ImmerseNYC Sacred Conversations are about immersion, but not immersion in water.
They are about diving deeply into the richness of community. 

ImmerseNYC Fall 2016 Fertility Journey Salon Series

Led by a trained psychotherapist, these sessions will be opportunities to share experiences of fertility struggles, build community, and learn rituals for healing and self-reflection. In addition, as a community, we will explore how mikveh (a traditional Jewish ritual immersion in living water) and other rituals and texts can buoy us along the way. Please join us as we start a conversation as a group of people who identify as women who share diverse but similar experiences in struggling to build their families.

Click here to register for the Fall, 2016 series.

Shannon Dressler, LCSW is a trained group and individual psychotherapist. Following her own experience with fertility treatments and post partum anxiety challenges after giving birth to her daughter, Shannon is expanding into private practice focusing on providing support in these areas. Through her work, Shannon develops a therapeutic and supportive environment allowing women to feel less alone and begin a journey toward healing and acceptance. In this role, Shannon brings together people who are interested in convening conversations about supporting women who experience this journey of infertility and recognizing the healing power through Jewish rituals and Mikvah practice. Shannon has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago and undergraduate degree in Psychology and Gender Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. She also has extensive experience (over 15 years) in working with children/adolescents with language-based learning disabilities. Shannon lives in Park Slope with her husband, Joseph and her daughter Elyse.

Mia Simring is a recently ordained Conservative rabbi from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She focused on pastoral care and counseling and practiced chaplaincy at NYU Langone and Mount Sinai Hospitals.  She is excited about the intersection between pastoral care, active listening and ritual experiences. Mia has organized a joint 17th of Tammuz Break Fast with the Malcolm Shabazz Masjid and has traveled to Senegal and Capitol Hill with American Jewish World Service.  She is committed to deepening and broadening her communities. Her first immersion took place on a Jaffa beach, as part of a creative ritual for mourning. She lives with her husband Jimmy and children Nava and Aminadav in her hometown New York City.

Why Sacred Conversations?

ImmerseNYC began as a community mikveh (ritual bath) organization founded to facilitate safe, welcoming mikveh immersions for all Jews. Yet, we quickly recognized that when people seek us out, mikveh immersions are often only the beginning of what they are really looking for. Over time, we heard themes that cut across individual stories: a desire for connection, sharing, community, and to be able to be witnessed by others during times of transition.

In the summer of 2013, we created living room salons, sacred conversations, facilitated by ImmerseNYC staff and supporters. In these early salons, women came together to talk about their mikveh experiences. The living rooms filled up quickly, and we soon realized we had more demand than we could meet. In October of 2014, we trained 20 ImmerseNYC salon facilitators who then facilitated salons for all different types of life transitions all over the city. After a pilot year, we narrowed in on two areas where there was the strongest need-- Niddah and Fertility/Pregnancy Loss. We continue to hold events that provide the opportunity for people to share about their life experiences and build connection.

How Can I Get Involved?

Join us! If you’d like to join a salon please email Pippi Kessler, our Program Director.