Thursday, May 27, 2010

From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group Meetings

From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group Meetings

Every Thursday Evening

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

The Hub

2nd Floor, 1673 Barrington Street

Halifax, Nova Scotia

ALL ARE WELCOME!

FREE!

TODAY – Thursday, May 27th, 2010

An interactive presentation on Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) with Dr. Ravinder Bains

Dr. Bains is a psychiatrist at Connections Halifax (formerly known as Connections Clubhouse) and The Centre for Emotions and Health, as well as psychotherapist who specializes in ISTDP. The basic ISTDP understanding of many psychological disorders is based on attachment, and the emotional effects of broken attachments. Interruptions and trauma to human attachments may cause a cascade of complex emotions which may become blocked and avoided. When later life events stir up these feelings, anxiety and defence reactions may be activated; a basic finding derived from a large case series conducted by Dr. Habib Davanloo in the 1960’s and 1970‘s. The anxiety and these defence reactions may be completely unconscious to the person experiencing them, and the result may be ruined relationships, physical symptoms, and a range of psychiatric symptoms. The ISTDP treatment approach, as designed by Dr. Davanloo, is to first acquaint the patient with these unconscious processes and then to help them to overcome the emotional blocking processes. This often means focusing on the feelings that the patient has in the office during the moments of the interview, and pointing out the ways the patient blocks off both the emotions, and the connection with the therapist, during treatment. After exposure to the origins of these intense emotions, and learning to stay with them in the present moment, patients commonly experience an improvement in symptoms, and a reduction of defensive reactions.

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

An interactive presentation on music therapy with Aileen McGinty

Aileen moved to Halifax from Scotland at the end of January 2010. She has been a practicing music therapy for eight years and is a qualified MTA. She proposed, initiated and very successfully ran a music therapy department within a psychiatric hospital for three years. As part of this work she undertook a two year study ofThe Effectiveness of Music Therapy in an Acute Psychiatric Setting. This work was written up and presented at a national health service conference. Aileen is also a qualified lawyer, has a Masters in Psychology and has just completed post-graduate study in psychology. She has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and has been very involved in both the consumer movement and mental health policy development work, including working with the Scottish Government, Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. She has also been a Board member of the Healthy Minds Cooperative for the last two years.

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

An interactive presentation on mental health in the Christian community with Rev. Martin Zwicker

Rev. Zwicker graduated from Acadia University in 1995 with Master of Divinity degree. While he was student, he spent two summers working as a Hospital Chaplain at the IWK and the VG Hospitals. He has 15 years experience as a pastor, the last 9½ at First Baptist Church, Dartmouth. Rev. Zwicker also serves on the Baptist mental health working group: Rapha Initiative. In this role he speaks at seminars, and he has contributed to the recent DVD project, An Awakening of Compassion: A Christian Perspective on Mental Health. He has also been involved in spiritual care at Nova Scotia Hospital and the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility. He serves on the Board of Directors of Margaret's House (Feeding Others of Dartmouth), and he volunteers for the Out of the Cold Emergency Shelter. Rev. Zwicker is involved in advocacy, anti-stigma initiatives, and he provides direct support for individuals and families around issues of mental health. He is a trainer for safeTALK Suicide Alertness.

An additional upcoming From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group interactive presentation:

Thursday, June 17th, 2010 – Dr. Phil Tibbo, Early Psychosis and Current Research in Psychosis

Laura Burke

Peer Support Facilitator

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

Phone: (902) 465-2601

Toll-free: 1-800-465-2601

Website: www.ssns.ca

Weblog: www.blog.ssns.ca

Room B-23, E.C. Purdy Building

300 Pleasant Street

P.O. Box 1004, Station Main

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

B2Y 3Z9

No comments: