(This blog post ends with a UNCG sponsored public event in honor of Martin Luther King, so please read to the bottom!) My day began with my son, who lives with autism, reading me a quote from St. Francis of Assisi entitled “Stages”: Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and before you know it, you will be doing the impossible. What a good reminder this is as we face a new year with a world dominated by all the uncertainties of COVID, the growing efforts to build a better future in a world dominated by systemic racism and oppression, and a climate crisis! There are a few contexts for which I personally draw … [Read more...]
It’s August. It’s time to rest and revise!
June and July 2022, some of the hottest summer months on record in North America, brought massive wild fires! Formerly celebratory holidays at the beginning of July in both Canada and the USA became days of mourning and cultural reckoning. Outside and inside, fire and dry tears burn with growing anguish and recognition of the residuals of colonialism and slavery and how I as a white person am part of this oppressive system! Given that I am white, hetero, cis female and that EFT was traditionally developed by white clinicians with white clients in a dominantly heterosexual context, I realize that my best efforts at times are hurtful. The past … [Read more...]
Love or Indifference?
“We are obsessed with love and relationships. But what do we really know about love?” These are the opening words of Dr. Sue Johnson’s 2013 book Love Sense: The revolutionary science of romantic love. Ever since that book was published, I have made it my mission to explore how this search for love pertains as relevantly to individuals not in romantic relationships as to those who are. Love We know that love, as defined by attachment science, means that we are bonding mammals needing a safe connection with at least 1 or 2 others in order to survive and thrive. There are no options. Without human connection we die. The search for secure … [Read more...]
A Blog for Therapists: Learning How to Be Leaders for Compassionate Change
As we enter 2021 – in a world in illness and chaos, I am committing to write a monthly blog for therapists. I begin this year with a call to renew our sense of purpose as therapists and educators. I am inspired by the thoughts of my mentor, Dr. Sue Johnson. Her recent acknowledgement that the word educate comes from the Latin educere, meaning to “lead out,” highlights the role and responsibility I have as an educator and a therapist to be a force for change in the world. As I embark on a new year of seeking to improve my EFT therapy and training, I want to challenge myself and all of you to renew your sense of purpose as leaders for … [Read more...]