By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

It was kind of like a cold, with a runny nose and big sneezing.

It was kind of like a bad case of bronchitis, with fits of coughing in morning, noon and at night.

It was kind of like the flu, with a hint of a headache.

After a thorough internet search, I came up with my own diagnosis: bronchitis. But when the coughing persisted, I made an appointment with my doctor’s office at the end of November.
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Pretending not to look too miserable, I confidently announced my diagnosis of choice when the doctor arrived in the examining room.
He seemed pleasant, but tired, and listened patiently.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Some people say that 2021 has been the longest year. And, as we review the year with its continuing threats and realities of pandemic infection, political turmoil and the great suffering of the earth itself, 2021 certainly has challenged us to hold steady in the face of the unknown and the uncertain.
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However, I can tell you this --  today,  on Tuesday, Dec. 21, is definitely the longest night of the year.

​By Alan Swanson

The importance of gratitude cannot be overstated. It is a fundamental aspect of our true nature. Expressing gratitude for the food before us is an opportunity to experience that nature. Such an expression is transformative – producing a scientifically observable change that takes place within the food we eat and the water we drink. This becomes a way of attuning to the earth environment of which we are a part.

By Linda Ciotola, M.Ed., TEP
 
To begin with, action methods such as psychodrama provide valuable tools to assess, build and strengthen the therapeutic alliance necessary for effective treatment of eating disorders. As the clinician finds engaging ways to create a supportive therapeutic relationship and safe environment, enactment then puts these struggles into action by externalizing them for treatment.  Now these struggles are no longer hidden, and they have been given voice  to the suffering person's inner conflicts and feelings.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Adam Blatner, philosopher, bon vivant, cartoonist, singer, dancer, writer, psychiatrist, physician, promoter of playfulness, "Whizzard of Ah's," romantic, character, teacher, grandpopala, metaphysician, imaginologist, elf, psychodramatist, theoretician, etc., died  x  after a remarkably full, rich, eventful, many-faceted life. He succeeded in promoting a number of causes, developing a variety of ideas, including a fair number of original ones, networking up a storm, mentoring a good many folks, healing many others, and bringing out some extra magic in countless numbers by fostering song fests and other activities that celebrate the "child within."

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

Here we are, at the threshold of June. And you know what that means – people will be taking vacations, staycations and other blocks of time away from work.

This means that your psychotherapist will likely be taking some time off as well.
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You may have lots of reactions about his, her or their impending absence, and that’s all right. Even though you intellectually understand that your therapist is fully entitled to time off for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, you may notice contradictory feelings that don’t match the logic of the situation.

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.

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

This year, psychodrama is celebrating its 100th year. That’s a lot of years.

It's been an interesting century. Every serious psychodrama student knows the history of this amazing method. A young physician, fascinated by theater and priding himself a rebel to the Freudian philosophy of the time, rents a theater in Vienna on April 1, 1921. He dresses dramatically as a jester and places a throne on the empty stage. With dignitaries watching, he invites someone to sit upon the throne, willing to take leadership of still-recovering Austria, which was repairing the ravages of World War I.

In celebrating this psychodrama milestone, we have the opportunity to look at its history and evolution through the years. Indeed, it may be challenging to find a philosophy that is hardly known by the public and at the same time so firmly embedded in our culture with group therapy, support groups, social networks, role play, experiential psychotherapy and other action activities.