Echos of the Breakfast Club

I have been in this field for close to 20 years. YIKES! In 1992 I graduated as a Marriage & Family Therapist. My experiences in the four years I was absorbed in the program at SCSU were life changing.One of the largest lessons, that I had already had the seed of, (planted by my friend Aimee in high school, who also became an MFT), but was confirmed was simply " We are more alike than different" Thank you John Hughes-

Each summer I attend a conference at the Cape to meet my continuing education requirements. And each year I come back with an appreciation for the depth and thoroghness of the education I recieved at SCSU. And I ususally write a note of thanks to  Drs. Barbara & Ed Lynch, thanking them again for the enormous impact they had on my life.

Once again this year, sitting in a room, of generally older therapist, psychologists and social workers, I was struck by what appeared to be the presentation and understanding of this simple concept. Underneath it all, we are not so different after all. This thought was echoed again and again, with a sense of surprise, by my classmates, as we watched videos and experienced live sessions. On a side note, Adele was amused by how excited I was to get to watch live therapy sesssions, hey I admit I am different. Probably akin to her seeing a huge deal close. Anyway, it struck me, if those of us blessed enough to be given the opportunity to see each other in all of our naked emotional vulnerability need to be reminded, underneath it all we are all made out of similar cloth, that probably everyone needs to be reminded.

Not color, not religion, not socio economic status, not age, not ethnicity, not prestige, nor poverty change the fact that we all want to be included, want to be loved,  we feel pain, sadness and fear. We all have been hurt, perhaps even traumatized, we have lost, we suffer. We also feel love, hope, tenderness and compassion. Look at the children, I have often held the belief that they are nearest to God, therefore nearest to our most perfect state. Before our socialization techniques, and Life, create the changes that often come to mar the most beautiful form of SELF. Look at them, they know compassion, and curiosity, creativity, calm and caring. It is inate, it is who we are meant to be. All of us.

I am very excited about this theraputic technique I was exposed to, ready to do another scrubbing of my own interior psyche and have more tools to use with my own clients. I will keep you posted!