September 08

Hi all,

A lot has been going on since my last newsletter. I've been working on The Professional Practice Institutes curriculum and creating a Fast Start, or overview class to get people started TODAY creating a successful practice. You'll be the first to know when it's released. If you haven't visited the site, go to www.ProfessionalPracticeInstitute.com.

I've also been collaborating with other professionals all over the world to create a Positive Psychology website to help others bring positive psychology into their lives and practices. You can view it at www.positivepsychologyatwork.com.

The Psychotherapists Training Institute, that I'm a partner in, is launching an online test preparation program nationwide to help Clinical Mental Health Counselors pass their licensing exam. Check it out at http://www.psychotherapiststraininginst.com/examaceov.php. 

And.... I'm working now with an editor to complete my Personal Leadership book, LifeDancing, Mastering Life's Movement. The Newsletter for that is at here.

All this and next weekend is the grandbaby's 4th birthday (yes, he has a website too) and I've finally completed cleaning up my Mother's estate and am now a landlord.

Practice Development

As you may already know, my approach to successful practice development is to be connected to your community. There are many ways of doing that, that must be congruent with your values and strengths, but one way is to offer services and products that fit into and improve people's lives. That way when they need help, you will be the one they turn to. The ways I am currently doing this are:

I belong to the Chamber of Commerce Networking group. I promote Lifestyle Change via MBSR, Mindful Based Stress Reduction, and consult with small business owners using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as a tool for optimal performance and team building. CAPT has an excellent training program, assessments and tools to use in your practice. I build awareness of my specialty niche of working with women by collaborating with the local Soroptimists to create a Women's Resource Directory for our community.

Below, I have listed what is coming up for October so you can plan your outreach and activities.

October's Events

Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. Twenty-five percent of the dogs waiting for adoption in shelters were surrendered by people who said the dogs didn’t fit in with their lifestyles. The ASPCA sponsors Adopt A Shelter Dog Month to advocate ending the euthanasia of all adoptable pets. For more information, visit www.aspca.org. This is a good topic to jump off into therapeutic pets.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This marks the 22^nd year of this campaign to raise awareness about violence perpetrated against women and their children. Go to www.ncadv.org for more information. If this is your specialty, send press releases to your local publications about your work.

Dyslexia Awareness Month. Millions of children and adults worldwide live with this neurological disorder that impedes their ability to read; many more go undiagnosed. Use this month to learn the signs of dyslexia and understand its consequences—at home and in the workplace. For more information, visit www.interdys.org.

Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month. The more capable we are of assessing and managing our emotions and those of the people around us, the better all our interactions and decision-making will be. Visit www.e-ii.org for more information. This is a great topic for psychoeducation!

National Breast Cancer Month. Get ideas at www.nbcam.org on how to help “Pass the Word” about screenings and early detection.

National Crime Prevention Month. Make your community a safe place to live, work, and play with crime prevention tips from www.ncpc.org.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Go to www.dol.gov/odep to find out more about this mission to educate the public on the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities, and to highlight the employment issues and barriers that still need to be addressed.

National Reading Group Month. To celebrate the joy of sharing books and to inspire individuals who do not belong to a reading group to join one or start one of their own. For more information, visit www.wnba-books.org. Start a reading group in your practice.

Daily

Make A Difference Day. Oct. 25. A national day of neighbors helping neighbors. Find out how at www.makeadifferenceday.com.

Onward

Linda