Welcome to Behavioral Health Matters, the new Colonial Behavioral Health blog. On Wednesday of each week - beginning tomorrow, January 18, 2012 - we plan to bring you information related to mental health, intellectual disabilities, or substance use disorders. The blog’s goal is to inform and facilitate dialogue within our community about mental health and available resources.
Each week we will feature a different guest blogger, some from within CBH, and many from the larger community. Contributors are experts in their fields and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with us. Blog posts will include information about the guest writers and helpful links to their and other websites, so you can continue your quest for information should you so choose. We hope you will join us in this community conversation.
As an example of good things in store for the future, please enjoy this brief article written by CBH Adult Outpatient Therapist Bronwyn Robertson and previously published in The Examiner.
Kings’s Dream and Mindful Vision
By Bronwyn Robertson
First published by the Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/mindfulness-in-national/king-s-dream-and-mindful-visionYesterday our nation honored the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., celebrating his dream, his vision and the content of his character. Dr. King dreamed of world in which “all life is interrelated” and envisioned the world transformed into “a beautiful symphony ” resonating with freedom and peace.King was mindful of the effects of both positive and destructive emotions and thoughts. He knew well that that “hate destroys the hater” and challenged us all to “walk in the light of creative altruism” rather than in “the darkness of destructive selfishness." King sought to educate others about the value of cultivating a ”tough mind and a tender heart” through the tempering of one’s thoughts and a greater capacity to feel empathy and forgiveness. He understood the power of mindful compassion:"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."Dr. King also spoke of the “interrelated structure of reality”, a concept deeply rooted in mindfulness. He eloquently observed our interconnected reality:“all life is interrelated… somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.”King sought to usher in a time during which we “rapidly begin the shift” to a “person-oriented society.” He urged us to free ourselves from a restricted, rejecting view of one another to kinder, more inclusive one:"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge,aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love”King believed “human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted”, those who can grasp the power and freedom of mindful transformation.
Bronwyn is a licensed professional counselor with more than 20 years experience in private practice and community agency service. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety, stress, trauma, panic, chronic pain, and depression, and works with children, adolescents, and adults, and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Bronwyn utilizes positive psychology, cognitive behavioral and expressive therapies, and mindfulness-based practices to help others overcome obstacles, manage challenges, and tap into their unique potential for healing and personal growth. Bronwyn is in private practice with Parker, Schlichter and Associates at:http://parkerschlichterandassociates.com/bronwyn-robertson-lpc/