Dharma Bum

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What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who only has eyes, if he is a painter, or ears if he is a musician, or a lyre in every chamber of his heart if he is a poet, or even, if he is a boxer, just his muscles? Far from it: at the same time he is also a political being, constantly aware of the heartbreaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. How could it be possible to feel no interest in other people, and with a cool indifference to detach yourself from the very life which they bring to you so abundantly? No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.

Pablo Picasso

Poetry!

This Wednesday night was the second poetry reading I helped pull together for the Huntington Beach Art Center's Late8 series. Featuring David Hernandez and Ryan Ridge, the poetry was outstanding and we had another great turn out. Thanks to all that make these readings happen especially Darlene DeAngelo. I hope we can keep doing these events at the Center because it seems both the audiences and the poets are really enjoying the unique setting for a reading. Hope to see you all at a future reading. Some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Postmodern Executive - Getting Out From Under Perfection

After a little hiatus that took place for no other reason then getting distracted, I have a new post up at the OC Metro. I really appreciate the opportunity to bring narrative ideas to the larger public, especially the local business/entrepreneurial community. So please take a look and if you like what you read please share it with a friend.

Orange County is a center of high achievement, entrepreneurial accomplishment, and all the trappings that come with material success. So it should come as no surprise that a piece of my practice includes working with clients who are struggling with the problem of perfection, and the bad effects it brings into lives...Read More Here.

Remember your name. Do not lose hope—what you seek will be found. Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped to help you in their turn. Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story.

— Neil Gaiman

It was written for children from two to five who will understand it perfectly. It was not written for adults, who will not understand it because it is only about a soft furry love and has no hidden messages of hate.

— Garth Williams, in response to the critical reception of The Rabbit’s Wedding as “promoting integration among suggestible children.”

Via

Tonight a woman asked me if I was a writer. I told her, Yes. It didn't feel like a lie.

Supershrinks - Outcome Measures and Narrative Therapy

Training clinicians in 'evidence-based,' manualized therapies, diagnosis, and even the alliance has little if any impact on outcome - Scott Miller

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the day-long workshop, Supershrinks presented by Scott Miller, the founder of the International Center for Clinical Excellence. Scott's presentation basically covered several themes, what works in therapy, how clinical excellence is achieved, creating a culture of feedback from clients, and what deliberate practice looks like. All of which nicely book-ended some of what I heard at David Epston's and Stephen Madigan's recent workshop. They had additional ideas about excellence, apprenticeship, practice, reflection, and more practice before and after sessions.

As the day progressed I was asking myself if these ideas about generating feedback fit with my poststructural leanings in therapy. As the day progressed I gradually became more and more comfortable with trying them out, and actually believed that they could be an effective tool for several reasons:

1. The ORS & SRS could go a long way toward flattening the hierarchy in the room. It seemed that tools like these could really put skin on the idea that the people who consult with us direct the treatment they receive, rather than the other way around.

2. Scott Miller was great about naming, and re-naming our fields go-to position of blaming the client if things don't work out in therapy, or people don't come back, etc. Tools like these would shift the burden of helpful therapy back to the therapist, where it belongs. But rather than a "beat up the therapist" evaluative tool, the ORS/SRS could in fact make us all better clinicians and more closely align us with peoples hopes and dreams.

3. How about using the OTRS/SRS in University training clinics or in supervision settings? Are trainees and interns getting what they need? Do you want to know supervisors? Have you created a culture where feedback is given, or have your trainees and interns "gone underground?" Once again, maybe a helpful tool to begin to flatten hierarchy, dissolve power in supervision settings, or at least start to have a conversation.

4. And what about excellence? What are our thoughts about being a more helpful clinician? How do we apprentice? What is our accountability to those we work with?

5. I also found it interesting, and it raised my curiousity, that a few of the people involved with ICCE including lead U.S. Trainer Julie Tilsen, are narratively inclined.

I have been using the ORS/SRS sparingly over the last few months at CYS. This week I intend to be more deliberate in using the ORS/SRS and begin to track my results. I am currently looking for a tool like Myoutcomes.com to track and hopefully share the results. For those that have shied away from tools like this because it would "kill the creativity" in the work. I get it, but this is something you do in the beginning and toward the end, and not necessarily in every session. I still will be able to stay very creative in my question development or narrative inquiry, but these tools seem to be a pretty effective resource at moving me closer to people's experiences, hopes, and dreams.

I am really interested in asking those I work with to help me become a better clinician. I mean really, who is more qualified for the task?

In shamanic cultures, sychronicities are recognized as signs that you are on the right path. -Daniel Pinchbeck

Word

Learn to write by doing it. Read widely and wisely. Increase your word power. Find your own individual voice though practicing constantly. Go through the world with your eyes and ears open and learn to express that experience in words.

— P.D. James

What I'm Reading...

I'm on a bit of a kick, and I'm never reading one book at a time.

Jeff Shartlet is one of the people behind the website Killing The Buddha, of which I've become a fairly regular reader. Because I'm on a sort of journey myself, I'm looking forward to Sweet Heaven When I Die, Shartlet's tour of religion in all its complexity, its messiness, and its wild parts.

For those that don't know, I'm sort of a political junkie. I think it started when I ran for student council in the third grade. Fortunately for me, my background will keep me from actually running for anything, but I still fantasize about it. A year from now we will be voting for a president again, so I thought I'd get in the spirit of the crazy season by reading Chris Matthews new book on Jack Kennedy. What are you reading?

Sweet Heaven When I Die

 

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

1. it’s okay to fail
2. it’s important to sleep

Knock, + He’ll open the door
Vanish, + He’ll make you shine like the sun
Fall, + He’ll raise you to the heavens
Become nothing, + He’ll turn you into everything.

- Rumi

Poetry! Reading with David Hernandez & Ryan Ridge

It's that time again. Poetry at the HB Art Center. Please join us as the Huntington Beach Art Center hosts another poetry reading as part of the Late8 schedule. On Wednesday Nov. 9th starting at 6:30 two outstanding poets, David Hernandez and Ryan Ridge will be reading. About the poets:

David Hernandez is the recipient of a 2011 NEA Literature Fellowship in Poetry. His recent collection, Hoodwinked, won the Kathryn A. Morton Prize and is now available from Sarabande Books. His other collections include Always Danger (SIU Press, 2006), winner of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry, and A House Waiting for Music (Tupelo Press, 2003). His poems have appeared in FIELD, Ploughshares, The Threepenny Review, The Missouri Review, TriQuarterly, The Southern Review, and Poetry Daily. He is also the author of two YA novels, No More Us for You and Suckerpunch, both published by HarperCollins. David teaches at the University of California, Irvine and poetry workshops at California State University, Long Beach.

Ryan Ridge is the author of the story collection Hunters & Gamblers and the poetry collection Ox. In 2013, Mud Luscious Press will publish his novel(la) American Homes. He lives in Long Beach, California, and teaches at the University of California, Irvine.

This event is FREE and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Via Allison

 

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Um. Just putting my Christmas wish list together...the Cricket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legal Eagles/NPOC Update

It's been a crazy week. In the midst of all the teaching stuff there has been some great news to report on the Narrative Project of OC front. Yesterday Anne and I went to UCI to meet with the crew at the Economic and Community Development Law Clinic to begin setting up the structure of the NPOC as we move toward non-profit status. I feel very fortunate that they took on the Project, and are working hard to make it happen. As it progresses I'll continue to update.

I would also like to introduce the Project's legal eagles, Christina, Susan and Katie. Thanks guys!

Homecoming

Tonight I had the great opportunity to go back to my alma mater Pepperdine University and give a guest lecture on narrative therapy in Dr. Amy Tuttle's MFT II class. I felt it went really well and it seemed that the class was pretty engaged in both the lecture and the exercises we did. I received a lot of great feedback which was nice because when I do these things I always hold several concerns. Two of the concerns are that I hope I represent Dr. Tuttle well because of her trust in asking me to do this, and I always want to convey how important and wonderful this way of working can be. I really began to feel comfortable doing this kind of thing tonight. It was nice to experience that. Following are some photos from tonight.

This is Brooke. She let me know at the beginning of class that she was a fan of this blog. I was surprised that there was a reader/fan in the class! Hi Brooke, thanks for the nice words, and for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Hoda

 

One Down..

I just completed the first of two guest lectures I'm doing this week. Tonight I visited Dr. Carl Renold's Psychology of the Family class at Vanguard University. I had a lot of fun and found this group of undergrads a sharp bunch. Hopefully I did a compelling enough job, that as these future psychologist's and MFT's progress through their careers, they'll want to learn more about narrative practice. I think it went pretty good. Now Pepperdine awaits tomorrow night. Some photos from tonight:

Dr. Renold