By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

When my very elderly mother-in-law died quietly in her sleep nearly six months ago, we searched for a way to honor and acknowledge her life without endangering our friends and family.

We settled on a short and simple service at a local funeral home, politely discouraging most  friends from attending while planning an  program in early January.

We engaged a local Playback Theatre troupe to present an online memorial performance and invited people to tell stories about Erma and her 96 years on this planet.  And then we laughed, we cried, and we laughed and cried some more. With the help of the members of River Crossing Playback Theatre, we saw and heard our stories literally “played back” as we watched and listened to the complexities of one woman’s life.   

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP
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It’s 2021, and that means we’re climbing out of the worldwide pandemic and reviving our professional conferences. That’s what’s happening with the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, which finished its five-day online conference. I presented during the pre-conference – "Shaking Your Family Tree: Who’s In Your DNA?” – and attended the rest of the conference, which ended Sunday.

Here’s my 10 conference takeaways:​

​By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Although I’m trained in clinical social work, mental health and the experiential healing arts, I do have a big interest in physical health.
My own health, of course. And other people’s health, because I work with people and feel a great responsibility to provide accurate and useful information about health options, including the greatly awaited and wildly heralded COVID-19 vaccine.

Admittedly, I was not first in line for the vaccine. I've historically had a healthy skepticism to the arrival of every new medication on the market. I like to do my research and wanted to watch for side effects as vaccinations began in the United States.  I’ve been keeping close watch on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website and other reputable sources for news on pandemic numbers, variants and treatments and talked with medical professionals that I trust, including my naturopathic doctor.  Having just sailed past number two of two vaccinations, here are a few tips that I’ve learned that may make your vaccination easier to receive:
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Get arnica. Arnica, sometimes called Arnica Montana, is a common homeopathic remedy that I’ve used to heal bruises, black and blue marks and general body and muscle stiffness (like shoveling snow or over-working in the garden) for years. It is an over-the-counter remedy and comes in tiny pellets or small pills as well as a cream or gel for topical use. It used to be available at only natural food stores and natural health stores but in recent years has become more mainstream and is often found in regular drug stores and of course online. I use the Boiron brand.