Ali Joy Sideroff, MA, LMFT

#endstigma #mft #lmft #therapyworks #relationshiphealthismentalhealth

#endstigma #mft #lmft #therapyworks #relationshiphealthismentalhealth

Study demonstrating meditation changes the brain. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com///18/contemplation-therapy/

From Jeff Foster @ lifewithoutacentre.com GET OVER IT! Please, friend, do not try to 'get over' anything or anyone. You'll only be splitting off from a part of yourself that needs kind attention. Don't attempt to 'move on' today from your grief, your sorrow, your confusion, the empty feeling inside. Feel these friends totally, allow these sacred and misunderstood energies to move through you. They are not 'negative', they are not 'bad', they are not signs of your failure or w...eakness or brokenness, they are only parts of consciousness, fragments of the whole, that want to be felt deeply. They have come to cleanse and to enliven, not to punish. Stop pushing them away and feel their raw unbridled power as they surge through today. Healing is not a destination, it is your willingness to love all of yourself, to take all of life - the joy and the sorrow of it - into your vast heart. To walk with courage into the fire of the Unknown! - Jeff Foster See more

Upcoming free introduction to Nonviolent Communication integrating somatics and mindfulness. http://baynvc.org//tools-for-change-free-introduction-to-/ Tools for Change: Free Intro to Nonviolent Communication Nov. 4th, 6:30-9pm Matter of Trust EcoCenter... 3338 17th Street, S.F. 94110 Our ability to connect with those we care about in our personal lives, and to work effectively with others professionally, depends upon our communication. In this free Introductory Evening to Nonviolent Communication, you will learn practical tools and concepts for clear, effective communication at home and in the workplace. Come join BayNVC Collaborative Trainer Oren J. Sofer and the SF Permaculture Guild! Cost: Free (donations welcome) Who’s it for? This workshop is open to the public, and is designed for anyone interested in learning more tools for communication in their personal and professional lives. Registration: There is no registration required for this event. About the Teacher: Oren J. Sofer is a teacher and practitioner of Buddhist meditation, Nonviolent Communication and Somatics. He has practiced Buddhist meditation in the Theravada tradition since 1997 and taught NVC since 2006. He holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for healing trauma and a current participant in the IMS-Spirit Rock Vipassana Teacher Training Program. His work and teaching brings a strong emphasis to living the path of awakening in our daily lives.

Gender Spectrum Conference is coming up next month in the bay area. Great conference for professionals working with gender variant youth as well as programming for youth and families. Volunteers needed. https://www.genderspectrum.org//gender-spectrum-conference/

Great event (and freely offered) for those wanting to bring more love into their lives and worthiness into the flesh of their own hearts.

Angela Davis and Jon Kabat-Zinn are speaking together in January on the topic of Mindfulness & the Possibility of Freedom, in Oakland. This should be a great discussion! http://www.eventbrite.com/e/east-bay-meditation-center-bene

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all." Emily Dickinson

I highly recommend this article on happiness, life and meaning. "When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility which a man (sic) has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude...Meaning is not only about transcending the self, but also about transcending the present moment...While happiness is an emotion felt in the here and now, it ultimately fades away, just as all emotions do...Meaning, on the other hand, is enduring. It connects the past to the present to the future." http://www.theatlantic.com//theres-more-to-life-th/266805/

This article reminds us of our interconnectedness with nature, and posits the value of bringing therapeutic work out of the office and into the natural world. I will be doing more of this in 2013. http://peninsulapress.com//new-therapy-improves-mental-/Th