affecting the vocal cords. Former NPR host Diane Rehm was diagnosed with it in 1998. For many years, Preece consulted various doctors but wasn’t diagnosed until 2004 at Scottsdale’s Mayo Clinic. The disorder was life-changing. “I didn’t know what was going on with my voice. I used my voice daily for years in my professions; it was my identity,” recalled Preece, who worked in marketing and sales, event planning for large hotels, led aerobics classes and worked for a time as a radio announcer. “My voice was my lifeline. I literally had to start again,” said Preece. “Yet SD (spasmodic dysphonia) is what started
