Thoughts about contemporary psychotherapy and personal growth from Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP, non-traditional psychotherapist, coach, educator and psychodramatist at Lake House Health & Learning Center at 932 Lake Ave., Racine, Wis.
Thinking about the past year? Here is a way to make a good end to 2010:
Remember all of the painful and difficult experiences that took place. Write these experiences in your journal and say one by one, “I acknowledge and agree that this happened.”
Notices how you feel in your body when you make this acknowledgement.
Then remember all the joyful and wonderful experiences that took place during the year. Write these experiences in your journal and say one by one, “I acknowledge and agree that this happened.”
Notice how you feel in your body when you make this acknowledgement.
It's nearly 2011! That means that Wisconsin professionals think about making our goals while also figuring out how to get continuing education hours by Feb. 28.
The January training will help you learn how to make a vision board as fun and interesting tool to help your clients, students and other learners to focus on their dreams in a positive way. The training is designed for counselors, coaches and others who work with people who may need to set goals.
In this hands-on session with Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP, you make your own vision board and you will learn:
The story behind vision board tradition
Alternatives to vision "boards" for various populations.
How to carry the process for significant personal growth so the project is not craft-oriented or busy work.
How to integrate with additioinal experiential processes including psychodrama, guided imagery and others.
From 1 to 4 p.m. with three continuing education hours for social workers, licnesed professional counselors and addictions counselors, plus psychodrama credits. Tuition is $35 for program, materials, handout and credit hours. Send check to Lake House and contact Karen at (262) 633-2645 to reserve. Details on this and other trainings here.
Here's an example of a vision board that I recently created:
Book update
I'm hard at work at writing "Integrating Psychodrama & Systemic Constellation Work: New Directions For Action Methods, Mind-Body Therapies And Energy Healing" with my co-author Ron Anderson. Our deadline is February 2011and Jessica Kingsley Publishers tells us the book will be published in August 2011.
Karen to present at psychodrama conference
Karen will be presenting "Stories Of Our Ancestors" at the 69th annual conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy & Psychodrama on May 1, 2011 in Clearwater, Fla. For information on the full schedule of workshops and other events, find brochure here.
Constellation conference in 2011
The U.S. Systemic Constellations Conference is planned for Oct. 28-30 in San Francisco. It brings the Constellatins community together to enhance connection, belonging and expansion. Whether you are a Constellation professional practicing or learning Systemic Constellation Work or new to this healing process, please explore the full web site for details on the many presentations and workshops.
Eating disorders resource
Gurze offers a free 48-page catalogue with more than 200 carefully selected eating disorder resources including books, DVDs, newsletters, free articles, facts about eating disorders and a list of treatment facilites. Here's the order link.
I keep this catalog available for my clients and supervisees. Gurze is offering a 50 percent discount until the end of the year to get the word out. Also, check out the newly reorganized bulimia.com web site, which inlcudes "Quick Links" on the right-hand menu bar, with topic-driven, hand-selected articles, books and information.
Sand tray training
Postive comments on the recent "Sand Tray Theatre" training for professionals, when participants had the hands-opportuonity to create a series of sand tray scenes, starting with gentle work with their hands in the sand and then continuing with various vignettes for various therapeutic and coaching issues.
We ended up with this final scene:
Among the comments on the evaluations:
"This should be a series!"
"I liked the hands-on aspect."
"I can see how I can use this with my clients."
"Great personal growth..."
This is one of the most popular trainings at Lake House, and it will be offered again in 2011 for those who requested it. Next training program: "One-To-One Psychodrama For Individual Psychotherapy, Coaching & Personal Growth" on Feb. 18. See calendar.
"Listening can be the greatest meditation"
Philosopher Eckert Tolle talks about listening to patients in this great video -- not just with words but also with presence of heart, mind and spirit. "The most important part is the energy field of listening," rather than just the story, which elevates the human interaction and avoids deletion in the helper.
As the year ends, we remember all the goodness that has happened at Lake House during 2010.
We've introduced spiritual teacher Markus Kasunich, had fun with InterPlay, and made healing art in the open art studio with artist Robin Mitchell, plus enjoyed a succesful and well-attended Health & Gift Fest.
We've hosted Marybeth Buchele, who's become our visiting resident homeopath, offering workshops, classes and appointments with homeopathic and natural remedies, the only homeopathic practice in Racine. (She'll be back in January!)
People have come from Illinois, Milwaukee, Racine, Union Grove, Burlington and Kenosha to take part in our new "Ancestors Constellations & Healing" groups, and particpants in our trainings for helping professionals and educators have been enthusiastic.
It's been gratifiying to have so many people embrace these new ideas and programs. Stay tuned for more. We have great programs coming up for 2011.
Keep holidays happy and healthy.
See my blog with lots of tips to stay healthy and enjoy the holiday season. Avoid overeating and overdrinking, rest and have remedies for colds and flu.
Make sure your insurance company isn't overcharging you!
Here's important news from the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers:
Insurance companies are attemping to undermine the new mental health parity bill with high co-payments. The chapter has been informed of at least three insurance companies in Wisconsin that have charged consumers specialty doctor co-pays instead of a primary doctor copay as the result of the new mental health parity law.
Federal regulations prohibit the charging of a specialty doctor co-pay for mental health services. Anyone who is charged a specialty doctor copay instead of a primary doctor copay should file a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. You also should send Marc Herstand, execuctive director of the Wisconsin NASW chapter, a copy of any response from Office of Commnisioner of Insurance.
When people (men, politicians) cry...
Such a good blog post, we want recommend it. A little essay on crying, inspired by John Boehner, U.S. Congressman who will be the new speaker of the House.
Tune into this beautiful solstice video
Truly we are all one in this beautiful universe. Enjoy!
You can turn this phrase into reality with some thought and planning.
The key is to take care of yourself.
Many people have learned to use flower essence remedies for calming at stressful or busy times. Here's a link from educator Nancy Buono, who tells how you can pick flower remedies to keep your spirits light, avoid discouragement and deal with the chaos that is present in some families.
Make sure you get enough sleep, always a good plan for people who want to keep their emotions even. Make sure that you are eating properly and stay away from sugary and salty items if they are trigger foods for you. This is the time of year that I make a list of meals and snacks that I can eat daily and keep away from sugar, which is an addictive substance for me.
Overeaters Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous can help you to refrain from overeating and drinking if you expect to be tempted. Some communities and clubs have all-day meetings for recovering alcoholics and many find online "meetings" helpful, especially when the weather is cold, cold, cold. Use your search engine like Google to find online meetings that stretch around the globe.
Thanks to Hazelden, here is realistic advice for family members who are dreading the holidays due to someone else's drinking. The advice comes from Bob Poznanovich, formerly an interventionist, who defies the myth that the holidays are not a good time to get help.
Worried about a catching a bug? There are many natural remedies that will help build your immune system. See your neighborhood acupuncturist or natural food store for healing teas (yin chiao) and other herbs like astralagus that you can add to your chicken soup to fortify your immune system.
If you want to go the homeopathic route, natural remedies like Allium cepa helps with runny noses, colds and red watery eyes; Oscillococcinum helps with symptoms of flu, like fever, chills, body aches and pains.
Finally, remember to rest. With all the bustle, remember that your body needs rest to heal and recharge.
Just about every news channel and every other Internet article is commenting on the tears of John Boehner, the congressman who cried on the 60 Minutes news program the other week. And just about every news commentator is analyzing those tears -- is he weak? Does he have an emotional problem -- as Barbara Walters says -- or is crying a virtue because he is showing his feelings as a sensitive man?
This bit of news brings up lots of opportunities to talk about feelings, as one blogger on The New York Times who questioned why a man -- who will be the most powerful Republican in Congress -- is tearing up while talking about opportunities for himself in the United States with has a record of two decades in Congress voting "against nearly every boost for the working stiff. "
Much of the current "debate" is focusing on when or if it’s appropriate for men in public life to cry. However, we have to be careful about jumping to conclusions about tears and what they mean, whether they are leaking out of men's eyes, or women's eyes or anyone else's eyes.
Tears, in themselves, mean nothing in particular. In counseling, we learn that everyone cries at some times, even sociopaths. Alcoholics have cried buckets of tears and then go out the next day to take the next drink, not at all mindful about the havoc their drinking wreaks for families. Abusers sob about their sorry-ness and promise never to hurt anyone again -- and then continue to batter the people they say they love while refusing to find help to address their anger. It's been reported that former president George Bush cried after visiting wounded service people and just last month when talking with NBC's Matt Lauer about facing a military family after their son's death. And, of course, we also know about the tears of Brett Farve on the day of his first retirement.
What is important about crying is the experience. Is the person -- man or woman -- actually able to actually feel his or her feelings -- or do they seem to have a life of their own, separate from our humanness and personal vulnerability? Do the feelings impact on his or her relationship with other people in a positive way? For instance, are the person's feelings able to be integrated into a sense of empathy with other people's feelings, experiences and needs? Does that empathy advance the quality of relationship because we are sensitive to the needs and feelings and vulnerabilities of others?
Crying is an important emotional release and often serves as a great stress reliever. Asked to give suggestions about whether to cry or not, I typically recommend crying -- it is entirely human. But what we really need is empathy, sensitivity and humanness in all of us -- including our nation's leaders.
