8Psychosynthesis on the Move…. An occasional newsletter from the Synthesis Center-

Spring, 2008: Let us begin again (Didi Firman, Editor)

Psychosynthesis is on the move, not only at the Center, but also in the

world. In the U.S. we begin the long process of electing a new president. It is

good news that, finally, our country can consider a woman and an African

American as leaders. This has been a long time coming. And all of us, citizens

of the world, face daily how we choose to respond to the call of Self (a well-loved

phrase from the work of John Firman and Ann Gila). Spring is coming and the

light is returning. That which has been dormant is readying for a rebirth. How

shall we begin again? Today? And Tomorrow? How shall we listen and

respond? It is the task at hand, now and always.

Yes, spring has come This morning a nameless hill Is shrouded in mist.

Basho,translatedbyR.H.Blyth

5

News & Events of interest at the Center and beyond. New

Books! A recent article by Raúl Quiñones Rosado! Keep reading!

QThird Thursday Series b All are invited to our continuing series of evocative evenings on self-care and personal

growth. This series is open to the community and is free or by donation to the Synthesis Center. Synthesis Center staff and guests will work to support positive choices for each person

attending, through a variety of methods, styles and themes! The series is held on the third Thursday of each month from 6:30 - 8:00 pm.

March 20, 2008: Joyful Danskinetics with Robin Diamond

Danskinetics is a dance and yoga-based fitness experience that uses music

and movement in a fun and creative way. It’s so much fun you’ll forget you’re

getting a workout! Fun, fitness and stress relief – all rolled into one. Everyone

welcome, all ages and body types, men and women alike.

April 17, 2008: Sandtray Journey Method:

Finding Your Wisdom Through Sacred Play with Gabe Slavin

Sandtray Journey Method is a play therapy technique suited for adults and

children. Using a tray filled with sand, the participant creates a scene or a

soul garden using figures chosen from a large collection of found objects and

miniatures representing items and themes found in the world. An overview of

the history of sand tray methods, a demonstration of the technique and a

hands-on activity will be included in this evening presentation.

Spring & Summer Programs

[][][] HOLDING THE CIRCLE:

ATraining/WorkshopforWomen

TWithAnneYeomansT

BeginsMarch26

Drawing on experience with the sacred circle, which is at the heart of women’s spirituality, we will practice the kind of “holding” that makes a circle a safe, beautiful, deep and profoundly transformative place to be. Topics to be explored include:

* embodied speaking and embodied listening * energy awareness in the circle * present-centered circle work * balancing assertiveness and receptivity as a facilitator * conflict and shadow issues in women’s circles * learning to trust the mystery of circle unfolding * “circle as teacher”

This six-week course is appropriate for those currently working with women’s groups who want more practice and peer support, as well as for those who want to take their first step into circle work. The direction of the course will be set in response to the needs of those who attend. Group limited to 12 women.

Six Wednesdays, March 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Sunday, April 27, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Hold May 7, as “weather day”)

Cost: $300-$240, sliding fee. Payment plans available.

To hold a place please send a $40 deposit (non-refundable) to Anne Yeomans,

23 Wilson Hill Rd. Colrain, MA 01340. For questions: 413-522-5285

New Psychosynthesis Summer Intensive

Training Program Once again we open our doors to a new group of trainees for the powerful experience of psychosynthesis training. We look forward to a new group and invite you to contact us for more information. The intensive will include all the material covered in the nine-weekend program of Level I in three intensive four-day sessions. Participants willhave the option of continuing on in the Level 2 monthly program beginning in October 2008. The fee is $2800 for the Summer Intensive. The dates for the 2008 Summer Intensive are:

July 18-21 � August 15-18

�September 12-15

Free Informational Evenings

Free Evenings will be held at the Center on the following dates: � Friday, May 16 - 6:30 to 8:00 PM� Sunday, April 6 - 4:30 to 6:00 PM� Friday, June 20 - 6:30 to 8:00 PM��

These evenings will be experiential as well as informational to give you a better experience of psychosynthesis and what the training program is. They will all be run by core faculty of the program. There will be ample time for questions as well. Please call the center at (413) 256-0772 or E-mail programs@synthesiscenter.org to register or for more information. You can also contact the Center to speak with staff or graduates of the program to answer any questions you may have.

7 www.synthesiscenter.org 7

Co-Sponsored by the Synthesis Center and

Union Institute and University, Join us for the

Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis

2008 Conference

Healing and Transformation in the 21st Century: Creating Personal and Global Change

June 27-29, 2008 in Brattleboro, Vermont

.

Conference highlights: Preconference Workshop: Trainer Development Program

(TDP), Thursday & Friday, June 26 and 27

Keynote address:

The Deep River Within: Reflections on

Spiritual Life in a Speed-Obsessed

World by

Abby Seixas Friday evening, June 27

Healing Individual and Social Trauma

in Russia , a presentation by

Sasha Badkhen and Mark Pevzner from the Harmony Institute in Russia

Saturday, June 28 An extensive array of workshops, presentations, and

discussions to choose from on Saturday & Sunday, June 28 and 29!

Presentations by Synthesis Center Staff and trainees, local and international psychosynthesists, faculty of the Union Institute

Department of Graduate Psychology & Counseling. CEU’s pending for Social Workers, marriage and family therapists, Professional Counselors and Psychologists

Early registration discount!

Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis Celebrating 50 years of psychosynthesis in America

For more information, contact Jan Kuniholm, Conference Chair, at jkuniholm@roadrunner.com, and in the near future, information and registration

will be found at the AAP website: www.aap-psychosynthesis.org Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis

dBooks,Books & More Books! . . . A

Good news on the book front. The Synthesis Center has just reprinted Psychosynthesis, so it is available once again.

Wonderful to know people are reading it. The books below are all by psychsoynthesis folks or include chapters

by them. Make sure to support our psychosynthesis authors!

(available at bookstores, through Amazon or from the Center)

David Klugman, a long time psychosynthesis practitioner, has developed a theory, or series of related ideas, all of which

elucidate the absolute primacy of feeling in everyday life. By exploring the ways in which we often conflate circumstances with feelings, David tries to show us how our emphasis on things and achievements may be often wrongheaded, since it is always the feeling we are after, and never the things in themselves. As he

writes in his afterword:

"It is not that things and achievements don't matter - they do. They matter a lot. But just what things will seed our genuine growth, what achievements we really need in order to become more of what and who

we truly are, can only ever be seen clearly when we adhere to the simple, but not always easy, practice of feeling first."

(available on Amazon or from www.thefeelinglife.com)

Raúl Quiñones Rosado is a long time student of psychosynthesis, a social activist and a speaker.

Consciousness-in-Action describes an approach to personal and social change in the context of oppression—society’s major hindrance to well-being and

development. Drawing from psychology, sociology, social and integral theories, and over thirty years of contemplative practice and community work, this book

proposes an integral framework for human well-being and development, a psychosocial analysis of the impact of identity-based power, and a liberatory-transformative praxis for transcending internalized superiority and inferiority

rooted in racism, sexism, Eurocentrism, classism, and other forms of institutional oppression. This book offers an alternative to prevailing

fragmented approaches to change. In so doing, it emphasizes the impact of multiple, simultaneous oppressions on the integral development of persons,

communities and societies, while it also asserts the vital role of social identity development and other psycho-spiritual developmental processes on the path

to liberation and transformation.

(available at http://stores.lulu.com/raulqr )

The Synthesis Center Press has just published a new book, with chapters by Didi Firman, Michael Gigante, Raúl Quiñones Rosado, activist Andrea Ayvazian and professionals from the field. Edited by Drs. Nick Young & Christine Michael of the Vermont College Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling.

(available at bookstores, on Amazon or from the Synthesis Center)

One more book to share with you! From Dr. Debby Onken of the Family Synthesis Institute

A psychchosynthesis book for the whole family! For more info or to order a book, contact Debby at dsonken@aol.com

An excerpt from:

Counseling in a Complex Society: Contemporary Challenges to Professional Practice

OnCounseling,SpiritualityandConsciousness­in­

Action:AnIntegralView

RaúlQuiñonesRosado,PhD Sincethe1960s,therehasbeenanincreasedinterestinrelationshipsbetweenpsychology,spirituality,andsocialaction.Theemergenceoftranspersonalpsychologyasanacknowledgedfieldof study points to the interest in exploring connections between psychological well‐being andspiritual development (Assagioli, 1965/1976, 1973; Walsh, 1980; Wilber, 1977, 1980, 1981).Duringthissametime,interestinexaminingtheroleofpsychology,psychotherapyandcounselinginrelationtothesociopoliticalwell‐beingofindividualsandcommunitiesledtothedevelopmentofvarious fields, including liberation psychology (Akbar, 1984, 1996; Bulhan, 1985; Fanon, 1963,1967; Moane, 1999, 2003), community psychology (Montero, 2003, 2004; Nelson, 2005;Prilleltensky,2003;Prilleltensky&Nelson,1997)andcriticalpsychology(Fox,1997;Martín‐Baró,1989, 1994). More recently, a renewed interest in liberation spirituality, or the relationshipbetweenspiritualityandsocialaction,alsoistakingplaceintheformofspiritualactivism(Horwitz,2002;NhatHanh,1992;Sivaraksa,1992).

Consciousness­in­action (Quiñones Rosado, 2007) is an approach that, in some measure,integrates these three orientations to human well‐being and development. Drawing frompsychology, sociology, critical theory, integral theory, and years of work in communities‐of‐struggle, the consciousness‐in‐action framework offers an integral view of well‐being anddevelopment in the context of institutional and internalized oppression. A personal and groupprocess, consciousness‐in‐action is a liberatory and transformative practice to help peoplemovefrom emotional and behavioral reactivity rooted in both learned superiority and inferiority toresponsiveness.Thischapter introducessomeof theconceptsandprinciplesofconsciousness‐in‐actionastheyrelatetocounselorsandthecounselingprofession.

SpiritualPracticeandSocialActionSpirituality,generally,referstowaysinwhichhumansseektoreconcileaperceivedconflict

betweenindividualityandunity.Spiritualityreflectspeople’sattemptstoovercometheillusionoftheirapparentseparationandpresumeduniquenessastheymovetoembraceanintuitedonenesswithallotherbeingsandwithaUniversalAll.Withintheirownculturalcontext,peoplewhoengage

thissearchdevelop,adopt,oradaptspiritualpracticesordisciplinesthatmovethem,consciouslyandwillfully,towardgreaterpersonalintegrity,self‐transcendence,andunityconsciousness. Indigenous traditions informus that these four aspects—mental, emotional, physical andspiritual—coexist, inseparably,holistically(Bopp,Bopp&Lane,1998;Bopp,Bopp,Brown&Lane,1984/1989; Bopp&Bopp, 2001). Individuated spirit, integrally associatedwith body,mind, andemotions, isunderstood tobeat thecoreofourhumanity.Spiritencompassesour intuitionsandvalues,andis linkedtoour intellectandcreativity,our feelingsandbeliefs,aswellasourdesiresanddrives. Like the Chineseyin­yang, each aspect is containedwithin the other; like theYorubaibeji, themale‐female twins, one compliments the other. Further, like a holograph, of which thesmallest film fragment contains the whole image, all aspects of our being are ever‐present.Together, these four aspects synergistically generate human consciousness and will. It isconsciousness and will that allow us to focus our awareness and volition, our attention andintention, forthepurposeofoursurvival,well‐beinganddevelopmentashumanbeings.Spiritualpractice, ideally, then, involvesthedevelopmentof thewholebeing,asallaspectsof thepersonaldimension are impacted by changes in the any one of them (Quiñones Rosado, 2007; QuiñonesRosado&Barreto‐Cortéz,E.,2002). Obviously,individualsdonotexistalone,separately,inisolationfromotherpeople.Welivewithinasociety,inasystemfarmorecomplexthanthemerecollectionofindividualpersons.Thissociety, with its particular political, social, economic, and cultural structures and institutions,createslaws,norms,rulesandtraditions,allwhichservetoregulaterelationshipsamongitspeople.These structures and institutions, in turn, are what provide the context for the processes thatenable—and often hinder—our survival, well‐being, and full development. In fact, socialpsychologists maintain that the individual, our very sense of self, is socially constructed by ourinteractions throughout socialization process (Berry, 2002; Gardiner, 2002; Stryker, 2000). Thesenseof “Iam”emergesdevelopmentallyaswe learn that “Iamnot”other.Oursenseof identitydevelops, not only because of our particularmental, emotional, physical and spiritual traits, butbecausemuchofwhowearehastodowithoursharedexperienceswithothersclosesttousandmostlikeus(Jacobs,2003;Vygotsky,1978).Atthesametime,muchofwhoandhowwearehastodowithourrelationshiptootherswhohaveadifferentsenseofcollectiveidentity,andwhoalso,byvirtue of their group membership, exert a different degree of social power and access to theresources needed for their full individual and collective development (Hardiman, 1997; Tatum,1997).Inasocietythat,bothhistoricallyandtoday,asageneralrulegrantsmoresocialpowerandgreateraccesstomenthantowomen,totherichthantoworkingclassandpoorpeople,towhitesthantopeopleofcolor,toheterosexualsthantogays,lesbians,bisexualsandtransgenderedpeople,and to other dominant groupmembers vis­à­vis subordinated ones, differential power inevitablyplays a central role in shaping our identity—both personal and social. These dynamics ofdifferential power, or oppression, have lasting negative impacts on individuals—and groupscollectively—as people develop distorted (or inflated) self‐images, negative (or overly positive)self‐concepts, low (or exaggerated) self‐esteem, and little (or narcissistic) self‐love (QuiñonesRosado,2007).

Theefforttoequalizethedifferentialpowerbetweensocialidentitygroupsand,moreover,totransformtheinstitutionalandsystemicforcesthatperpetuateoppressionis,typically,thework

of social activism. But if spiritual practice is concerned with attaining (or having people “re‐member”) their inherent unity, then transcending fragmentation of self and overcomingoppositionaldynamicswithinandbetweenpeopleisalsoitsinevitabletask.

Spiritualpracticeandsocialaction, therefore, areessentially twoexpressionsof thesamebasic human drive: the search for fulfillment of our true humanity, of our divine nature, theevolution of consciousness itself.While spiritual practice tends to be an inward exploration andactivity,socialactiontendstobeanoutwardexpression;thefirst,mostlyanindividualeffortandpersonal experience,while the latter, a collective effort and shared experience of community, or“common‐unity.”The“success”ofthislife‐longprocessdependsonourabilitytoresolveourbasic(andsubtle)internalcontradictions;thetranscendenceofourfeltsenseofseparateness;thesearchfor unity beyond relatedness, the realizationof oneness.Both spiritual practice and social actionrequirepersistentpractice,disciplinedeffort,andflexibility,andaregroundedinthewisdomandexperience of those that came before us. Both involve an on‐going ever‐spiraling process ofconsciousness‐in‐action(QuiñonesRosado,2007):Perceiving—noticing, witnessing, becoming aware of the sense of self‐contraction, emotionalreactivityandwithdrawalfroman“other”orfromone’sownsocialgroup.Acknowledging—moving beyond ignorance and/or denial of the sense of self‐contraction andreactivity, and how this dynamic is played out psychologically within us and sociologically, orcollectively,throughoutsociety.Understanding—the nature of suffering, of the self‐contraction and separation, and of thedynamicsofdifferentialsocialpowerandoppression,itscauses,anditsconsequences.Responding—with fullawarenessofone’sownsufferingand to thatofothers;move toward thetranscendenceofoursocialization—our learnedinternalizedsuperiorityandinferiority—throughactiveengagementwithothers,non‐violent,anti‐oppressive,creativeandliberatingactiontowardself‐determination(personalandcollective)andtransformation.

CounselingasSocialTransformationCounseling, likesocialandspiritualactivism,aimsathelpingpeoplemovetowardgreater

levelsofwell‐being in their lives.Themajordifference,of course, is that the focusof counselors’workistheindividualperson(orperhapsthecoupleorthefamily),whilethefocusofactivists’isthe community, institutional policy, or society at large. Counselors address issues that affect themental,emotional,physical,andspiritualaspectsofthepersonandseektomobilizetheirinternalresources(boththeirownandthoseofclients)toaffectpositivechangeandgrowth.Activistsandorganizers,ontheotherhand,addresspolitical,social,economicandculturalissuesthatimpactthecollective bymobilizing people and other external resources as they seek to effect institutional,structuralorsystemicchangesintheworld.

Beyond (and despite) these and other obvious differences, counseling and activism alike

respondtotheperception,recognitionandunderstandingthatthequalityoflifeoftoomanypeopleisfarbelowwhatarecommonlyacceptedstandardsincontemporaryU.S.society.Moreover,whenexaminedfromaholisticperspectivethattakesintoaccountthebalanceandharmonybetweenallaspects at the personal level and within all domains of activity at the collective level, it is notdifficulttoseejusthowfarpeoplearefromenjoyingintegralwell‐being.

For people concerned with both personal change and social transformation, an integralperspectiveofwell‐beingandhumandevelopmentiscrucial.Whethercounselors,therapists,otherhelping professionals or social activists, our understanding of the dynamic and interdependentrelationshipsbetweenthe individualandthecollective is fundamentalandofutmost importance.Then, aswe are able tounderstand these relationships,we can alsobegin to recognize and fullyappreciateourownpersonalresponsibilitytouseourprofessionalrole intheserviceofpersonalandsocialtransformation.

As counselors engaged in consciousness‐in‐action, we must seek to understand theconflicts, contradictions and incongruities among our many differing ideas, feelings, behaviors,attitudes,beliefsandvalues.Sincemostconflictsandincongruencetendtobecomemostevidentinthemidstofintimaterelationships,wemustalsoworkonthesewithourpartners,children,otherfamilymembers,andthoseclosesttousinourvariouscommunities.Toalloftheserelationships,we can seek to bring awareness of social power, and how the dynamics of oppression(interpersonal,institutional,andsystemic)cometobearontheparticularinteractionandupontherelationship in general. Therefore, we must strive to further explore our own internalizedinferiorityandsuperiority(anddominance)byracial, class,gender,sexual,cultural,national,andpolitical identities, as well as by physical and mental ability, and age. Additionally, in ourcounseling,ormoreaccurately,ouranti‐oppressionliberatorytransformationwork,wecanbringasense of response‐ability to be alert to patterns of oppressive behavior, and to confront thesewhenever possible. Because our profession should understand oppression and be committed tosocialjusticeandthepositivetransformationofsociety,liberatorytransformationcounselorsneedtobefullyawareofandoppose:Racism—theimpositionof the ideologyofwhitesuperiority(whichproclaims“whiteness”asthestandard of humanity) through the legally sanctioned institutions of a society for the benefit ofwhitesandforthepurposeofperpetuatingtheircollectivepositionofpowerandprivilege.

1

Culturalracism—thesystemic impositionofwhiteculture throughoutasociety.2The traditional

1.ThisdefinitionisadaptedfromtheUndoingRacism®workshopgivenbyThePeople’sInstituteforSurvival&Beyond,anationalnetworkofanti‐racismorganizersbasedinNewOrleans.Theprimarygeographicreferencesorcontextsforallofthesedefinitions are theUnited States andPuertoRico, thoughwith globalization ofUS culture in full force, I suspectthesedefinitionsandtheirunderlyingdynamicsmayverywellholdtrueworldwide. 2.“Whiteculture”referstothedominantcultureoftheUSthatisinlargemeasureadaptedfromwaysofknowing,valuing,producingandrelatingofvariousEuropeancultures,yetwhichemergedfromandduringtheprocessofcolonization,thedevelopmentofcapitalism,thelegalandwidespreadestablishmentofchattelslavery,andthepublicpolicyofterritorialexpansionismthroughoutmostofthiscountry’shistory.

waysoflifeandcollectiveidentitiesofPeoplesofColorareactivelydisplacedbytheideas,beliefs,behaviors, feeling, attitudes and values shared among people of European descent, a culturepresumedtobesuperior.Thisisdoneforthepurposeofassimilation,thusestablishinginternalizedself‐controlsandmaintainingcomplianceamongthecitizenrywithintheframeworkofracism.Capitalism—the systemic imposition of the materialistic worldview of white culture, whichobjectifies people, other life forms, and the environment, and in fact, considers all of these“capital”—thatwhichistobeinvested,exploited,tradedandaccumulatedforpersonalprofit—forthepurposeofensuringtheprivilegedstatusandpowerofthedominantgroup.Colonialism—the impositionofwhitesuperiority,culturalracism,andcapitalismacrossnationaland cultural boundaries for the benefit of the ruling class of the imperial (albeit transnational)power.Militarism—theimpositionofcolonialismthroughtheuse,orthreatofuse,ofthemilitarymightofthearmedforces,aswellaslocal,state,federallawenforcement,intheUSandaroundtheworld.Sexism—theimpositionoftheideologyofmalesuperiority,whichproclaims“men”asthestandardof humanity (and of divinity in “western” cultures) through a patriarchal system, that objectifiesandexploitswomenbyvirtueoftheirgender.Heterosexism—the extension of sexism and patriarchy through the exclusive sanctioning ofheterosexualrelationshipswhich—baseduponthepresumedsuperiorityofmenandthecultureofmaleness,andthesubordinatedstatusofwomenwithinthoserelationships—aredeemedtobetheonlylegalandmorallyacceptableexpressionofhumansexualityandlove.

Similarly,members of this profession should stand opposed to ageism, ableism, religiousoppression,andallotherformsofinstitutionaloppressionaswell.Giventhemultitudeandseverityofthechallenges insocietytoday,ourprofession’sstanceagainstoppressionshouldbepublic.Asagentsofchangeandgrowth,weneedtoseektohelppeopleinourlargercommunitiesunderstandthe collective human suffering caused by oppression: those societal forces that systematicallyhinderourabilitytosurviveandfullydevelop,therootcauseofthesocialproblemsweendure.

CounselingasSpiritualActivismAdoptionofan integral liberatoryand transformativeapproach to counselingpresumesa

commitmenttoone’sownon‐goingwell‐being.Asphysicalexerciseandproperdiethelpthebodytoward healthy development, focused attention and effort on all aspects of the self can aid ourpsycho‐spiritualwell‐beinganddevelopment.Inthisprocess,wecanmovetowardgreaterbalanceand harmony by continually seeking to resolve internal conflicts betweenmind (ideas, thoughts,

images, dreams), heart (feelings, desires), body (urges, impulses, sensations, perceptions), andspirit(principles,values,meaning,purpose,inspiration,intuition).

Amongthemostcommonspiritualorcontemplativepracticesareprayer,meditation,self‐observation, and inquiry. For some people, engaging in physical activities (e.g., T’ai chi, qigong,running,swimming,andothersports)orabsorptioninmusic,art,ornatureenablesthemtoquietthemindandexperienceasimilarsenseofunityconsciousness.

Amainpurpose—andkeybenefit—ofcontemplativepracticeistoperceive,recognize,andunderstandthepsycho‐spiritualnatureofsuffering itself:emotionalreactivity.Whetherwecall itego,self‐contraction,thefearofnotbeingloved,oralloftheabove,emotionalreactivityleadstothesubjectivedisconnectionthatdisruptsrelationship—attheheartofoppressionitself.Furthermore,emotional reactivity diminishes our capacity to consciously respond and make appropriatebehavioral choices in every day life, and most certainly in the face of differential social powerdynamics. From the perspective of counseling as an application of consciousness‐in‐action,understanding thesedynamicsallowusascounselors toperceive, recognizeandaddressawiderrange of manifestations of the psychosocial patterns stemming from internalized oppressionand/orassociatedwith institutional,externalsocial forces.Thisunderstanding, togetherwithourpracticedabilitytorespond—thatis,tocatchourselvesemotionallyreactingand,then,torelaxthecontraction—isessentialtoeffectivecounselingrelationships.

ClosingCommentsLikemanypeople,my spirituality leadsme tobelieve that “weareallOne in theDivine.”

And notwithstanding the political stances I take, I, too, believe that “there is only one race: thehumanrace.”But,letmebeclear:thatweareallone,doesnotmeanweareallthesame.Giventherealityofoursocialization—allthegeneralizations,distortions,andoutrightliesweweretaughtaschildrenaboutoneanother’sidentitygroups—wecannotignoreordenythatthesedifferencesstillreallydomakeadifferenceinourdailylives,totherelativebenefitofsome,totheutterdetrimentofmost. Inspiteof the fact that thesedifferencesaresociallyconstructed, theirnegative impact isreal,tangibleandmeasurable.Thus,wemustnotbelieveforaninstantthatwecanmerelymeditateorcounselawayracism,colonialism,sexism,andall the formsofoppression thatharm,evenkill,andthatrobusallofourhumanity.

Ascounselingprofessionals,eachandeveryoneofusisanactiveparticipantinoursociety;thereisnosuchthingasbeingneutral.Everythingwedoeithersupportsoppressionandsufferingor serves to liberate others and ourselves from it. I believe that given the opportunity and theknowledge,most counselorswould choose to act against oppression and for liberation. I believemostcounselorsstandforthepositivetransformationofoursocietygroundedinavisionofintegralwell‐beinganddevelopment.

Key to that process of transformation, in personal, professional, and social realms, is tolearntoexpandourconsciousness,skillfullyexerciseourwill,togaincontrolofourattention,andfurther clarity of our intent. We need to develop the ability to see multiple levels of reality

simultaneously, and to be able to focus in on any one aspect or dimension instantly, to movebetweenforegroundandbackground,withoutlosingtheabilitytoseethe“largerpicture.”Bydoingthis,wecandiscernwhereitisthatweneedtogo,andmindfullydirectourenergyinthatdirection.

As counselors committed to liberation fromoppressionand the transformationof societyandconsciousness itself,wemust “assumeourrightfulplace”

3asweco‐createrelationships than

are free of the dynamics of dominance and subordination, as we build institutions thatfundamentallyhonorand supportour fullhumanity, andaswedeepenourunderstandingof theDivine and learn to express the best of our divine nature in all contexts. That, I believe, is ourgreatestchallenge.

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In honor of New beginnings. . .

May we be kind May we be aware

May we act in the best interests of all

With blessings, from the Synthesis Center folks.

The Synthesis Center • 274 North Pleasant St. • Amherst, MA • 01002

413-256-0772 • www.synthesiscenter.org