16 Comments
Jun 23Liked by Avigail Abarbanel

I worry a lot about the trauma being inflicted upon Palestinians and others too, Avigail. Thanks so much for taking action.

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Me too 🙏🏼

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Jun 23Liked by Avigail Abarbanel

I think it's a great initiative to lobby to get the infliction of large scale trauma designated as a crime against humanity.

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Thank Adam. More typos corrected, btw…

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Jun 23Liked by Avigail Abarbanel

You might appreciate the book What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Philosophy Professor Michael Sandel, which I read a few years ago.

I completely sympathise with your perspective. There is so much that could be said, but I don't feel as though I'm able to articulate it at present. Briefly, I think that large events with multiple speakers spanning many different types of therapy will probably always end up looking somewhat like this.

I've booked to see Dan Siegel at a day workshop on Thursday 5th September at an event in Oxford organised by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. Hopefully there will be a bit more of a supportive atmosphere there. I think that the workshop format with just one speaker/facilitator is probably more conducive to a deeper more reflective more nurturing experience. I hope so anyway.

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I suspect it will be better Adam. A workshop format with one speaker I think will offer much more, especially if the speaker is Dan. Let me know how it went.

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Jun 23Liked by Avigail Abarbanel

This is another excellent article which accurately skewers the prevailing neo-liberal culture within psychotherapy and related fields. The rampant monetising, and underlying greed, of events like this one and the 'selling' of faddish 'solutions' seems aimed at promoting 'sticking plaster' and / or ill-conceived approaches to trauma rather than exploring trauma prevention. Avigail is one of the few people with the courage to call out the rank hypocrisy and greed of many stakeholders within the field of psychotherapy. Well done Avigail.

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Thank you Brendan 🙏🏼

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Jun 23Liked by Avigail Abarbanel

With regards to introversion-extraversion, it strikes me that these are terms for clusters of traits that sometimes, but by no means always, go together. One of the traits sometimes associated with introversion is a tendency to be extremely private and unwilling or disinclined to share personal information with others. But you are the opposite of that - extremely open and public and transparent, and seemingly comfortable with sharing all of your thoughts and feelings. It is just an observation. I completely believe you that you are introvert in other respects.

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Jun 23·edited Jun 23Author

When I discuss Introversion/Extraversion I refer specifically to the Myers-Briggs definition, not to the general use of the words. According to the MBTI, if you are an introvert there are two things you need to know: 1) you get your energy from solitude and lose energy from being around people 2) you need time and space to process information internally. Extraverts are the opposite. 1) Their levels of energy go up when they are around people, and down when they are solitary. 2) Their information processing is done through talking (externally oriented).

These traits are easily observable in people and are well researched. Introverts are no less ‘sociable’ than extraverts, provided their ‘batteries’ are full, but they do need time and space to reflect before they can speak about something. Extraverts work it out through the talking. It is nothing to do with how much you share or not share. Sharing of personal information has to do with cultural traits, upbringing, what boundaries you have, what needs you happen to have at any given point, etc. It has nothing to do with the E-I distinction, or definition.

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Jun 23Liked by Avigail Abarbanel

Hi Avigail

In paragraph starting "It is hard not to be cynical."

"Imagine a world where compassion, patience, kindness, and time for others, are the norm, no the exception." Obviously you meant "not the exception."

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Thank you Adam! Corrected. Just when I thought I have found everything… Good to have an extra pair of eyes. 🙏🏼

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I can't personally vouch for this organization but they seem to be doing good work: https://www.ruhcare.com/palestine

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I also just learned about https://www.gcmhp.org/ from the AFSC newsletter.

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Not a genocide Thanks

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Last comment - probably - I hope you'll write about The Myth of Normal when you've completed it. I'm curious as to what he has to say, but don't feel as though I can read it myself at the point as there are so many other books that I've already got that I want to read.

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