Deep Release E-Newsletter October 2011

Dear Friends

Katy and I have just spent most of the day labouring over the 2012 Deep Release brochure.  It doesn't seem long since we were preparing this year's programme, and yet there are only three months left of 2011, and they are flying by.  We've got some new goodies for you next year as well as the standard programme.  I think (hope) you'll be impressed!

Talking of time passing, I did appreciate the good wishes for my crossing over into being 60 - I've now got my Senior Citizens' rail pass and free prescriptions! This is crazy! Inside I'm still about 45, so it all feels pretty unreal, if not plain daft, to be this old!

Great news for 2012 is that we have finally managed to negotiate a deal at the Sion Community whereby we can bring our own packed lunches. I've wanted to do this for a long time, and the result is that we have been able to reduce our prices for 2012!  Sorry for those of you who will pine for your roast chicken and apple crumble lunch halfway through the day (a nightmare keeping participants awake after that!).  You'll still get full board on weekend courses, but it's bring your sandwiches for the day courses next year!  (Training days held at Ashwells Country Club will include lunch.)

We have a fascinating course coming up in Brentwood on 26th October, "Where do I put my pain?".  Dr Pauline Yong is a GP in Southampton with a special interest in neuroscience, and together we have drawn up a really interesting training day looking at how the body processes emotional and physical pain.  Do come and join us!

The Anger Workshop follows on 27th October.  This is one of my favourite workshops and it always proves both illuminating and liberating for participants.  Helping people release anger safely can be such a challenging area for counsellors, so do come and get some training.  The day is also suitable for some clients who are ready to look at this key area.  Blocked anger is often linked with depression and other dis-eases of the mind and body, so don't miss out!

Supervisors, don't forget to book in for your own CPD training day, Ethical and Spiritual Dilemmas in Supervision on Tuesday 15th November.  I am really looking forward to working with you on some hot potatoes in the counselling world, and to working out best practice in a profession which is full of complex issues.  It sometimes feels like it's getting harder and harder to be a practising Christian and we need to resource and encourage one another.

We have two great training days coming up in Southampton, 11-12 November, on Attachment and the Inner Child.  We had a great time there earlier in the year, and are looking forward to bringing a range of CPD courses to the south coast.  Please spread the word and contact the Deep Release office for a booking form.  Discounts are available for groups.

Kit, our website manager, has been encouraged by the warm weather to do some spring cleaning!  We are concerned that some entries on our database are very out of date, and it's no surprise that a number come bouncing back as undelivered.  So Kit will be contacting you all soon requesting that you respond if you want to continue to receive the newsletter (hope so!).  It will all be quite clear when you read his email, so thank you for helping us get trimmer and fitter in our mailings!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before that Katy, our Office Manager, has a beautiful black labrador called Belle who is now becoming an unofficial member of the DR team!  Bring your dog to work day has turned into a regular occurance and it's just great having a dog in the house, bringing back very happy memories of my childhood.  Pets can be so affirming - Belle leaps around with delight whenever she meets a new friend, as if you're exactly who she wanted and needed at that point.  And somehow she manages to sustain this throughout the day and will wag her tail enthusiastically whenever I appear.  I realise she's becoming a bit of an attachment figure for me - I even dreamt I'd lost her the other night!  Unconditional positive regard is clearly easier for dogs than people, and we can learn a lot from them.  I think it's a great gift to give our clients, to greet them with warmth and welcome whenever they come, to let them know they are wanted and, for the time we are together, that's where they truly belong.  I know when I receive a warm welcome from the heart, I feel good inside.  Let's extend it to a wider circle this month, and greet people with an extra smile.  How about the people who serve us in shops, or those neighbours further up the road?  We all need it!  If you need a bit of courage, borrow a dog - it's so much easier when you've got an expert on the lead to help!

Time to enjoy the evening sun.

With love and blessings to you

Chris & Pauline