CHANGE IS STILL IN THE AIR. You've been wondering, "Have we moved yet?" No, we're still here in our charming yellow townhouse with red shutters at 316 Commerce Street, Old Town Alexandria. I postponed the sale until March, 2020. Many wonderful workshops, groups and therapy sessions have taken place here over 21 years. The sale will be sad but also something to celebrate! We'll gather to honor all the growth and transformation in the Center and the therapists who've helped. Our farewell get-together will be sometime in late April, 2020. A newsletter will go out when we know our Celebration date, departure dates and our new location. I'm excited about the new possibilities. Transitions are in the air. I'm hoping to spend more time writing and mentoring while still seeing clients 3 days a week. I will find a therapy room in Old Town Alexandria to see clients, possibly two together for folks like Clyde and Marian, Senovia and Connie to be in the same building. If not, they will be nearby and we will still share our website for a few more years. Elizabeth is in the process of retiring, but may see one or two clients ongoing. The PostPAIRS groups will continue, although our groups and workshops will also need to find a new home. Our Polyul Buddhist Sunday meditators may follow to our group space. We have several possibilities. See below for Emotional Healing and Enneagram workshop dates before we move. Sign up online as usual. We have not been able to put together a Relationship Skills class (See new name below) this winter, but possibly in the summer or fall.  Winter is a time for traveling inward, making way for Spring's expansion. Lynn |
Are you UP in the Air about who you Are? Try Our Emotional Healing WorkshopTheme Negative Messages that Create Havoc in our Lives -Turned to Gold. March 13-15, 2020 Fri 7-10pm, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-1:30 As adults, many of us carry unresolved emotional memories and negative messages that we developed in childhood. Sometimes we recognize ways in which our pain from childhood or adulthood is interfering in present day relationships and activities. Sometimes we are unaware and blame others in our lives for the repetitive pain we are feeling. Often the voices in our heads drown out positive feedback. No matter where we are, the emotion or lack of emotion is ours. Only we can stop the messages and reactivities. The theme of this workshop is Negative Messages that Create Havoc in our Lives -Turned to Gold. We will seek out the old behaviors, emotions and reactivities that interfere today so that you can find that person you were always meant to be. Come join us for a deep emotional clearing and awakening. An interview with one of the Leaders of this workshop is required: Lynn Turner, PhD, LCSW and Clyde Horton, Certified Life Coach. Email us with questions at [email protected]. Enneagram Temperament Seminar Wednesday, March 4, 2020, 7-10pm  Surprisingly, we are each born with a unique temperament, which together with our childhood experiences form our basic personality. Uncovered by Ancient Cultures and written down by the Ancient Greeks, this simple, easily learned temperament system offers profound insight into the nature of our different personalities. The seminar will introduce the Enneagram temperament system and include interviews of people from each style. Please check out the Enneagram online before attending so that you can participate in the panel interviews. See side panel to sign up. No charge for children under 22. Questions: email us at [email protected]. Lead by Lynn Turner, PhD, LCSW.  The Art of Relationship Weekend Workshop TBD, Spring/Summer 2020 Fri 7-10, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-2 Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a good relationship. The skills of communication, conflict resolution and intimacy are the concrete building blocks of a good relationship. Joy and love can wither without tools to weather the storms of life. Whether you are constructing a new relationship or want to reconstruct a marriage or relationship that shows the wear of time, The Art of Relationship tools can give you the new life together that you want. Exercises are heartfelt and insightful. Lead by Lynn Turner, PhD, LCSW and Clyde Horton, Certified Life Coach Email and speak to one of our therapists about how learning Relationship skills can enhance your relationship and your life. [email protected]. Be on our mailing list or check out our website to learn about upcoming dates. www.ac4r.com Note: We are now using The Art of Relationship as the title of our Relationship Skills Workshop. PAIRS has been sold to The Veterans Administration: a good thing. We now expand into our own material and the exercises in PAIRS that were created by courageous family and marriage therapists in the past and present. |
 LAUGHTER IS GOOD MEDICINEGood health is no laughing matter, but laughing is good for your health. That's no joke. Whether you giggle at a cartoon or double-over in guffaws at a movie, laughter has powerful health benefits.A sense of humor can't cure disease, but a growing number of studies show that laughter does more than improve your mood. Here are five ways that a good laugh is good for your health: 1. LAUGHTER REDUCES STRESS Laughter is a strong stress relief medicine. Mayo Clinic researchers found that laughing stimulates blood circulation and relaxes your muscles, both of which can help reduce some physical symptoms of stress. Laughing also increases and then decreases your stress responses, which gives you a relaxed feeling. A related study found that even anticipating a good laugh can reduce your level of stress hormones. 2. LAUGHTER CAN HELP EASE PAIN Laughter can also trigger your body to release endorphins and produce its own natural painkillers. Oxford University researchers found that the more people laugh, the less pain they feel. This is especially true with some muscle conditions in which laughter breaks the "pain-spasm" cycle. 3. LAUGHTER BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM Trying to shake off a cold? A good comedy might help. Some research shows that laughter may boost immune cells in your body, along with infection-fighting antibodies. On the other hand, negative thoughts can cause more stress and lower your immunity to infection. 4. LAUGHTER HELPS REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE A good laugh increases blood flow and improves the function of your blood vessels, reducing blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. But don't think that it only helps for a few minutes. One study found that watching a funny movie actually helped improve blood pressure for up to 24 hours. 5. LAUGHTER STIMULATES MANY ORGANS Your sides may ache and your eyes may water after a good long laugh, but it is great for other parts of the body. Laughter increases your intake of oxygen, stimulating your heart, lungs, and muscles. So go ahead and find a little humor in your daily life. Remember to "lighten up," enjoy a funny film, goof around a little, or share a funny story with someone. In other words, take time to enjoy a good laugh and then take a moment to see how much better you feel. Lynn  |