The College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy is a theologically based covenant community, dedicated to "recovery of the soul" and promoting competency in the clinical pastoral field.
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I've often thought all that would be needed to be educated, informed, imaginative, and creative, regardless of one's formal education or the lack there of, would be ownership of a laptop computer, access to broadband connection and to simply listen to National Public Radio (NPR) and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Recently I've come to add one more item to my list: TED.COM.
Technologies for Economic Development, better know as TED, consists of brief video presentations by some of the world's most creative and provocative thinkers. Without exception these presenters exhibit great passion in their belief that they and and we can change the world in such a way that all humanity is helped, celebrated and honored. They model leadership and the power of ideas and commitment to deeply held missions and challenges. All of the presenters seem to know that the NEW-new possibilities and a new and hopeful future- become possible by stepping outside the box to think and act with courage and boldness.
The presentation below is the remarkable story of brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor who studied her own stroke as it happened. Her story is even more poignant as she dedicated her life's work of understanding the brain to her brother who suffered from a severe mental illness.
While you are taking a look at TED, you might want to watch Nicholas Negroponte: The Vision Behind One Laptop Per Child and Al Gore: New Thinking on the Climate Crisis.
TED wants to spread its good news. You are encouraged to download its content to your computer and iPod as well as embed it in your blog.
Perry Miller, Editor
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIEDO.
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at 7:09 AM
We applaud the Board of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) that last month unanimously voted in the affirmative to invite CPSP to join the Spiritual Care Collaborative.
We also applaud the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) for taking the same action.
However, neither CPSP nor any other organization should hold its breath waiting for an invitation to join the SCC. The SCC Board reported on June 16 that it was unable to reach a consensus because it does not know how to revise its founding documents in order to include new groups such as CPSP. It seems that the SCC has built a monster, an organization unable to act on such critical issues. It crows about its inclusivity but has no process for including anyone. It is an organization muscle bound, unable to make a decision. The decision-making process they have created is dysfunctional.
The SCC decision-making process goes like this: All important questions are first presented to the individual boards of member organizations for a decision. After all the individual boards have met (a process of many months), representatives of the respective boards hold a phone conference. Unless there is total unanimity there is hardly any way for a decision to come out of such a phone conference. The SCC appears to have created itself in such a way as to make tough or controversial decisions impossible.
On Feb 23, 2003 in Toronto, George Hanzo famously said of the formation of the embryonic SCC (at that time called the Council on Collaboration):
“Ten years from now, you won’t recognize the face of professional chaplaincy, and it’s because of the incredible work we’ve done here today.”
Well, more than five years have past now since that date and the SCC can’t figure out how to make decisions. We hope that’s not what it means by changing the face of pastoral care and counseling in this country. We’re terribly afraid George might be right.
We wish the SCC well. We certainly need more honest dialogue and more inclusivity in the pastoral care and counseling world. Perhaps when the SCC gathers for its much-touted summit in Orlando next February, it can figure out how to reconstitute itself in a way that decisions can be made.
Raymond Lawrence, General Secretary
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To Email Raymond Lawrence, click here.
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at 5:15 PM
Benson Thomas gave voice to what I consider a powerful CPSP slogan that emerged from his focus on the CPSP Logo while attending his first CPSP Plenary this spring. His words served as the inspiration for me to sit before my Mac to see if I could produce a 30-60 second video that might be used to promote CPSP mission and its values.
For more detail about Thomas' experience of really "seeing" the CPSP Logo, read his article, The CPSP Logo: A Power to Communicate Beyond Words published on the PR.
I hope this video with Benson Thomas' memorable phrase will serve as an encouragement for others to try their hand at creating brief videos that communicate the specialness of our unique CPSP community.
In addition to the PR, the video can be found on YouTube as well as the Pastoral Report Web Gallery. The latter is useful if your institution blocks YouTube. From the PR Web Gallery, you can download a copy to your computer.
Perry Miller, Editor
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at 1:04 PM
I’m trying my darndest to reflect on the past two days, but after driving for nearly five hours to Mahwah, New Jersey from Rockville, Maryland Monday evening, spending all day Tuesday at the spring 2008 CPSP NCTS, which completed Wednesday early afternoon, and then driving home to Rockville, I’m tired. Well, my body is tired and it aches. But my mind and soul are energized. It’s 12:17 am, but if I don’t do a brain dump now while the muse is here on my shoulder, she might leave and not come back for several hours.
The Spring 2007 NCTS was my first CPSP event. I missed the Fall 2007 NCTS, but attended the Plenary in Little Rock, Arkansas.
One of the things I’ve learned to do during my units of CPE training, is to set learning goals, to set professional goals for myself, and to measure the growth along my journey. And what growth I’ve experienced! And what growth I’ve witnessed within CPSP….. not only on a national level, but within my chapter (Washington, MD) as well.
Our growth from Plenary to NCTS has been significant.
I saw familiar faces from a year ago and from Plenary, and I met new folks. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I remembered the people I met a year ago, and how easily they remembered me. The friendly greetings, hugs and smiles were energizing.
Jim Pruett’s two-part seminars on titled Contextual Supervision: Isomorphism and Parallel Process in the Clinical Arena and Contextual Supervision: The Bottom Line were excellent. His presentation was stimulating and very informative. While the bulk of his material focused on supervisors and SIT’s; i.e., supervisors and supervisee’s (my simplified understanding), I found myself nodding and smiling as he offered several thoughts which mirrored my own personal theology and practice.
We had “small group” meetings Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. My group listened, prodded, taught, and role-played with me as I struggled with issues related to finding pastoral care employment in a geographic area that is very ACPE dominated. The hour we spent on my clinical case presentation was more helpful to me than the many hours I spent discussing these issues during my final unit of CPE training and sitting at the table with other professional colleagues. I now have direction and the confidence to “claim my pastoral authority” and to achieve my goal.
In group, I also began to understand how I can “use” my chapter to work with me not only on this issue, but with others as well. How truly important my chapter is!
As I reflect on the small group experience I had at the NCTS, I have a better defined understanding of what CPSP is and can be about. Not only do we walk with our patients, but we walk with each other. If we fully participate in CPSP, not only do we benefit and grow stronger as chapter members, but we have training and educational venues available to us. We listen to and “pastor” our patients; we listen to and “pastor” each other.
Our Tavistock session was very interesting. Gratitude was expressed. Some got a little feisty. Some taught. Many listened. Some surprised themselves by participating more than they anticipated they would. We even laughed a lot!
The social gathering at the end of Tuesday evening was lively. Some of us who had never met before, stayed up far too late talking and bonding.
We acknowledged and celebrated our diversity.
I wonder how many of us are aware of the gifts we have given to and received from each other.
When I wake up on Thursday morning, and express my gratitude to The Eternal One as I recite my morning blessings, I will have a new song to sing!
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To contact the author, click here.
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at 10:10 PM
On May 6-7, 2008, a group of Supervisors- In-Training and other CPSP members gathered for the National Clinical Training Seminar (NCTS) in Mahwah, New Jersey. The air was crisp, warm and all of the foliage of the northeastern United States was in full bloom. The weather warmed up to the high 70’s, which certainly pleased me as I have lived in the warmth of Florida for the past 15 years. You could tell that God was showing off a bit after the cold and snow of the winter months. There was something hiding in the midst of nature all winter that was in the process of bursting forth with fresh energy and excitement akin to a Vivaldi movement.
But, of course, there was more. There was a keen sense of fellowship. It had only been a few weeks since our Plenary in Little Rock, so I was encouraged to see so many of the same people iat the NCTS who had been at that meeting. It is the individuals who make up CPSP that make it such a warm and stimulating organization. We all walk on level ground when we attend a CPSP meeting. This may not be true at home or work, but it is an accepted practice at CPSP meetings. It is my impression that in CPSP we are all have the same rank – pilgrim.
Then there were the two supervisory training sessions that were led by James W. Pruett, Ph.D. I know Jim well from being a member of the Stoney Mountain Chapter for several years. I knew that the training would be good, but the time with Jim exceeded my expectations. It was great!
The first seminar was titled Contextual Supervision: Isomorphism and Parallel Process in the Clinical Arena. Dr. Pruett expanded our thinking to conceptualize the vast arena that supervision includes. He drew some guidance from Richard Shwartz’s IFS Model for self- leadership, broke down the transference countertransference indicators for us, slid in the impact of parallel process on transference and applied the isomorphic manifestations to all of this. In conclusion, Jim shared the Seven Steps to Effective Prayer by Jim Goure to assist us to “correct the misappropriate use of time and energy dealing with problem solving”.
The second seminar was titled Contextual Supervision: The Bottom Line. Jim challenged us in several arenas, including being a good steward of our spiritual gifts, our temperament, our signature strengths, our relationships, and our opportunities. He referred to the resources of Now, Discover Your Strengths by Buckingham and Clifton to assist us in acknowledging our greatest strengths. The purpose of this is that we might better identify and strengthen the leader within us and those we serve to become better supervisors. Jim closed with challenging us to write our personal theory of supervision so that we might be able to “cultivate the fine art and science of self-supervision”.
Several hours during our stay at the Carmel Retreat Center were devoted to sharing our own Clinical Case Presentations in small group. This is not just an occurrence at a NCTS, but one we practice at our Annual Plenary meeting. An additional goal at these meeting is to review the supervisory process for those who are training to be CPE supervisors. Not everyone who attends is in the process of becoming a supervisor though, all are welcomed. I understand that this has been the vision of our president, Francine Angel, who does a great work in organizing the NCTS’s.
Which brings me to one final observation and point of reflection. During our closing gathering it was mentioned by Raymond Lawrence that the first NCTS was held several years ago because an individual who had joined CPSP was not welcomed at a similar event held by another group that trains CPE Supervisors. The thought was for CPSP to provide its own training seminar so that everyone who is in training to be a CPE Supervisor would have an opportunity to periodically meet with peers for an intense retreat that focused on clinical supervision. I for one am thankful for those who were able to pull off this event and those who have followed. This is my second NCTS and I look forward to more in the future.
Perhaps, as I think about the way God was showing off through the change of seasons during my recent visit to the northeast, CPSP is showing off a bit with the development of the NCTS over the years. The challenges of past, the winter years of CPSP, when the organization was known by few and appreciated by fewer are past. CPSP is blooming…bursting with growth and vitality. The CPSP tree is in full season bloom. I plan to keep enjoying it during future gatherings, as Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 1, La Primavera plays in my head, Springtime is upon us, The birds celebrate her return with festive song.
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To contact the author, click here.
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at 5:05 PM
I am new to the membership of College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy (CPSP). I am not new, however, to the spirit and fellowship of CPSP.
Currently I am working as a retired ACPE Supervisor supervising a variety of clinical training programs at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, MS where Dr. Al Carden is the Director of the Department of Pastoral Care.
Acting upon the encouragement of Dr. Carden to explore membership with the CPSP, I attended a meeting of the Deep South Chapter where he is a member. Immediately I felt not only welcomed but that I had found a sacred home. There was in this gathering the experience of serious professionalism and rich community. Recently I became a member of the Chapter as a CPSP Diplomate in Clinical Pastoral Supervision.
My journey into the meaning of the CPSP community continued beyond the Chapter. A rather ineffable experience occurred while waiting for the opening session of the 2008 CPSP Plenary. Looking around the room my eyes focused on the CPSP logo displayed behind the podium. The circle, form, colors and movements of blue and green leaped out at me with an inspiration of visual empowerment.
It was revealed to me in that emotional moment what CPSP is attempting to preserve. CPSP is committed to honor the heritage of our theological journey.
Looking at the CPSP Logo I saw the blue at the base as our theological heritage---the source of our foundation. The circle in blue represented our transcendence. I saw in the elusive growth in green as the constant reaching beyond structure, yet having a boundary that gives life and vitality to our being and our personhood as people and as clinicians.
This transcendent ecstasy needed to become a written expression, not limited to a private experience. My exposure to the spirit and fellowship, both now, and the remembrance of the early pilgrims and my pilgrimage in CPE felt very sacred in that moment in time.
Attempting to state, not capture that sacred image and vision that came to me when my eyes locked onto the CPSP logo, I wrote:
...Reaching for WHOLENESS…. we are already grounded in that which we are yearning for…
Immediately I shared my experience with my colleague Al Carden. That was not enough. I needed to share it with the leadership. After the speaker, I told Perry Miller. His response was “...after all these years you are still creative and crazy, e-mail it to me...”
We in CPSP are the creative and the crazies who still trust that the Creators intention for us was to be fully human as the gift to be holy without isolation.
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Benson Thomas is a CPSP Diplomate and can be contacted by clicking here.
Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at 10:30 PM