Educational Outreach
Debra Classen is an artist and retreat conference presenter. The Mute Swan Ministry grew out of her spiritual seeking for hope and healing in her own life, “I want to help people discover the sacred in ordinary events, even times of trial and loss. God is always present, consoling, healing, and encouraging us through the call of beauty.”-Debra
Debra Classen has presented to numerous parishes, civic, and religious communities, facilitating retreats, study groups, and workshops.
Previous Topics and Presentations:
“God's Beauty”--Thesis Topic Presentation, GA, CA, OH, PA
“The Beauty of our Personality”--Myers/Briggs Personality Profile--Religious Community, Workplace Presentations in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Beauty in our Brokenness”--Prisoners at San Quentin Chapel,(California Correctional Facility) and Sing Sing Chapel (New York Correctional Facility).
“Woman at the Well-'Presence'--Women's Groups--Catholic Parishes, Cleveland Diocese.
“Creator of a 40 Day Lenten Journal”--small group study and online retreat, printed journal retreat.
“Visual Journaling”--Art/Prayer Journaling retreat to Franciscan Religious Community.
“The Mystics and Beauty” --Lenten Presentation at Catholic Parishes, Cleveland Diocese.
“Merton and Beauty” --to International Merton Society, Cleveland chapter, along with retreats at Bardstown, Kentucky.
“Lax, Merton and Creativity”--Graduate School of Theology, Berkeley, California.
"Contemplative Prayer" --retreat and study groups on Contemplative prayer, KY, OH, PA.
Debra Classen
Debra has a fascination for recognizing beauty in all its forms, particularly as a means to evoke hope and healing. She has discovered its power through her education in psychology and theology, her work as a therapist, her passion for art and writing and her work as the co-founder of a non profit.
Understanding that beauty is the primary standard for scientific truth, along with aethestics as the means of bringing to light the sacred, was the foundation on which Debra and her late husband, Dr. Roger Classen, founded their non-profit ministry, "The Mute Swan" in 2005.
Speaking to health care professions, hospital chaplains, church and community events, at retreats, and inside prisons, Debra shares how the power of beauty's truth and simplicity is both scientific and divine in healing and finding hope.
Spiritual insights from many silent retreats at a monastery, art, her studies, therapy background, study of theological aesthetics and her own journey through trauma and grief, Debra integrates her journey of healing for a unique presentation about how we can heal our brains, our souls, and our lives to heal others and discover God's beauty in our world again.
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