therapy and OST

[Nancy Peden]

Hi Everyone--

I am new to the list and know Kinoli from Bob Stilger's Weaver's project;
Harrison's letter from Rome touched me deeply. I am a Calif Inst. of Integral
Studies grad student in Transformative Learning and Change. Right now, my
dissertation is evolving/revolving around body centered epistemologies and
different ways of knowing...and my personal favorite: poetic knowing.

While I probably can't participate alot right now, I felt called to try to
respond a little to Winston about whether training in therapy should be a
part of training for OST....I hope I reframed that correctly. Forgive me if
not.

I am pretty anti therapy. My mother spent much of her life in and out of
institutions. She was a painter and probably could have had a life as an
artist, if she had been encouraged to express that way.  As I have studied as
a woman of 52, I begin to see more clearly how differences among humans can
be declared pathologic by the dominant paradigm, whatever it is, wherever it
is.

Certainly we need great therapists but perhaps as a place of last resort; I
am deeply interested in returning to the healing available in the community
circle and I believe OST and other models are very worthwhile towards this
end. Once again, we try to understand that nature knows how to hold us and
guide us.

I currently live in the south, Tennessee, tho I grew up in N. Calif where I
attend school and will once again live soon. When I tried to study social
work, I found that most African Americans and some other ethnicities, were
generally not interested in therapy and that their church and their community
were the chalice for healing and for reconnection. I feel this is something
that has been purposely if unconsciously discouraged in consumer culture and
was awed and delighted to learn about these phenomena here. (I am Italian
American, 2nd generation, pretty cut off from tradition.)

I am also a fan of Jung, at least some of his work. The concept of shadow I
believe is useful when considering the field of therapy.  I believe, as does
a classic feminists psychologist of the 1980's, that therapy carries the
shadow of the white male Eurocentric community, even the great fields of
transpersonal and humanistic therapy.  I do not abandon PYSCHOLOGY though,
just therapy, altho even the field of psychology gives me pause.

By making difference pathologic, what can't be dealt with openly in society
is called "sick" or maladaptive and to be "helped" by an authority other than
self and community; we purchase intimacy. Knowledge is power and that kind of
power, of classification and objectification, I believe should be constantly
questioned by us all.

I wonder whether Israelis or Palestinians would see their rage as
maladaptive?

These are some thoughts on therapy; thank you for considering this. I am sure
there are some therapists among this group and I hope I have not offended. I
feel that ethical conduct, in life, in therapy, or any process work should be
an ongoing conversation. I feel like I am being a bit of a bee, buzzing in
here offering my critique. Often the role I choose in life....ah, habits!

Thanks for considering.

Blessings, Nancy Peden
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