School of Psychology Launches Mentor Program

Antioch University Seattle’s School of Applied Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy has launched a new program allowing Psychology alumni to lend a helping hand to current M.A. Psychology students by serving as mentors, counselor/therapists (or both) for them.

As a mentor, alumni would serve as an available resource sharing their professional knowledge and experience with selected MHC or CFT students during their graduate studies. As a counselor/therapist, they would serve as an outside consultant helping these students explore the relevant therapeutic issues they are interested in addressing during their graduate studies (rates not to exceed $35 per hour).

Alumni interested in participating in the Antioch Student Assistance Project (ASAP), should email Alumni Director Eric Warn (ewarn@antioch.edu) stating their willingness to receive back the paperwork needed to participate.

The School of Education is also considering developing a mentor program.

Passing of Elaine Jessen

Elaine Jessen, B.A. ’83, M.A. Whole Systems Design ‘85, and a longtime core faculty member in the AUS Whole Systems Design program passed away October 20th.

Elaine co-taught the very first systems thinking course at AUS back in the early ‘80’s. She pioneered graduate level intercultural studies, taking many groups of students to Bali. In addition, she taught in both the individualized WSD program as well as the OSR track, participated in the formation of the Center for Creative Change and later taught in the OSR program at Seattle University.

She combined a sharp intellect with boundless heart, full of love and courage. Elaine delighted in life—even in tough times—in ways that were infectious. She brought out the best in those around her.

Her family suggests that those wishing to memorialize Elaine do something wonderful for someone you love—which is truly her legacy—and that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Healing Journeys (www.healingjourneys.org). There will be a service in Bremerton at her Unitarian Fellowship to be announced later.

Here at AUS her legacy lives on in the Whole Systems Design program and the Center for Creative Change that owe much to her insight, skills, knowledge, and love. Deepest appreciations for having been with us, Elaine!

Founder of Antioch University Seattle To Visit Campus

Dean Elias, the founder of Antioch University Seattle, is coming up from California to visit AUS on Monday, Oct. 17th, to meet with alumni, faculty and staff during the evening and then participate in Convocation on Tuesday, Oct. 18th.

Alumni from all class years are personally invited to come back to Antioch Monday evening and make meaning together of this experience we call “Antioch.” We’ll share stories of what brought us to AUS, what kept/keeps us there, perhaps even what drove some away….what patterns persist? What has changed? Why have we “always” done it that way?

A reception will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. and an interactive program from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17th in room 100. Dr. Shana Hormann, associate academic dean and dean of students and Dr. Mark Hower, Center for Creative Change core faculty, will facilitate. Food and beverages will be served.

Please bring your stories, but first RSVP for the Monday night event to Kate DeShiell at 206-268-4108 or kdeshiell@antioch.edu.

Hal Morris Named 2011 AUS Distinguished Alumnus

Hal (Arval) Morris, M.A. Psychology ’06, is the recipient of the 2011 Antioch University Seattle Distinguished Alumnus Award and was honored both at Commencement ceremonies and a private reception held on Friday, June 26, at the Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle.

Antioch’s first president, Horace Mann, exhorted alumni to distinguish themselves by winning “victories for humanity.” Arval (Hal) Morris, M.A. Psychology ’06, responded to Mann’s call to action both dynamically and literally by building bridges between countries, between languages and between individuals.

His passion for travel has led him abroad extensively: to Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. While living in Guatemala prior to entering graduate school, he began to feel the pull that would eventually lead him to Brazil and to founding the Brazilian Children’s Charity (BCC), an organization that provides counseling and other services to low-income and homeless children.

The communities Morris found in Brazil resonated with his beliefs and the need he encountered there called him to action. “I saw so many problems and mental health issues not being addressed. It just wasn’t fair to the children,” he says. “But also, I found a culture that is unique in that Brazilians are the only people I’ve found that are in the Western system but also collectivists like those I met in Asia.”

Morris actually started the BCC before receiving his Psychology degree with a dual concentration in Mental Health Counseling and Couple and Family Therapy. He opened the first office in Rio de Janeiro, a vibrant but dangerous, city with dramatic socio-economic divisions, gang-violence and social upheaval.

In preparation for the 2014 World Cup, the Brazilian government has begun a program of “pacification” but while progress has been made in bringing the slums under control, often it is the children who are caught in the middle of the conflict. More than 80 percent of homeless people are addicted to crack. Murder is the number one cause of death for males 15-44 years of age and children in Rio are eight times more likely to die of violent causes than in the West Bank.

The homeless are left with few resources. Social and financial assistance is rare, so the work of the BCC is critical to helping children cope with poverty, violence, drug addiction, STDs and psychological ailments.

Both for reasons of privacy and for safety, Morris and his students usually provide their services outside the office. Frequently they travel to their patients and work in churches, schools, private homes or even outside at the beach.

To grow the organization, Morris has planned the BCC “capacity building” model as one which will expand to include three non-profit funding organizations (in Brazil, the United States (US) and Germany), a guest lecture series, a restaurant to provide-job skills training and an education program to train new staff.

An important part of the work is training new therapists. The BCC offers Brazilian University psychology students paid, year-long internships and Morris hopes to grow the program from training its current capacity of two students a year to ten. He is also looking toward opening branch offices in other Brazilian cities such as Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador, Natal, Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo and Vitoria.

Whether he’s taking therapy to the streets of Brazil or building bridges between nations, Morris’s efforts are working. The world needs Hal Morris and he’s answering the call.

Innovative EcoPsychologist Captures Imagination of AUS and AUNE Alums

Alumni, staff and administrators from Antioch University Seattle and Antioch University New England gathered together Tuesday, June 7th in Seattle to listen to a fascinating speaker and to celebrate Antioch University moving towards becoming one community. The speaker was Dr. Thomas J. Doherty, an AUNE alum who lives in Portland.

Doherty is an expert in a newly emerging field called EcoPsychology who is committed to helping people live better lives by integrating environmental issues into their personal health. “As a psychologist, my mission is to promote health and we are increasingly realizing that our personal health is linked to the health of the planet.”

Doherty is also scheduled to speak in Portland on Thursday, June 9th at 6 p.m. at the Billy J. Frank Conference Center, The Natural Capital Center. AUS alumni are urged to attend this free, catered event and network with old friends and meet new ones. To RSVP contact Faith Linksy at flinsky@antioch.edu.

Photos From 35th Anniversary Celebration on May 3, 2011

AUS Art Therapy Program Approved Again BY AATA

The Educational Program Approval Board (EPAB) of the American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA) approved Antioch University Seattle’s M.A. in Psychology with a specialization in Art Therapy combined with Child, Couple and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.

The AUS Art Therapy specialization was originally approved in 2003. Approval is granted for seven years. The new approval will be in effect until July 15, 2017. It is the only approved program in Washington state and one of only a handful of programs in the country with a clinical focus.

35th Anniversary Celebration Planned at AUS

During the first week of May, 2011, more than 400 alumni, faculty, staff and students are expected to fill room 100, the downstairs atrium and surrounding rooms and hallways to celebrate Antioch University’s 35 years in Seattle.

The winning theme for the party with a cause is “Celebrating 35 Years of Real Learning for Real Life” and was submitted by Swami Suddhananda (formerly Katelyn Cole, M.A. Psychology ’84). It will be used on the AUS website, in advertising and as part of other activities during the year.

There is no charge for admission to the catered event which will feature an art exhibit representing work by Antioch students, alumni, faculty, staff and emeritus. However, guests will have the opportunity to support scholarships at the university by engaging in a variety of fun activities and participating in an exhibit of original art.

If you are an artist connected to AUS, we welcome your submission for inclusion in this exhibit and art sale. Here’s how you can show and make money from the sale of your art and support scholarships at Antioch University:

About the art event:
Exhibit dates are May 2 through June 1, 2011. This is a juried exhibition of fine art; there is no fee for submission of art. Original works in any medium, including photography, that do not measure more than sixty (60) inches in any direction will be considered. Artists may submit, by email only, JPEG image(s) of up to three separate works of original art for possible inclusion in the show and exhibit. All entries must include:
1. Title, medium and size/dimensions of each submission;
2. A brief biography of the artist;
3. The estimated value of each work of art in the submission; and
4. The minimum amount the artist requires from the sale of the artwork.

Deadline for art submissions:
All entries must be sent by email to acalendar@antioch.edu not later than Friday, March 18, 2011. Artists will be notified by April 15th if their artwork has been accepted.

Selected artists will receive fifty percent (50%) of the sale price of artwork selected for the show with the remaining proceeds supporting scholarships for students in the university’s renowned art therapy specialization in psychology program.

Artwork that may be submitted:
Two-dimensional works of art must be ready for wall hanging and three-dimensional art must be accompanied by an appropriate display stand that will be returned to the artist at the conclusion of the show. Limited edition prints will be considered only if they are prints of artwork executed by the artist and have been properly signed and numbered.

If your submission is accepted:
Selected works of art must be delivered to Antioch University Seattle between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, 2011 or on Monday, May 2, 2011 between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Any works of art not sold at the exhibit’s opening night or during the month-long show must be picked up by the artist after June 1st and not later than 5 p.m. on June 3, 2011. Antioch University accepts no liability for the art; artists are encouraged to purchase insurance protecting the value of their art. Donations of the full amount of the sale of art are gladly accepted with our thanks.

A time line that would celebrate our 35 year history year-by-year is also being developed and will appear on the hallway walls and feature alumni and faculty comments and photographs. It will also appear on the university’s website, the Antioch Alumni Blog, YouTube and Facebook.

Alumni are urged to submit comments and photographs to ewarn@antioch.edu regarding their time spent at AUS and the influence AUS has had on their life and what impact they are making in their community. Comments can also demonstrate the tremendous power of an AUS education and inspire not only fellow Antiochians to reconnect with the university but prospective students to attend the university and later write their own stories.

Alumni are also being asked to email the alumni office indicating which faculty members, either past or present, that they would like to have attend the May function so they can network with them once again.

Great food and non-alcoholic beverages will be free-of-charge. The only cost will be for attendees who order wine and beer; those proceeds will go towards supporting AUS scholarships.

AUS Professor’s Annual Trip To Egypt Coming Up

Mark Twain was correct when he said “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” To me, travel is all that and much more. Take my trip to Egypt some 30 years ago. It was like traveling back in time and visiting the cradle of civilization. I still remember that trip vividly to this day (however, never wear polyester shorts when riding a camel). Which brings me to AUS Professor Emeritus Farouk Seif’s upcoming trip to Egypt March 16 through April 5, 2010.

Some of his goals are to prepare you to be more effective, respectful of other cultures and to better understand your own culture and values. Only from the outside can you look back in. Many alumni who have gone on this trip, now in its 14th year, claim it has had a lasting impact on their world view, self-confidence and maturity. Life-transforming you might say, much like their Antioch education experience.

Farouk, by the way, was born and raised in Egypt with a Coptic background and is a descendent of ancient Egyptians. He is the founder and director of the Isis Institute and is a professor emeritus at Antioch University Seattle, Center for Creative Change, where he teaches design for purposeful change. His recent publications and international presentations focus on cross-cultural communication and social/cultural change.

Egypt is the perfect setting to learn from and with others and experience the timeless wisdom of integrating nature and culture. The Egyptian odyssey is essential for the development of cultural identity and personal growth, navigating through unfamiliar cultural and historical boundaries. Farouk invites you to a lifetime-experience to engage in inspiring activities that evoke your imaginative interpretation of ancient Egypt, and reinvigorate meaning and purpose in your personal life and professional practice. Reflect on your place in the world and gain insights into cross-cultural understanding, unconditional love and holistic living.

The itinerary is packed with extraordinary adventures: sailing down the Nile; visiting traditional homes and sharing meals with villagers; participating in an ancestry Nubian dance; observing the pastoral life little-changed since the time of Christ; and experiencing the serenity of the Egyptian desert.
This trip is usually a sell out so move quickly. For more information and to reserve a place go to:
http://www.isisinstitute.net/picture-library/Egypt.8.5×11.March09.F.pdf or you can visit Farouk’s website at www.isisinstitute.net.

Warmly,

Eric

Eric Warn
Alumni Director
Antioch University Seattle
ewarn@antioch.edu

Journeys Newsletter

“Journeys”, the alumni newsletter, is published twice a year to help you stay in touch with the university and other graduates.

The current issue, as well as past issues, are available as a PDF for easy viewing and printing at the following link: www.antiochseattle.edu/alumni/journeys.html
Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 3 or higher) is required. Some of the files are sizable and may take a few minutes to download.

To contribute information about yourself for inclusion in a future issue of Journeys go to: www.antiochseattle.edu/alumni/update.html