Category: Reflections

What do CORONAVIRUS, VACCINATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PSYCHOTHERAPY have in common?

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist Sydney

Consider this :
“IT’S EASY FOR MEAT-EATERS TO SHARE A KITCHEN
IT’S EASY FOR VEGETARIANS TO SHARE A KITCHEN
THE CHALLENGE IS FOR MEAT-EATERS AND VEGETARIANS TO FIND WAYS OF SHARING A KITCHEN WITH EACH OTHER!”
Quote from Sun Bear, Native American Medicine Man read more

TECHNOLOGY AND AN OLD FISHERMAN : A FORMATIVE EXPERIENCE


by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist and Educator, Artarmon, Sydney, Australia I will share an experience that I had when I was 20 years old. I grew up in Malta, and I happened to meet an interesting guy at a party one night. I started chatting with this man, and discovered that he was one of England’s leading meteorological experts and that he had been hired by the government to help set up a met office in Malta.

He told me that he went to a fishing village a few days before and he was chatting with a local fisherman. The fisherman looked out across the sea and up to the sky and said:

“Tomorrow it will rain”.

The met office expert went on to explain to the fisherman, who was illiterate, had never been to school, and had never traveled more than a few miles from his village, that the met office was able to determine with the help of modern technology that tomorrow would be a sunny day. read more

Somatic Psychotherapy and Indigenous Wisdom

by Donald Marmara, somatic psychotherapist and educator, Core Development Sydney

My Initial Diagnosis: Clinical Anxiety and Depression

At the age of 14 I was diagnosed clinically anxious and depressed and prescribed an ever-increasing dosage of psychotropic drugs. I was told that I would be dependent upon these drugs for the rest of my life.

I would probably have continued to be dependent on these drugs if I had tried to adjust to the values of society . read more

How Do You Listen? An important question in counselling and psychotherapy

A wise old owl sat in an oak,The more she saw, the less she spoke. The less she spoke, the more she heard. Why can’t we be like this wise old bird?

In the mid-1980’s I served an apprenticeship with a Native American medicine man, Sun Bear.

When I introduced Sun Bear to an audience, I said:

There are different ways to listen. One way is to listen with your head, to try to understand, explain, interpret, evaluate and take notes. read more

Counselling, Somatic Psychotherapy and Emotional Healing: Reflections

PERHAPS IT”S TIME TO STOP FIGHTING AND START LISTENING.

Not listening in order to convince others that we’re right and they are wrong, but listening to understand, listening to empathize.

Perhaps its time to remember that our humanity unites us all. We may have conflicting beliefs and strong feelings, but underneath all this we are all human beings. read more

SCHOOL by Arnold Greenberg

One of my favourite poems.

SCHOOL – by Arnold Greenberg

Our teacher handed us some seeds and said, “Go plant these in your yard and water them, then let your questions grow with every leaf. He hardly spoke except to ask what’s on our minds, and when we didn’t say a word, he’d shake his head and say, “Well that’s too bad- We’ve nothing to discuss,” And then he’d sit down on a rock and look up at the sky or at the dirt and think. One day we asked him why he wouldn’t teach and he replied, “I am.” “What do you mean?” we asked. And when he said- “I gave you seeds to plant And everyday I ask what’s on your minds and now I’m waiting patiently for you to learn your teacher is inside of you. I’m just a friend with questions of my own, but if you asked what’s on my mind, I’d have so many thoughts to share we’d talk all day, if I believed you cared- and only then .

That’s when our school began. read more

CONVERSATION WITH AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL

I had an interesting conversation with an eight year old girl.

I picked her up from school. When I asked her how her day was she replied “I’m having a sad day today”

I asked her what was making her sad and she replied “I think I’m stupid”.

What makes you think that? – I asked. read more

ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

What is the connection between Stress, Anxiety and Depression and the political, social and economic problems that we are facing today?

Here is a summary of the main points:

  • We live in a sick society and we are not addressing the root cause.
  • Our whole system is motivated by fear and consequently the most frightened people are the ones most likely to govern and yield power.
  • The door to  constructive change will open if we stop trying to convert others to our point of view.
  • Any attempt on my part to convince you that I am right is counter-productive and contradicts what I am trying to convey.
  • The underlying cause, the underlying and all-embracing dynamic is not climate change but FEAR.
  •  We do not listen to viewpoints that challenge our beliefs because they trigger our fears.
  • Anxiety and depression can be the result of fear and unresolved trauma.They can also be healthy signs that something needs to change.
  • My hope is that somatic psychotherapy can enable us to lessen the hold that our fears have on us so we can proceed rationally.
  • The psychotherapy that I have faith in is one that respects and validates each individual’s values and opinions, not one that tries to adjust us to society.

We live in a sick society and we are not addressing the root cause.

I believe that, with very few exceptions, we are caught up in an endless war and we are not addressing the root cause. read more

Stress and Emotional Wellbeing For Parents, Educators and Practitioners Who Work With Children

YOU CHERISH THE TIME YOU SPEND LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN.
THE QUESTION IS : WHO IS LOOKING AFTER YOU?

Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Psychotherapists and Practitioners in the Healing Professions Please note:

If you substitute the word “patients” for children, and “Doctors, Nurses, Therapists or Paramedics” for Parents, you will find that this also applies to you.

Core Development offers the following to Parents, Educators, and Practitioners who work with children:

  • Counselling and Psychotherapy (Core Development method)
  • Individual sessions (also available by phone and Zoom)
  • Couples sessions
  • Sessions for parents and teenagers (together or separately)
  • In-house workshops tailored for your team or organisation
  • Public workshops and Talks
  • Supervision

YOUR NEEDS MATTER

If you parent or work with children, it is likely you are always thinking of others. In doing so, you may be neglecting your own needs.

To be a better carer, it is important to take care of yourself. read more

TO ALL STUDENTS DOING THEIR HSC

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist and Educator, Artarmon, Sydney, Australia

PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE PERFORMANCE WITH SELF ESTEEM

It’s Examination Time Again!!
BEST WISHES TO ALL STUDENTS DOING THEIR HSC

Although this was written primarily for students, it applies to us all.

If you are a student, please remember that, although exam results are important and getting the results you want will make a difference, your value as a human being is neither increased nor diminished by your performance. read more