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The International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy  |
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Articles Finding Balance : Psychotherapy on the edges of Alaska and Oregon
I approach the terrain with an ease I haven't yet found in my work in a community unfamiliar with psychoanalytic therapy. On daily hikes or canoe trips to reach our off-the –grid home, my spirit responds well to adventure. I find the courage to ask rural Alaskan's to consider attachment, mentalizing and the value of a therapy relationship – through public presentations, newspaper essays and “Shrink Rap”, a local radio show I produce. Writing and acting in short scenes, including the internal thinking of characters, I join participants and encourage analysis of relational experiences. The popularity of the show feeds my new passion for psychoeducation. In the more temperate climate of southwestern Oregon, emerald moss covers Douglas fir trees rising from the riverbanks. I discover a community mostly experienced in cognitive therapies. Invited to speak at a class, “Yoga for Transitions” I talk about disrupted attachments – and how our needs for security and attachment continue from the “cradle to the grave.” Yoga, is about being present, moving from mental distractions through postures and breathing – but what do you do when yoga is over? How do you deal with the preoccupation of emotions and mental states like: anxiety and fear? Through role plays “mentalizing off the mat” is demonstrated. This summer in Alaska, “Shrink Rap Live” will offer the community a chance to explore relational dynamics though role plays in workshops with a focus upon mentalizing and intersubjectivity. (“Shrink Rap on the Air, Mentalizing in the Last Frontier” by Robin Grace, appears in the December-January 2013 issue of Psychoanalytic Dialogues) |
Selling the Promise of Change:
IARPP Member Jack Drescher, MD, was a participant in this panel, the first ever UN discussion on the legalities, ethics and science behind the movement promoting sexual orientation change efforts and its relationship to international human rights was held on Thursday, January 31 at the UN Church Center. The discussion examined the notion that people can or must change their orientation to conform with cultural or religious norms often intersects with legislation, mental health, HIV/AIDS prevention, violence against women, and religious freedoms. Reviewing literature policy and personal narratives were a panel of experts including:
Click here to read a summary of the discussion:
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It's ten below. I take deliberate steps on frozen mud flats and ice floes. The light is enormous and blinding. I turn my gaze to a stand of spruce at the edge of the moonscape beach. Past the inlet, snow covered peaks frame the Lynn Canal, one of the deepest fjords in North America. 
