Marshall H. Lewis

Men's Rally Against Domestic Violence

2009-10-26T10:59:00.003-05:00

Last night, our Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter (DoVES) hosted a Men's Rally against domestic violence and a candlelight vigil for the 19 women and 14 children killed in Kansas as the result of domestic violence in 2008. The Men's Rally generated so much interest that it ran for twice as long as scheduled -- 90 minutes rather than 45. My remarks, scheduled for 15 minutes, became a 30 minute presentation with questions and answers from the 30-some audience members.

Most of my remarks are linked in the following blog posts. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and as the recently elected President of the DoVES Board of Directors, I have found three forums this month to discuss the topic: Mental Health Tuesday on KULY radio, the LogoTalk.Net podcast, and last night's rally.

In addition to the links in the following posts, consider the following numbers: Grant County has an estimated population of 4700. If Grant County follows national statistics as published by the Department of Justice, then we can predict that 96 women and 67 men were abused by their intimate partners in the month of October. We can predict that this would result in 52 injuries, most of which would not be treated or reported.

Domestic Violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used to control a partner or former partner. That pattern of behavior makes us of verbal, emotional, economic, sexual and physical means, or any combination of these means.

Domestic Violence is a Men's Issue because:

1. Men Know Survivors - among our family, friends, coworkers, church members.

2. Men Care About the Women in Our Lives - our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives.

3. Men Are Confined by Violence - the fear that women have of men shape and limit our relationships.

4. Men Can Help Stop It - be supportive survivors, challenging abusive men, raising our sons and daughters to not tolerate abuse, and become involved in community activities.

Phone Numbers:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE

The Kansas Crisis Hotline: 1-888-END-ABUSE

DoVES of Grant County: 1-620-356-1049

Men's Rally Against Domestic Violence

2009-10-19T18:47:00.005-05:00

LogoTalk.Net Episode 10: Domestic Violence and Franklian Psychology

2009-10-14T20:27:00.001-05:00

LogoTalk.Net Episode 10 is now available.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Some current publications from the American Psychological Association are linked here:

The Mind of the Batterer.pdf

Partner Violence: What you can do

Statistics:

A United States Department of Justice study found that 22% of women and 7% of men had been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. The study also found that 1.3% of the women and 0.9% of the men had been abused within the past 30 days. Of those abused, 39% of the women and 23% of the men were injured.

Effects on the victim:

Physical abuse is often accompanied by humiliation, manipulation, and economic control. The effects on the victim include fear, the belief that escape is impossible, post-traumatic stress symptoms and sometimes substance abuse.

The risk of death or serious injury increases once the decision to leave is made.

Key Issues for Franklian Psychology

1) Sophisticated victims of domestic violence may have read Frankl or been drawn to his works in response to their trauma. It is important to know that Frankl taught that meaning in suffering is found only if the suffering is unavoidable. Frankl repeatedly taught that If the suffering can be avoided, it should be avoided.

2) Some victims may believe that they remain in the relationship for the value of love. Frankl taught that the deepest love is an awareness of the potentials of the spirit of the other. In this, the loved one cannot be replaced. If the significant other in your life wishes to control you rather than to see your true abilities and talents made real, then that is not love.

3) Frankl wrote a great deal about value judgments. Value judgments can become easily confused during and after trauma. It is true that great figures of history have sacrificed themselves for loving or meaningful causes. None of those figures, however, sacrificed themselves to another person for the purpose of satisfying the other person's violent temper.

How to respond if someone tells you of domestic violence:

DON'T minimize the abuse
DON'T blame the victim
DON'T shift the focus (to alcohol or some other problem)

DO be empathetic
DO tell the victim it is not her fault
DO offer to get her help (if you can)

Important Phone Numbers:

As always, if you are in danger in the United States, dial 9-1-1

National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

Click here to download Episode 10: Domestic Violence and Franklian Psychology.

Thank you for listening. Please email any questions or comments to logotalk@pld.com and may you have a meaningful day.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

2009-10-05T20:16:00.002-05:00

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Join me tomorrow on Bob Dale's Get Up and Go Show from 8:30 to 9:00 AM on KULY, 1420 AM in Ulysses, as we discuss domestic violence. Some current publications from the American Psychological Association are linked here:

The Mind of the Batterer.pdf

Partner Violence: What you can do

A good website for the State of Kansas is:

helpchangekansas.com

Statistics:

A United States Department of Justice study found that 22% of women and 7% of men had been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. The study also found that 1.3% of the women and 0.9% of the men had been abused within the past 30 days. Of those abused, 39% of the women and 23% of the men were injured.

Effects on the victim:

Physical abuse is often accompanied by humiliation, manipulation, and economic control. The effects on the victim include fear, the belief that escape is impossible, post-traumatic stress symptoms and sometimes substance abuse.

The risk of death or serious injury increases once the decision to leave is made.

How to respond if someone tells you of domestic violence:

DON'T minimize the abuse
DON'T blame the victim
DON'T shift the focus (to alcohol or some other problem)

DO be empathetic
DO tell the victim it is not her fault
DO offer to get her help (if you can)

Important Phone Numbers:

As always, if you are in danger, dial 9-1-1

Area Mental Health Center, Ulysses outpatient office for Grant, Stanton and Morton Counties:
1-620-356-3198

Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter (DoVES) of Grant County:
1-620-356-1049

Kansas Crisis Hotline:
1-888-END-ABUSE (1-888-363-2287)

National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

Benjamin Netanyahu's Address to the United Nations - Sept. 24, 2009

2009-09-25T19:25:00.004-05:00

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nearly 62 years ago, the United Nations recognized the right of the Jews, an ancient people 3,500 years-old, to a state of their own in their ancestral homeland.

I stand here today as the Prime Minister of Israel, the Jewish state, and I speak to you on behalf of my country and my people.

The United Nations was founded after the carnage of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust. It was charged with preventing the recurrence of such horrendous events.

Nothing has undermined that central mission more than the systematic assault on the truth. Yesterday the President of Iran stood at this very podium, spewing his latest anti-Semitic rants. Just a few days earlier, he again claimed that the Holocaust is a lie.

Last month, I went to a villa in a suburb of Berlin called Wannsee. There, on January 20, 1942 , after a hearty meal, senior Nazi officials met and decided how to exterminate the Jewish people. The detailed minutes of that meeting have been preserved by successive German governments. Here is a copy of those minutes, in which the Nazis issued precise instructions on how to carry out the extermination of the Jews. Is this a lie?

A day before I was in Wannsee, I was given in Berlin the original construction plans for the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Those plans are signed by Hitler's deputy, Heinrich Himmler himself. Here is a copy of the plans for Auschwitz-Birkenau, where one million Jews were murdered. Is this too a lie?

This June, President Obama visited the Buchenwald concentration camp. Did President Obama pay tribute to a lie?

And what of the Auschwitz survivors whose arms still bear the tattooed numbers branded on them by the Nazis? Are those tattoos a lie? One-third of all Jews perished in the conflagration. Nearly every Jewish family was affected, including my own. My wife's grandparents, her father's two sisters and three brothers, and all the aunts, uncles and cousins were all murdered by the Nazis. Is that also a lie?

Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this podium. To those who refused to come here and to those who left this room in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries.

But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency?

A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies that the murder of six million Jews took place and pledges to wipe out the Jewish state.

What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations! Perhaps some of you think that this man and his odious regime threaten only the Jews. You're wrong.

History has shown us time and again that what starts with attacks on the Jews eventually ends up engulfing many others.

This Iranian regime is fueled by an extreme fundamentalism that burst onto the world scene three decades ago after lying dormant for centuries. In the past thirty years, this fanaticism has swept the globe with a murderous violence and cold-blooded impartiality in its choice of victims. It has callously slaughtered Moslems and Christians, Jews and Hindus, and many others. Though it is comprised of different offshoots, the adherents of this unforgiving creed seek to return humanity to medieval times.

Wherever they can, they impose a backward regimented society where women, minorities, gays or anyone not deemed to be a true believer is brutally subjugated. The struggle against this fanaticism does not pit faith against faith nor civilization against civilization.

It pits civilization against barbarism, the 21st century against the 9th century, those who sanctify life against those who glorify death.

The primitivism of the 9th century ought to be no match for the progress of the 21st century. The allure of freedom, the power of technology, the reach of communications should surely win the day. Ultimately, the past cannot triumph over the future. And the future offers all nations magnificent bounties of hope. The pace of progress is growing exponentially.

It took us centuries to get from the printing press to the telephone, decades to get from the telephone to the personal computer, and only a few years to get from the personal computer to the internet.

What seemed impossible a few years ago is already outdated, and we can scarcely fathom the changes that are yet to come. We will crack the genetic code. We will cure the incurable. We will lengthen our lives. We will find a cheap alternative to fossil fuels and clean up the planet.

I am proud that my country Israel is at the forefront of these advances - by leading innovations in science and technology, medicine and biology, agriculture and water, energy and the environment. These innovations the world over offer humanity a sunlit future of unimagined promise.

But if the most primitive fanaticism can acquire the most deadly weapons, the march of history could be reversed for a time. And like the belated victory over the Nazis, the forces of progress and freedom will prevail only after an horrific toll of blood and fortune has been exacted from mankind. That is why the greatest threat facing the world today is the marriage between religious fanaticism and the weapons of mass destruction.

The most urgent challenge facing this body is to prevent the tyrants of Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Are the member states of the United Nations up to that challenge? Will the international community confront a despotism that terrorizes its own people as they bravely stand up for freedom?

Will it take action against the dictators who stole an election in broad daylight and gunned down Iranian protesters who died in the streets choking in their own blood? Will the international community thwart the world's most pernicious sponsors and practitioners of terrorism?

Above all, will the international community stop the terrorist regime of Iran from developing atomic weapons, thereby endangering the peace of the entire world?

The people of Iran are courageously standing up to this regime. People of goodwill around the world stand with them, as do the thousands who have been protesting outside this hall. Will the United Nations stand by their side?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The jury is still out on the United Nations, and recent signs are not encouraging. Rather than condemning the terrorists and their Iranian patrons, some here have condemned their victims. That is exactly what a recent UN report on Gaza did, falsely equating the terrorists with those they targeted.

For eight long years, Hamas fired from Gaza thousands of missiles, mortars and rockets on nearby Israeli cities. Year after year, as these missiles were deliberately hurled at our civilians, not a single UN resolution was passed condemning those criminal attacks. We heard nothing - absolutely nothing - from the UN Human Rights Council, a misnamed institution if there ever was one.

In 2005, hoping to advance peace, Israel unilaterally withdrew from every inch of Gaza . It dismantled 21 settlements and uprooted over 8,000 Israelis. We didn't get peace. Instead we got an Iranian backed terror base fifty miles from Tel Aviv. Life in Israeli towns and cities next to Gaza became a nightmare. You see, the Hamas rocket attacks not only continued, they increased tenfold. Again, the UN was silent.

Finally, after eight years of this unremitting assault, Israel was finally forced to respond. But how should we have responded? Well, there is only one example in history of thousands of rockets being fired on a country's civilian population. It happened when the Nazis rocketed British cities during World War II. During that war, the allies leveled German cities, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties. Israel chose to respond differently. Faced with an enemy committing a double war crime of firing on civilians while hiding behind civilians - Israel sought to conduct surgical strikes against the rocket launchers.

That was no easy task because the terrorists were firing missiles from homes and schools, using mosques as weapons depots and ferreting explosives in ambulances. Israel , by contrast, tried to minimize casualties by urging Palestinian civilians to vacate the targeted areas.

We dropped countless flyers over their homes, sent thousands of text messages and called thousands of cell phones asking people to leave. Never has a country gone to such extraordinary lengths to remove the enemy's civilian population from harm's way.

Yet faced with such a clear case of aggressor and victim, who did the UN Human Rights Council decide to condemn? Israel . A democracy legitimately defending itself against terror is morally hanged, drawn and quartered, and given an unfair trial to boot.

By these twisted standards, the UN Human Rights Council would have dragged Roosevelt and Churchill to the dock as war criminals. What a perversion of truth. What a perversion of justice.

Delegates of the United Nations,

Will you accept this farce?

Because if you do, the United Nations would revert to its darkest days, when the worst violators of human rights sat in judgment against the law-abiding democracies, when Zionism was equated with racism and when an automatic majority could declare that the earth is flat.

If this body does not reject this report, it would send a message to terrorists everywhere: Terror pays; if you launch your attacks from densely populated areas, you will win immunity. And in condemning Israel , this body would also deal a mortal blow to peace. Here's why.

When Israel left Gaza , many hoped that the missile attacks would stop. Others believed that at the very least, Israel would have international legitimacy to exercise its right of self-defense. What legitimacy? What self-defense?

The same UN that cheered Israel as it left Gaza and promised to back our right of self-defense now accuses us -my people, my country - of war crimes? And for what? For acting responsibly in self-defense. What a travesty!

Israel justly defended itself against terror. This biased and unjust report is a clear-cut test for all governments. Will you stand with Israel or will you stand with the terrorists?

We must know the answer to that question now. Now and not later. Because if Israel is again asked to take more risks for peace, we must know today that you will stand with us tomorrow. Only if we have the confidence that we can defend ourselves can we take further risks for peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

All of Israel wants peace.

Any time an Arab leader genuinely wanted peace with us, we made peace. We made peace with Egypt led by Anwar Sadat. We made peace with Jordan led by King Hussein. And if the Palestinians truly want peace, I and my government, and the people of Israel , will make peace. But we want a genuine peace, a defensible peace, a permanent peace. In 1947, this body voted to establish two states for two peoples - a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted that resolution. The Arabs rejected it.

We ask the Palestinians to finally do what they have refused to do for 62 years: Say yes to a Jewish state. Just as we are asked to recognize a nation-state for the Palestinian people, the Palestinians must be asked to recognize the nation state of the Jewish people. The Jewish people are not foreign conquerors in the Land of Israel . This is the land of our forefathers.

Inscribed on the walls outside this building is the great Biblical vision of peace: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. They shall learn war no more." These words were spoken by the Jewish prophet Isaiah 2,800 years ago as he walked in my country, in my city, in the hills of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem .

We are not strangers to this land. It is our homeland. As deeply connected as we are to this land, we recognize that the Palestinians also live there and want a home of their own. We want to live side by side with them, two free peoples living in peace, prosperity and dignity.

But we must have security. The Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves except those handful of powers that could endanger Israel .

That is why a Palestinian state must be effectively demilitarized. We don't want another Gaza , another Iranian backed terror base abutting Jerusalem and perched on the hills a few kilometers from Tel Aviv.

We want peace.

I believe such a peace can be achieved. But only if we roll back the forces of terror, led by Iran , that seek to destroy peace, eliminate Israel and overthrow the world order. The question facing the international community is whether it is prepared to confront those forces or accommodate them.

Over seventy years ago, Winston Churchill lamented what he called the "confirmed unteachability of mankind," the unfortunate habit of civilized societies to sleep until danger nearly overtakes them.

Churchill bemoaned what he called the "want of foresight, the unwillingness to act when action will be simple and effective, the lack of clear thinking, the confusion of counsel until emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong."

I speak here today in the hope that Churchill's assessment of the "unteachibility of mankind" is for once proven wrong.

I speak here today in the hope that we can learn from history -- that we can prevent danger in time.

In the spirit of the timeless words spoken to Joshua over 3,000 years ago, let us be strong and of good courage. Let us confront this peril, secure our future and, God willing, forge an enduring peace for generations to come.

LogoTalk Episode 8

2009-08-14T06:05:00.002-05:00

LogoTalk Episode 8: Meaning-Centered Cognitive Therapy is now available at LogoTalk.net.

"An ancient parable attributed to Aesop tells of a wager between the sun and the wind to determine which was stronger. A hapless passerby was to be the object of the dispute: whichever of them could make him remove his cloak was to be the winner. The wind began and blew harder and harder. Though flapping in the breeze, the cloak was not blown away as the traveler clutched it ever more tightly around himself. At last, the wind gave up. Then the sun came out and brightly warmed the traveler who immediately removed his cloak. This story demonstrates the relationship between cognitive psychotherapy, such as formulated by Albert Ellis, and the meaning-centered therapy of Viktor Frankl. Frankl considered most psychotherapy to be dehumanizing; the client was at the mercy of drives, conditioning, or biology. Frankl’s therapy was an attempt to rehumanize psychotherapy. I propose that cognitive therapy may be rehumanized by explaining Frankl’s meaning-centered therapy (Logotherapy) in the language of Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)."

Click here to download the full essay in PDF format.

Click here to download Episode 8: Toward a Meaning Centered Cognitive Therapy.

Interview clips from 2007

2009-07-16T08:10:00.004-05:00

Here is a clip of an interview I did on KBSD-TV Channel 6 in Dodge City on 11 October 2007. At the time, I was just beginning to study Viktor Frankl and beginning to integrate his techniques into my practice.

This clip is from 28 September 2007 and deals with dementia.

July 4th Tea Party

2009-07-12T06:56:00.003-05:00

Last week, I spent Independence Day at a Tea Party protest of excessive government spending. TEA stands for Taxed Enough Already. About 100 to 150 people attended the event held at Western State Bank. State Representatives Larry Powell, Melvin Neufeld and Gary Hayzlett and State Senator Tim Huelskamp spoke. A representative from Congressman Jerry Moran also addressed the audience.

My "Other" Trip to Texas

2009-06-28T09:58:00.004-05:00

With all the excitement of attending the 17th World Congress on Logotherapy the past week, I forgot to mention my "other" trip to Texas. Over a long weekend before the Congress, I was able to go to Austin and take professional drum lessons from an instructor who goes by the name Suleiman Warwar. Yes, I learned I had picked up some bad habits while teaching myself the darbuka, especially on the left-handed "ca" sound. More variability of tones will be possible once I become proficient using the left ring finger, rather than the index and middle fingers as I had been using. (The Turks have developed a multiple finger rolling approach for the left-handed "ca," but this is a more advanced technique.)

The middle eastern goblet drum is most commonly referred to as a "tabla" these days, as it is in Egypt. Previously, it was most commonly referred to as a "doumbek" as it is in most other Arab lands. The word "doumbek" is thought to derive from the two primary sounds that the drum makes: the deep "doum" and the ringing "tek." For personal reasons, I prefer to use the Turkish word "darbuka" when referring to my drum. In Hebrew, it is known as a "tarbuka." In Iran it is a "tombak."

The goblet drum is of ancient origin. It is thought to have derived from the larger African djembe. The oldest known depiction of it comes from Iron Age Israel in the form of the figure to the right.

Linked below is a short example of what it should look and sound like:

Live Blogging: World Congress Day 5

2009-06-22T22:52:00.001-05:00

Saturday began with one of the highlights of the Congress: the premier showing of Viktor and I, a documentary film of the life of Viktor Frankl as presented by Alexander Vesely, Dr. Frankl's grandson. The film is not yet complete. This means that Saturday's showing will likely never be seen in quite that way again.

Following that, I attended a presentation on humor by Jo Ann Thorp and learned more about magnets than I expected.

Hadi Asghari then talked about his years of imprisonment during the Iranian Revolution. Walking, and even running now, Mr. Asghari remains an enduring testament to the defiant power of the human spirit.

After lunch, Barbara Johnson from South Africa reminded us of the guidance of the spirit.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in clinical colloguium as cases were presented and discussed.

The evening concluded with Texas Barbeque and international talent. The group from Finland put on a comedy, the Israelis presented a song of peace in Hebrew and Arabic, Mr. Asghari sang a Persian love song, and the gentleman from India sang a hymn. Then it was Texas line dance time!

Various personal discussions then took place including the meaning of the turtle as discussed in last night's post, the state of psychoanalysis in Ireland, science fiction stories, and several other topics of interest to participants.

The 17th World Congress concluded this morning with a Fellowship Breakfast and farewells exchanged. Some of us return to work, others are going on vacation, but we all shared a profound sense of unity in the importance of our mission.

The 18th World Congress is scheduled for 2011.

Live Blogging - World Congress Day 4

2009-06-21T02:09:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

I am still processing the huge amount of information presented over the past few days.

For today, perhaps the most meaningful point was that I have been initiated by Bob Ekstrom. A turtle has been given to me. Those who have been initiated and who have a turtle know the significance of this.

So much has taken place today. I am honored to have met a subscriber to this blog - one Renee Feagans and her husband Steve. It was certainly one of those "chance" encounters.

Later this morning is the International Fellowship Breakfast, after which the Congress comes to a close.

The full blog of the activities of this day will now wait until I get home to Kansas. Soon afterwards, Episode 6 of LogoTalk.net will be ready.

This Congress has been an amazing experience. The meeting of kindred spirits in this way has been unique in my experience. I am sad that we have only one more meeting on Sunday. But, the energy I have gained will, I know, sustain me in the work of Logotherapy until the next Congress two years from now.

More in another 24 hours. Stay Tuned.

Live Blogging - World Congress Day 3

2009-06-19T21:58:00.001-05:00

Today's session got off to a tremendous start with Dr. Teria Shantall, President of the Viktor Frankl Institute for Logotherapy in South Africa. Dr. Shantall made a moving speech on Logotherapy and the urgent need for it in a time of crisis, chaos and change.

I next attended two morning sessions on the application of Franklian Psychology to business management. Rauno Korpi of Finland and Sabine Indinger of Austria made the two presentations that I heard. Ms. Indinger made the point that there are two points of view guiding human resources. One is that people are basically idle and must be motivated from the outside in order to get them to work. The other, the Franklian view, is that people are basically motivated toward performing well in tasks that they find personally meaningful. The results of these points of view on management were discussed.

The lunch time Plenary address was made by Gideon Millul, President of the Viktor Frankl Institute for Logotherapy in Israel. Mr. Millul told the story of recent beginning of the Institute in Israel and the stories of the first set of Logotherapy gradutes from that Institute.

The first afternoon session I attended was a brilliant philosophical presentation on heuristics by Dida Kimor of Israel. She shared the research from her upcoming dissertation.

Next, I attended a presentation on the application of Franklian Psychology to the "emerging adult" stage of development, that stage from 18 to around 25-29, when many know that they are technically adults, but do not yet feel fully ready for adult responsibilities.

I then attended a presentation by Abilene logotherapist Jo Ann Thorp on creative interventions for depression.

The evening awards ceremony saw many presentations as well as associates and diplomats awarded in Logotherapy. New diplomats came from a number of countries including the USA, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Australia, Finland, and Puerto Rico.

Tomorrow's session promises to be extraordinary as well. We plan to start tomorrow with a screening of the current draft of Alexander Vesely's upcoming documentary on his grandfather, Viktor Frankl. Another highlight will be a presentation by a high ranking Iranian military officer who spent six years of solitary imprisonment under the regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini. A clinical colloquium will wind up the afternoon followed by a fellowship evening of Texas barbeque.

Stay tuned!

Live Blogging: World Congress Day 2

2009-06-19T00:52:00.000-05:00

The first full day (and these are 12 hour days) began this morning with the Keynote Address by the gracious Dr. Robert C. Barnes. The audio-visual presentation discussed the history of logotherapy and the Institute.

We then broke into sessions by interest. I have covered more material in this single day than most workshops cover in one week!

The first session I attended today was Logotherapy: The Applied Psychology of Judaism, taught by Batya Yaniger from Israel. The session discussed key elements of the Jewish faith and how those elements found their parallel in Logotherapy.

The second morning session I attended was on Forgiveness Arising from Logotherapy as taught by Deborah Paden-Levy. This session brought in information from the Positive Psychology movement in the context of Logotherapy.

The Plenary Address held over lunch was presented by Dr. Robert Barnet, a medical ethicist from Georgetown University. This presentation, that became something of a debate, dealt with the ethical issues surrounding the end of life.

The first afternoon session I attended was by Dr. Trace Pirtle and dealt with the application of Franklian Psychology to education.

I next attended the session entitled "Finding Meaning in Anxiety and Worry" taught by Dr. Emina Karamanovski, a prior guest on LogoTalk.net. It was meaningful to me to run the video camera for her during her presentation (in exchange for which I hope to get a copy of the lecture, Emina! :)

The afternoon session concluded with my distance learning instructor, Dr. Cynthia Rice, presenting on "Choosing to be Grateful: A Logotherapeutic View of Gratitude As A Dimension of the Spirit." Again, information from the Positive Psychology movement found a place in the well-established home of Logotherapy.

For the evening session, I attended a screening of the French film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," a true story illustrating the defiant power of the human spirit. Discussion following the film was moderated by doctoral students Lindsay Schnetzer and Tara Luchkiw.

I finished the evening with a couple o' pints in the pub with the boys, including fascinating personalities from Austria, Germany, Ireland and Illinois. Found quite a lot in common with one of the fellows, actually, including love of coffee and Star Trek.

Tomorrow (Friday) morning with begin with a Plenary Address by the President of the Viktor Frankl Institute in South Africa on "Our Mission As Logotherapists in the Global Upheavals of Change, Crisis, and Chaos."

Live Blogging: World Congress Day 1

2009-06-17T23:09:00.001-05:00

The Seventeenth World Congress on Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy began this evening in Dallas with a reception for Robert C. Barnes, Ph.D., Diplomate in Logotherapy and President of the International Board of Directors of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy. Over 200 persons from 30 nations were present.

The World Congress is a labor of love for Dr. Barnes, who personally finances much of the event himself. This evening I was honored to meet Dr. Barnes, faculty members from the Institute, as well as logotherapists from South Africa, Israel, Serbia, and, of course, Texas. I met the brains behind the technical operations of the Institute. I was pleased to meet Dr. Karamanovski in person, whom you can hear more about in LogoTalk Episode 5.

I was struck by an observation from a therapist from South Africa: Many of us discovered Dr. Frankl during a time of change and upheaval in our lives, at just the right time. Often it was a small reference, that turned out to be the truth that we were looking for all along. Details of our stories are different, but this theme seems common.

Quoting Dr. Barnes:

"On behalf of the International Board of Directors, I extend sincere gratitude to all of our program presenters for their contribution of scholarly excellence to our Congress. Presenters and other participants have traveled, often at great personal sacrifice, from Africa and Asia, Israel, Europe, North and South America, indeed from 30 countries in addition to the USA, to be here. To each of you, we truly hope that the inspiration and joy of our Seventeenth World Congress on Logotherapy will be a meaningful part of the rest of your life. Prof. Frankl was fond of quoting a Spanish expression which, translated, states, "The time is passing, the suffering forgotten, however, the work remains!" Thank you for joining our international fellowship of kindred spirits in promoting the work of Viktor Frankl throughout the world."

Toward a Meaning-Centered Cognitive Therapy

2009-06-13T13:24:00.004-05:00

The following essay was submitted earlier today to the Fountain Magazine essay contest.

Toward a Meaning-Centered Cognitive Therapy.PDF

"The approach described in this essay understands Frankl’s attitudes as cognitions similar to Ellis’ rational beliefs. Logotherapy may then be viewed as a process of discovering and developing meaningful cognitions. When cognitive therapy is used as a tool to foster beliefs that are both rational and meaningful, clients are likely to develop self-transcendence and Frankl’s goal of rehumanizing psychotherapy is achieved. Indeed, when practiced over a period of time, one may even begin to comprehend the ultimate meaning of one’s own life as this author has discovered."

Training for Managers at Emporia State University

2009-05-12T21:59:00.009-05:00

Late last week, I and 24 of my fellow managers in the field of mental health completed 50 hours of "Training for Managers." Taught by the faculty of the Emporia State University School of Business, the workshop focused specifically on the management of mental health centers.

May 7, 2009 - The National Day of Prayer

2009-05-06T19:32:00.003-05:00

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America's leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.

Announcing The New Mental Health Tuesday Blog

2009-05-03T11:03:00.003-05:00

In celebration of Mental Health Month, Mental Health Tuesday launches its new blog at:

www.mentalhealthtuesday.com

Show notes from the monthly KULY radio show Mental Health Tuesday will be posted there. Previous Mental Health Tuesday posts from this blog are also there.

Mental Health Tuesday is broadcast the first Tuesday of every month by KULY, 1420 AM, in Ulysses, Kansas from 8:30 to 9:00 AM. It is part of Bob Dale's Get Up and Go Show.

Aesthetics of the Pivot Pattern

2009-04-19T14:34:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that my paper on Aesthetics of the Pivot Pattern has been selected for presentation at the 2009 Student Theological Conference to be held April 24, 2009 at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. The theme of this year's conference is aesthetics/beauty in relation to Christian church history, Biblical studies, ethics and theology, or practical ministry.

Aesthetics of the Pivot Pattern.PDF

See also the Pivot Pattern Website for earlier versions of the paper.

Radio Interviews with Dr. Thomas Szasz

2009-04-11T20:13:00.003-05:00

Dr. Thomas Szasz is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the State University of New York Health Science Center in Syracuse, New York, Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., author and lecturer. His classic book The Myth of Mental Illness made him a figure of international fame and controversy. Many of his works such as Law, Liberty, and Psychiatry, The Ethics of Psychoanalysis, Ceremonial Chemistry, and Our Right to Drugs are regarded as among the most influential books of the 20th century.

Recent radio interviews conducted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation's All in the Mind radio show covers such topics as Szasz's Libertarian background, Szasz's opinion on government-funded health care, and the way Szasz talks with his clients.

Click the link below for the podcast feeds:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/feeds/mind.xml

Or here for individual podcasts after they are dropped from the feed:

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2009/04/aim_20090404.mp3

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2009/04/aim_20090411.mp3

Mental Health Tuesday for April 7, 2009

2009-04-06T18:25:00.002-05:00

Mental Health Tuesday is broadcast the first Tuesday of every month by KULY, 1420 AM, in Ulysses, Kansas from 8:30 to 9:00 AM. It is part of Bob Dale's Get Up and Go Show.

Today's topic is Bipolar Disorder, a condition that effects 5.7 million American adults. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

Click here to view the National Institute of Mental Health's PDF on Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings—from overly “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.

Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode) include:

* Increased energy, activity, and restlessness
* Excessively “high,” overly good, euphoric mood
* Extreme irritability
* Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another
* Distractibility, can’t concentrate well
* Little sleep needed
* Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers
* Poor judgment
* Spending sprees
* A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual
* Increased sexual drive
* Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications
* Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior
* Denial that anything is wrong

A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.
Signs and symptoms of depression (or a depressive episode) include:

* Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood
* Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
* Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
* Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex
* Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being “slowed down”
* Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
* Restlessness or irritability
* Sleeping too much, or can’t sleep
* Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain
* Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury
* Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

A depressive episode is diagnosed if five or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.

Some other interesting statistics:

Persons with Bipolar Disorder have no symptoms 52.7% of the time. They experience depressive symptoms 31.9% of the time, manic symptoms 9.3% of the time, and mixed symptoms 5.9% of the time.

Suicide attempts and completed suicides are more common with Bipolar Disorder than with Major Depression alone. Without treatment, 20% of persons with Bipolar Disorder commit suicide. Six months after a manic episode, only 43% of Bipolar patients remain employed. Alcoholism effects 20% of Bipolar patients, compared to 8% of the general population.

Imago Dei: On the Transcendence of the Human Person

2009-03-22T18:53:00.002-05:00

Here is an essay that I wrote in 2005 before the blog. I just found it today while cleaning up some old files. My first excursion into philosophy...

Imago Dei: On the Transcendence of the Human Person

The essay was written to discuss the following issue: "The human person, by virtue of being created imago Dei, is an independent being, individually unique, rational, the subject of moral agency, co-creator, and inherently social. Accordingly, human persons possess intrinsic value and dignity, implying certain rights and duties with respect to the recognition and protection of the dignity of themselves and other persons. These truths about the human person's dignity are known through divine revelation, but are also discernible through reason."

Relaxation Recording Available on CD

2009-03-19T21:49:00.003-05:00

The relaxation technique I use in therapy is now available on CD. Copies may be ordered from the Lewis Psychological Services Online Shop at Cafe Press. Relaxation can be used as part of a total stress management plan, to replace a nap, or just to take the edge off.

Aaron Feuerstein of Malden Mills

2009-03-14T10:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to view this video at Emporia State University School of Business. The video was presented as part of a lecture by Dr. Raffaele DeVito, Professor of Management.

Malden Mills is now Mill Direct Textiles.

Mental Health Tuesday for March 3, 2009

2009-03-03T13:10:00.002-06:00

Mental Health Tuesday is broadcast the first Tuesday of every month by KULY, 1420 AM, in Ulysses, Kansas from 8:30 to 9:00 AM. It is part of Bob Dale's Get Up and Go Show.

This morning we discussed the science of happines. Happiness was presented as a side-effect of other things that give life meaning. Specifically, the three areas to consider are:

1. Work - The work that you do, whether or not it is your main source of income, must be personally meaningful to you.

2. Love - You choose who you want to be in each of your loving relationships, as a spouse, a parent, or a friend. Happiness in these relationships comes not from the other person, but from your decision about who you want to be.

3. Attitude - You choose your attitude in any circumstance. If you are not happy now, you will not be happy when the economy improves, or when you get the new job, or when you get married, or whenever your "ship comes in." Happiness is about the attitude you choose today.

A great deal more about the Science of Happiness can be found here:

http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/01/avoid-sham-advice-on-living-good-life.php

at PsyBlog.