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To donate your time, talent or treasure, please e-mail us at :
tlchhf@gmailcom
For more information call
Samuel Schoonover, Director
831-334-0333
Thank You for your support!

Donation welcome by check.
Please mail to the below address:
TLC Holistic Health Institute
128 Pinecone Lane
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
 

 
This film presents the Tender Loving Care (TLC) Holistic Health Foundation , a non-profit organization that demonstrates the strength of loving massage taught to children and families of children with life-threatening illnesses. The Back Rub Game is a fun, easy and SAFE way for families to learn to share the benefits of massage, providing strength, compassion and a bonding that can only be obtained through human touch. Tender Loving Care (TLC) Holistic Health Foundation needs your support. Please give generously to help us to reach many more children and their families with the gift of the beautiful Back Rubof massage that will change lives. Your one-time donation or monthly pledge of $5, $10, $15, $20 or more will help us to teach kids and their families with cancer, brain tumors, etc. at Children's Hospitals and Children's Camps for over 20 different life-threatening and chronic illnesses, and to nurses in Hospice Organizations who provide support, instruction and palliative care.

TLC Games ©

Inspired to combine his experience practicing/teaching massage and his desire to help people in need to give and receive therapeutic touch Samuel Schoonover has developed a gentle, light and fun games entitled S.A.F.E. TLC Back Rub ©, TLC Hand and Arm Rub Game© , The TLC Nurturing Holds© and the Smiling Heart Guided Imaginary © . See TLC Games© PDF
The Back Rubis presented as a safe, fun, uplifting experience that can be taught in approximately a one-hour session. After we teach it once, we can review it in a half-hour session or more. Group sizes range as small as four and we can teach up to 50 or more participants at one time depending on what works best for you.

The S.A.F.E. TLC Back Rub © is essentially a gentle backrub with 12 different strokes done FULLY CLOTHED. Enclosed at the end is an example of the strokes taught in a fun story fashion. We begin the class with the explanation of what S.A.F.E. entails. Our purpose is to have people practice saying out loud, before touch is offered, how to ask for they want and to say what they do not want depending on their own personal boundaries etc.

 

Here is the definition of S.A.F.E. :

S. Say what you want or don’t want.

A. Always ask first: "Want a Back Rub now”? If not, just say “No thanks.”

F. Feedback: Say: “lighter”, “more pressure”, “not there”, “please go to this spot”.

 E. Each time you can return the back rub right away or later
Before we engage in the actual Back Rub we talk about the Back Rub and have a Q/A period. Then the participants form dyads and practice with each other as I verbally talk them through the process of giving and then receiving the 11 strokes below.

Benefits for children and adults who learn and exchange the Back Rub©:

CREATIVITY: They express their own creativity by adding any variation to the Back Rubas long as they follow the guidelines mentioned below.
NURTURING FOR THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT: Safe touching is essential to our overall, holistic well-being. Giving as well as receiving is a nurturing experience.
LEARN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS 
AND HOW TO ASK FOR WHAT THEY WANT AND HOW TO SAY NO:
This is a major part of learning S.A.F.E. and provides a sense of control over their environment
SELF-CONFIDENCE: Gain self-confidence by learning a skill to give and share with another person. We encourage everyone to become a teacher of S.A.F.E. Game©.
EMPOWERMENT: Empower them to practice being in control and the ability to ask for want and also say what they do not want.
SELF-ESTEEM: They will be successful at this after the first time and gain a new skill to share, give and teach others. In the role of being “the teacher” their self- esteem is enhanced.
A NEW WAY TO CONNECT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE FUTURE:  At home they can give the Back Rub to their family members and close friends, teach it to them, and then ask to receive the Back Rub back.

    GUIDELINES:

  • We explain what S.A.F.E. means and make sure that the participants fully understand this before they exchange back rub with each other.  
  • We stipulate that this only be shared in with fellow members, campers, counselors in a group situation or in the presence of adult supervision. 
  • We provide participants with re-view teaching sessions to learn and practice the Back Rub techniques. 
  • Students remain fully clothed while learning how to do the various techniques on each other's backs.
  • Participants get a chance to exchange the  rub techniques with several different people. The campers, counselors and staff are always invited to participate. 
  • We invite your input to change, adjust or add to these guidelines to meet the needs of your members or campers.  

See TLC Games © PDF

©Tender Loving Care (TLC) Holistic Health Foundation all rights reserved
© 2009 by Samuel Schoonover

 TLC Holistic Health Foundation is a Non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.  Consequently, gifts, contribution and grants of cash are tax deductible under U.S. Federal or State law. Our tax ID number is 94-6136356