Integrative Therapy, Healing, Coaching and Well-Being Newsletter from an Energy, Spiritual and Posiitve Psychology Perspective. (Summer 2003, Issue 62)

by Philip H. Friedman, Ph.D Director: Foundation for Energy and Spiritual Healing, and Coaching and the Foundation for Well-Being P.O. Box 627 Plymouth Meeting, Pa. 19462 (suburb of Philadelphia) 610-828-4674 http://www.integrativehelp.com/ http://www.philipfriedman.com/ http://www.energyspirit.com/ You can read this and earlier newsletters on the internet at: http://www.integrativehelp.com/newsletter.asp You can email me at: integrativehelp@aol.com To subscribe to the FREE Integrative Therapy, Healing, Coaching and Well-Being Newsletter from an Energy, Spiritual and Positive Psychology Perspective send an email message to: CreatingWellBeing-on@lists.webvalence.com and put subscribe in the subject line. (c) All rights reserved WELCOME TO THE: “INTEGRATIVE THERAPY, HEALING, COACHING AND WELL-BEING NEWSLETTER FROM AN ENERGY, SPIRITUAL AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVE”. I want to thank the over 1200 plus members of this List from 6 continents and everyone who has ordered my book, audiotapes, manual and the Friedman Scales from my new web site at: http://www.integrativehelp.com/books_tapes.html GRATITUDE: I am grateful to all the spiritual Masters on the planet who offer their love, compassion, grace, wisdom and blessings to spiritual seekers and to the world, especially to the many divine mothers who I have had the opportunity to spend some time with . CONTENTS: A. MORE ON THE CATALYST: THE TRIAD OF THERAPY; HEALING AND COACHING B. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY C. STAGES OF CHANGE D. INTEGRATIVE HEALING MANUAL AND IMAGERY HEALING TECHNIQUES E. TELEPHONE COACHING SESSIONS FRIEDMAN HEALING TECHNIQUES In previous months I discussed the following ENERGY/SPIRITUAL HEALING TECHNIQUES which are described in my INTEGRATIVE HEALING MANUAL. A) ACT (renamed the ACTIVE CHOICE TECHNIQUE) B) CART (CREATING AND RECEIVING TECHNIQUE) C) HEART (HEALING AND RELEASE TECHNIQUE); D) LIGHT (LIGHT IMAGERY GRATEFUL HEART TECHNIQUE). E) MATT (renamed the MIRACLE ACTIVATION TRIGGER TECHNIQUE) F) TASTE (renamed the TRIGGER AND SOFT TOUCH TECHNIQUE) and POWERFUL IMAGERY HEALING TECHNIQUES ON AUDIOCASSETTE. 1. RELAXATION AND MEDITATION 2. CREATING AND MANIFESTING WHAT YOU WANT 3. BRIEF AND ADVANCED FORM OF MANIFESTING WHAT YOU WANT 4. FORGIVENESS 5. INNER JOURNEY TO THE HIGHER SELF 6. SELF-ESTEEM 7. GRATITUDE 8. SUNDAY (HEALING MUSIC) See http://www.integrativehelp.com/books_tapes.html See http://www.integrativehelp.com/healing_techniques.html A. THE CATALYST: THE TRIAD OF THERAPY; HEALING AND COACHING In my previous newsletter I introduced the idea of the *CATALYST*; someone who has the skills, abilities, resources and talents to catalyze change and profound “shifts” in people’s lives in 3 key areas (the triad): therapy; healing and coaching. A “CATALYST” has integrated a powerful set of tools, techniques, orientations and approaches to maximize change drawn from cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, relationship systems, energy, spiritual and positive psychology. This issue of the newsletter will focus on positive psychology contributions to the “Catalytic Triad” B. Positive Psychology focusing on well-being and the good experiences/qualities/ strengths/virtues of life, is contrasted with Negative Psychology focusing on distress, trauma, disorders, pathology, disease, ill-being, negative feelings, deficits, DSM-3, weakness, diagnosis, remediation and even healing of these areas of distress and dysfunctions. Positive Psychology has 3 Core Dimensions: 1. Positive Organizations, Civic Culture and the Good Life 2. Positive Experiences such as well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, positive feelings, optimism, hope, flow, joy, creativity, courage, compassion, forgiveness, love, wisdom, self-actualization, sanity, emotional intelligence, spirituality, etc. My first book “Creating Well-Being: the Healing Path to Love, Peace, Self-Esteem and Happiness” focused on this topic. The above experiences/qualities are generally the major subjective goals sought by clients/customers of ‘CATALYSTS’ 3. Positive Strengths: there are currently 24 strengths that can be easily assessed with the VIA Classification of Strengths developed by Martin Seligman, Ph.D and his positive psychology colleagues at the Univ. of Pa. (see www.authentichappiness.com to assess yours) 1) curiosity 2) love of learning 3) judgment and open-mindedness 4) creativity 5) social intelligence 6) perspective (wisdom) 7) valor 8) industry and perseverance 9) integrity and honesty 10) vitality (zest and enthusiasm 11) kindness 12) love 13) citizenship and teamwork 14) fairness and justice 15) leadership 16) modesty 17) self-regulation 18) prudence and caution 19) forgiveness 20) appreciation of beauty 21) gratitude 22) hope and optimism 23) spirituality and sense of purpose 24) playfulness and humor. A “CATALYST” uses the results of the VIA Classification of Strengths (with the on-line version you can discover your top 5 VIA Strengths) to both help his/her clients focus on their positive qualities and to utilize these positive qualities to catalyze change in areas of their life. It is also very important that the CATALYST knows his/her own strengths: For example; when I first took the VIA (Virtues in Action) strengths test I was highest on: (Strengths and Descriptions from the VIA on-line test are listed below) 1. Spirituality, Sense of Purpose, and Faith “You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. You know where you fit in the larger scheme. Your beliefs shape your actions and are a source of comfort to you.” 2. Hope, Optimism, and Future-mindedness “You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.” 3. Industry, Diligence, and Perseverance “You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.” 4. Judgment, Critical Thinking, and Open-mindedness “Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.” 5. Perspective (Wisdom) “Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.” Recently I retook the VIA Strengths test and was highest on: 1. Capacity to Love and Be Loved     “You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.” 2. Forgiveness and Mercy     “You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.” 3. Gratitude     “You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.” 4. Industry, Diligence, and Perseverance     “You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.” 5. Leadership     “You excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a group to get things done and preserving harmony within the group by making everyone feel included. You do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.” (You can find out what your highest strengths are by going to www.authentichappiness.com or for a shorter version read Martin Seligman’s book “Authentic Happiness”) C. STAGES OF CHANGE There are generally considered to be 5 core Stages of Change (see “Changing for Good” by James O. Prochaska, Ph.D 1. Denial (that there is a problem) 2. Contemplation (of the problem) 3. Preparation for Action 4. Action 5. Maintenance Today (July 29, 2003) is one year since I consciously lost 30 pounds, i.e, 1 year of maintenance. On April 3rd of 2002 I started dieting (action phase) and 16 .7 weeks later I had lost the 30 pounds. After slowly and steadily gaining weight for 3 years and being in denial that there was a weight problem I started to seriously contemplate losing weight during the last 6 months of 2001 and early 2002. I weighed the pros and cons. After a brief preparation for action phase, I began on 07/29/03 with what I call a soup and tea diet (this was helped along by a substantial cold and sore throat for a few days). The main motivator was that I didn’t like the way I looked without clothes or felt in my clothes (I was at my highest weight ever). Intention, choice (no tapping actually was used), releasing limiting beliefs (especially about feeling deprived), small incremental steps and positive feedback were the tools I used. I lost 7 pounds the first week and an average of 2 pounds after that. Actually my initial goal was 10 pounds which I fairly quickly reached. After that I focused on just 5 pounds at a time. My motto, which I often tell my clients was: “an inch is a cinch, a yard is hard”. Eventually 1 inch at a time I lost the weight. The maintenance phase was harder in some ways, because it took even more focus and determination with less obvious rewards. In summary I would emphasize the power of: 1. Intention 2. Focus 3. Choice 4. Beliefs 5. Actions (small consistent) 6. Persistence 7. Positive Feedback For many people energy and spiritual therapy techniques are also very helpful though they were not necessary in my case. D. INTEGRATIVE HEALING MANUAL AND IMAGERY HEALING TECHNIQUES This Integrative Healing Manual first describes the COPERS and BETSI-HI model of Well-Being followed by a section on motivation and the 7 step re-empowerment process. This is followed by sections on the 12 step creation and manifestation process; the 7 step alphabet of change; the 11 step forgiveness process; and processes for working with the 5 subscales of well-being: emotional stability; self-esteem/self-confidence; joyfulness; sociability and happiness. Then there is a section on 30 daily lessons for creating high levels of well-being. A variety of energy and spiritual healing techniques are next discussed such as the Creating, Allowing and Receiving Technique (CART); the Miracle Acupressure Tapping Technique (MATT-Versions 1, 2 and 3) which includes the Psychological Uplifter, the Brain Balancer or 9 Gamut Technique and the Forgiveness Affirmations. This is followed by the MATT Parts Integration Technique (MMPIT) developed by Lynne Namka; the Acupressure Chakra Technique (ACT) and the Tap and Soft Touch Energy Technique (TASTE). The next section of the manual describes the Healing and Release Technique (HEART) and the Light Imagery Grateful Heart Technique (LIGHT). Finally the manual presents and describes the Secrets of Wealth, Wisdom and Well-Beings, Parts 1 through 5. The Creating Well-Being Guided Imagery Tapes are a set of 8 powerful guided imagery plus music tapes that enhance deep relaxation; facilitate contact with a source of inner wisdom: help you create and manifest what you want in life; forgive yourself and others; learn how to be grateful etc.. The tapes alone can facilitate a major transformation in your life if listened to regularly. See http://www.integrativehelp.com/books_tapes.html See http://www.integrativehelp.com/healing_techniques.html E. TELEPHONE COACHING SESSIONS The 5 Free telephone coaching client sessions that I have been conducting have been very enjoyable, beneficial and productive. (These coaching sessions were valued at $125 per 30 minute session, not $100 as previously mentioned). My wife urged me to offer some more sessions but this time at a discounted rate, i.e, one Free session for each Paid session for up to 4 sessions. (4 session commitment) If you would be interested in this discounted coaching session offer send me an email at coachwell1@aol.com, briefly describe what issues you would be like to be coached on and what your goals for the next 30, 90 and 365 days are. Thank you. GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND! We appreciate your forwarding this newsletter to your friends and colleagues, since your recommendation is how we grow. To subscribe to the FREE Integrative Therapy, Healing, Coaching and Well-Being Newsletter send an email message to: CreatingWellBeing-on@lists.webvalence.com Copyright (c) 2003, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy or distribute the FREE Integrative Therapy, Healing, Coaching and Well-Being Newsletter so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached. The author of this newsletter is Philip H. Friedman, Ph.D. Contact him by email at: integrativehelp@aol.com or for integrative therapy, integrative healing or integrative coaching (the Catalyst Triad) send an email to Coachwell1@.com or Integrativehelp@aol.com or call 1-610-828-4674. Please contact the author for permission if you would like to post this information on any web site or other source. Thank you.