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’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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Posted by Perry Miller, Editor at June 12, 2008 10:10 PM
