Houston, Austin Pre-College Workshops Transition Seniors Girls to College Life by Shari Fish Wellness FITeens

HOUSTON, TX, March 21, 2011 (Press-News.org) As college acceptances start pouring in next month and Houston and Austin high school seniors see their academic prospects, parents wonder how their daughter will handle leaving home and transitioning to independent living.

"There's a lot more involved in going off to college than choosing a roommate and picking out your bedding," cautions Shari Fish, M.Ed., CWC, LPCi and founder of Shari Fish Wellness. "After giving your daughter every opportunity for success these past 18 years, don't send her off to college unprepared for her new independence," says the Houston certified wellness coach and mother of three college-age students.

To help college-bound women prepare for this next big step, Shari Fish Wellness, in collaboration with The Women's Fund for Health, Education and Research, will offer several FITeens Pre-College Workshops this spring and summer, starting Sunday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at The Houstonian Club.

The college transition workshop will provide high school senior girls with an interactive, healthy perspective on handling the stress and excitement associated with this major college life move. The workshops will serve as an open forum for discussing expectations, tempering angst and formulating a clear plan for their first months on campus. Additionally, each participant will learn hands-on life lessons to apply in time management, budget/finances, community building, exercise, avoiding the "Freshman 15", Summer "To Do" List, drinking, dating and sex, stressing out, self esteem and sleep issues.

College transition workshops speakers will include OB/GYN Merrill Lewen, M.D., who takes a wholistic approach to women's health. Jennifer Buergermeister, the founder of Breathecure, a Houston-based 501(c)-3 non-profit organization and founder and owner of Jennyoga and CuraYoga Yoga Studios located in River Oaks/Highland Village, Shari Fish, and her daughter, Stephanie, who will share her personal insights from a student's perspective. Stephanie will graduate from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish this May.

The Houston and Austin FITeens Pre-College Workshops, each limited to 20 participants, are slated for 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and include a healthy lunch and snacks, a FITeens workbook, giveaways, and the book, What About Me?, A girls guide to health, published by The Women's Fund. Workshops are scheduled in Houston Sunday, April 17 at The Houstonian Club, 111 North Post Oak Lane; Sunday, May 24 at the Houston Racquet Club, 10709 Memorial Drive; and Sunday, June 26 at The Houstonian Club; and in Austin on Sunday, May 1 at the Austin Country Club, 4408 Long Champ Drive.

The registration fee is $185 per person and may be paid online or by check payable to Shari Fish Wellness, 12727 Kimberley Lane, Ste. 202, Houston, TX 77024.

"At a time when young women are about to make one of the biggest transitions of their life, this fun and interactive event is a great way to promote support systems for them," notes Katherine Stackel, The Women's Fund Education & Outreach Manager. "Research has shown that when women are provided with tools to make healthy goals and decisions, they are more likely to bounce back from bad situations as a result of those resiliency skills. Our connection with Shari Fish Wellness allows us to share tools for staying on track with healthy lifestyles, building a community of women who are advocates for their own health!"

The Women's Fund for Health Education and Research is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing women and girls in the Houston area with the tools they need to be advocates for their health. The Women's Fund is best known for outstanding health publications and education programs for teen girls and women.

Houston's Shari Fish and her business partner, Wendy Morgan Cohen, have three children who successfully transitioned to major universities - UT - Austin, The University of Southern California and The University of Georgia. "We have five teenage daughters between us, including two graduating seniors," Cohen notes of their first-hand experience.

Based on the principles of Positive Psychology, Shari Fish Wellness guides clients through a process of change, to achieve each client's vision for a more meaningful and balanced life, by building from their personal strengths, values, and past successes. The goal is for each client to experience increased life satisfaction, self-efficacy and to truly become her "best self."

For further information, go to http://www.sharifishwellness.com/fiteens, or call Shari Fish Wellness FITeens, 713-899-6159.

The Shari Fish Wellness FITeens Houston and Austin college transition workshops will provide high school senior girls with an interactive, healthy perspective on handling the stress and excitement associated with this major college life move.