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Newsletter October 2011

 

EASTERN REGION NEWSLETTER- OCTOBER, 2011
 

 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Chair: Tom Willingham tom@thomaswillingham.com

Vice chair: Miriam Koo miriamkoo@gmail.com
Secretary: Thea Crites hithea2004@yahoo.com
Treasurer: John Bauman   johnpbauman@gmail.com   
Formation chair: Henrietta Lavengood Hlavengood@aol.com
Theological and Social Concerns Chair: Hoyeong Jong hoyeong@gmail.com
Leadership Development: Janet Foy janetfoy@verizon.net
Certification: Paul Pitkin pitkinpaul@hotmail.com
Institutional Accreditation: Susan Chrystal spchrystal81615@aol.com
 
FROM THE CHAIR:
As you know if you’ve had your ear to the AAPC grapevine at all recently, things are changing! Our mission is stated simply, “to bring healing, hope, and wholeness to individuals, families, and communities by expanding and equipping spiritually grounded and psychologically informed care, counseling, and psychotherapy.” To support our mission, there are two program divisions within AAPC: Membership, and Products and Services.
 
There is a new general membership category to which anyone who supports our mission can belong. There are also certified levels of membership for those who have already or seek to achieve such credentials. The Membership Division is at work to establish closer coordination with the many training programs in pastoral counseling around the country.
 
The Products and Services Division will seek to resource and support program initiatives on both an individual and organizational basis. Under this division is the ongoing development of a new AAPC website which will be much more interactive.
 
As for developments within the Eastern Region, we are working on establishing cluster groups of AAPC members according to geographical location, like in south Jersey, maybe a couple in upstate NY, etc. These clusters can be self- directed according to interest. 
 
Otherwise, we hope you will join us for our fall regional meeting in conjunction with the Northeast Region in Williamstown, MA, November 4-5. Details of this conference focusing around issues of spirituality and addiction are found elsewhere under the Eastern Region in the AAPC website. Notice that we have condensed the format into essentially 24 hours with one overnight on Friday. 
 
Also, the annual meeting of the Association will be held on the east coast this year in Leesburg, VA, April 19-21, 2012. Information about both the Regional and Association meetings can be found online @AAPC.org along with much, much more.
 
It is an exciting time. Join us. We need your voice and your talent and hope to be of support to you in your good work.
 
Tom Willingham
 
Eastern Region Distinguished Service Award: 
Our Eastern Region’s Distinguished Service Award at this year’s annual meeting on November 4-5 will be presented to the Rev. Dr. Robert E. Svenson. Many of you have known Bob over the years in AAPC as a supervisor, educator, psychotherapist, executive director, pastor, or a host of other roles in which he has been a mentor and leader. Please join us on this occasion as we thank Bob and honor him for his many years of distinguished service.
 
REGIONAL CONFERENCE: WILLIAM MILLER, renowned author and presenter on ADDICTIONS AND MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, will present at our Conference on these topics, with a focus on addictions and spirituality. Conference will be at the Williams Inn in Williamstown, Mass., on Friday and Saturday November 4 and 5, 2011, and will again bring together Eastern and Northeastern Regions. We will adjourn by midafternoon Saturday to accommodate pastors and others with responsibilities on Sunday morning.
 
FORMATION WORKSHOP: Excellent workshop was held this past spring by Beverly Musgrave and Mary Ragan based on their recently published book on the spirituality and psychology of illness. Watch for upcoming workshops in cluster area of the Region. Formation Chair Henrietta Brandt is working on future workshops, with Jill McNish as one possible presenter. Jill has just published a book on Evil. Contact Hennie if you know of someone doing creative work in our field, who could be a presenter.
 
LEADERSHIP: Joining a committee or taskforce is a great way to get to know colleagues and AAPC- and get involved in creative pastoral counseling ventures. If you are interested in AAPC’s work, or know of someone who would like to get more involved, contact Janet Foy at janetfoy@verizon.net.
 
THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: The Theological and Social Concerns Committee continues to bring a theological (or spiritual- word choice is one of their topics!) lens to the organizational changes in AAPC. One project: to collect “best practices” of pastoral counselors in various regions doing spiritual/social justice integration. Contact Wayne Gustafson or Ho Jong to participate or find out more about their thoughtful and creative work.
  
FROM OUR MEMBERS: An unsystematic gathering of news from around the Region. Share your personal or professional news with your colleagues- send to Thea Crites at hithea2004@yahoo.com
 
REBECA RADILLO is retiring and moving to Florida at the end of this school year. Rebeca’s many creative ministries include being Director of the Instituto Latino de Cuidado Pastoral, Inc. , writing and leadership on the national and international level of the United Methodist Church among other organizations on issues around immigrants to this country. She’s held a teaching position at New York theological Seminary- a posting for this position is included in this newsletter. Blessings, Rebeca!
 
GRETCHEN JANSSEN, longtime director of the Creative Living Center, has relocated from our Region. She now lives in Portland, Oregon, where both her sons live.
 
JIM MURPHY just published his book, “How You and Your Mate Can Become a Super Couple- With Exercises to Get You There.” Available in paperback ($19.95, plus S&H) and hard cover ($29.95 plus S&H) through Amazon.com. the book is based on his practice of couple/marriage therapy for 50 years and his teaching Marriage Counseling at Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute and Union Theological Seminary.
 
Jim is traveling to China this fall to participate in a Marriage and Family Conference.
 
SERGE CASTIGLIANO was honoree of the Annual Gala of the Lutheran Counseling Center in Westbury, NY on October 13.
 
BOB GUNN writes: Effective July 1 I resigned from my position as pastor of the United Church of Rockville Centre. It was a good and, I daresay, effective ministry; my departure was not because of anything negative but an ever-stronger feeling that if I am going to do the writing I have in mind, I couldn’t do it while maintaining a full time parish position. I am returning, therefore, to my private practice of psychotherapy in Manhattan which I had continued all the while. I will be expanding that practice and welcome referrals of couples and individuals. Some themes that have been strong in my history of practice are working with couples, one or both of whom are Asian; people working through lgbt issues; people in recovery from alcoholism or addiction; people coming to terms with the damaging impact of their religion of origin. Personally, I maintain a strong practice of Zen and have been deeply involved in both Buddhist/Christian dialogue and Buddhism and Psychotherapy. I would be happy to offer lecture/discussions or workshops on any of these themes.
 
THEA CRITES and LEW JOHNSON have a new website, soul-care.org, for our practice as well as consulting and workshop work with religious institutions. Thea has received training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR) and welcomes any referrals for EMDR treatment. The office phone number has changed. For Lew, call (917)297-8934, for Thea (917)400-8280.
 
BLANTON-PEALE INSTITUTE will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary next year with a Conference reflecting on the current state of the integration of psychology and religion or spirituality. Paul Bradley, President, and Nunzio Gubitosa, Director of Training, hope this will be a time for many of BPI’s alums to return.
 
CREATIVE LIVING COUNSELING CENTER closes. Penny Gadzini, Executive director, and Rick VanderWende, Chairman or the Board of Directors send this letter:
 
The Creative Living Counseling Center Board of Directors recently made the difficult decision to close the Center… the reason we have come to this decision is that the staff has been so dramatically reduced by the retirements of our friends and the inability to attract new staff members with experience in depth psychology and pastoral counseling that we have dwindled to the point of no longer being viable.
     As of August 1, Dan Botorff, Penny Gadzini and Karen Sussan have joined with another local Pastoral Counseling Center, Community Counseling Service of Pascack Valley. Dan and Karen will continue seeing clients in Allendale and Penny will continue seeing clients in Wayne. Dan, Karen and Penny continue to be available for future referrals, the difference being that the CLCC telephone number is no longer in service. Dan can be reached at (908)233-0337, Penny at (917)287-0583 and Karen at (845)323-8644.
     The staff is happy and excited to be joining Community Counseling Service and to be working with Tom and Susanna Willingham, Lee Krup and Sylvia Flescher. A critical element of support for our work is weekly staff meetings. Joining CCS creates one strong center from two small and struggling ones, and gives us the opportunity to be part of a dynamic staff. For more information about CCS, go to www.Communitycounselingservice.com
     On behalf of the staff, Board and our clients, we want to express our deepest gratitude for those who have supported CLCC over the years. The services we provide bring healing, understanding and empowerment to many. The Humanities awards have been an inspiration to us all, and we are hoping another agency might be able to carry on the tradition. We ask our supporters to continue that support by supporting Community Counseling Services of Pascack Valley in Park Ridge, NJ (201)391-1935.
 
JOB LISTING: New York Theological Seminary invites applications for a faculty person with a PhD. In Pastoral Care and Counseling or its equivalent to begin July 1, 2012. Successful candidates should demonstrate a history of active engagement in the local church or parish, experience in pastoral psychotherapy and counseling, familiarity with psychological schools of thought, capacity to integrate the theory and practice of pastoral theology with the study of humanities, in particular biblical and theological studies, readiness to equip students with skills that foster wholeness and transformation in the people they serve in their believing communities and beyond, and understanding of the mission of NYTS. Responsibilities include teaching core and elective courses as well as supervision of academic programs in pastoral care and counseling. Applications and nominations may be sent to Professor Jin H. Han, Chair of the Search Committee, New York Theological Seminary, 475 Riverside Drive Suite 500, New York, NY 10115. Email: jhan@nyts.edu. Application should include a cover letter with a statement of teaching philosophy, three letters of recommendation, and a publication sample. Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2011 and will continue until the position is filled. Preliminary interviews will be conducted at the Northeast Regional Fall Meeting of American Association of Pastoral Counselors in Williamstown, MA and at the national Annual Meeting of American Academy of Religion in San Francisco, CA. NYTS is an EEO/AA employer, and women and minority scholars are particularly encouraged to apply. For more information on NYTS, please visit www.nyts.edu.