Prep for The Final Exam.....Dwight Shrute style!

June 25th is the date...the day I face my fear and stand in front of a panel at Pacifica Graduate Institute and show the professors all I know. It's an oral exam, where I will be put on the spot and given 2 1/2 minutes for each answer..... I have been studying, studying some more and after that, more studying. Hardly any time for anything else right now.....will be so relieved once this is done, summer session is completed and I can just focus on the thesis.

But for now.....here is just a preview of what I will be doing before my exam.....Yah, they should pass me just on the basis of being awesome.

La Playa de Santa Barbara

He's just misuderstood

It's way past my bedtime for me here in Santa Barbara---but after coming across this article, I really could not help but post this article about Darth Vader getting pathologized. As a Therapist in training- I laughed at the detail that was taken when describing "Mr Vader's" diagnosis. How could I argue!? Where were those psychotropic medications when we needed them? Perhaps if Mr Vader stopped by his psychiatrist he may have chosen against turning towards the dark side and could have had a more functional relationship with both Luke and Leia.

During my studies at Pacifica, I was pleasantly informed that Joseph Campbell who wrote, Hero with a Thousand Faces, (highly recommend to read) as well as Carl Jung had great influence on George Lukas as he produced the Star Wars trilogy. Please check out this article which goes into more detail about J. Campbells influence.

What jumped out at me was this direct quote from the article:

"Lucas had already written two drafts of Star Wars when he rediscovered Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces in 1975 (having read it years before in college). This blueprint for "The Hero's Journey" gave Lucas the focus he needed to draw his sprawling imaginary universe into a single story."

I have gone off on what I originally was posting- please read the article below- I found it both funny and pretty right on in the perspective of diagnosing and identifying Mr Vader's symptoms! Folks, it just doesn't get any better than this!

Darth Vader's Diagnosis

by Mike Krumboltz · June 9, 2010

His enemies and underlings are painfully aware that Darth Vader is highly irritable and prone to bursts of anger. But until now, we don't think anybody knew that the Dark Lord of the Sith may have suffered from borderline personality disorder.

According to a popular blog over at CNN, French researchers have concluded that Mr. Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker) has, at various times, exhibited six of the nine criteria for borderline personality disorder. To be diagnosed with BPD, you need only showcase five of the behaviors.

Just what are these traits? Well, there are the unstable moods that Vader suffers. One minute he's happy because he sliced Obi-Wan Kenobi in half. The next, he's all huffy that his subordinates let the Millennium Falcon escape. And when Vader ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

There are also his unstable relationships to consider. Over the course of the "Star Wars" movies, Vader has tried to kill his son, Luke Skywalker, multiple times. However, he also saved Luke's life from his boss, the impossible-to-please Emperor Palpatine. The researchers write that Palpatine had a "dark and destabilizing influence" on Vader and likely contributed to his borderline personality.

And the issues don't stop there. Vader blew up his daughter's planet, and froze his future son-in-law, Han Solo, in carbonite. And Vader's mother? Oy vey, don't even get him started with the abandonment issues.

A related piece from LiveScience explains that the Darth Vader example may help teach students of psychology. A well-known fictional character is easy for people to understand and diagnose. And Vader is nothing if not well-known. He's perpetually in the public eye. Heck, the guy even endorses shoes.

Could anything have saved this troubled half-man, half-machine? Researchers feel that "psychotherapy would have helped" Vader and may have stopped him from turning to the dark side. "Using the dark side of the Force could be considered similar to drug use: It feels really good when you use it, it alters your consciousness and you know you shouldn't do it," says Eric Bui, a psychiatrist at Toulouse University Hospital in France.

Of course, all this is rather ridiculous, as The Los Angeles Times points out. Borderline personality disorder is a very serious problem for many people, mostly young women. Still, we suppose that Darth's diagnosis raises awareness of the condition. About time Vader did some good.

On my way!

Great news. I sold my first print. My customer asked for a 11x 14 print of the 'Birds of Paradise' of which is my understanding will be hung in their living room. It gives me so much joy to know that my work will displayed for many who visit them to see! It just goes to show how important it is for me to continue to post my work on my blog. Eventually I hope to have a website however at this stage I feel that I am needing to build more stock up. I do know however, that the sooner I get a website the sooner I can really get my name out there and present my work at shows, potential clientele, etc.

Having to have this print ordered was a great motivator to get out and see exactly where I should begin getting my prints at. I found Samy's Camera which is located on Chapala Street, just a block away from my work. the store itself is huge- has everything that I could possibly imagine or need to build up my business. My first experience of walking into Samy's was like being a child walking into a candy store for the first time. Please check out the link and see for yourself. I am so lucky to have the store right in town. Sometimes, I just go there and look around. The staff there are very helpful and friendly. In the front of the store there are work stations with scanners and computers to download your photos to get printed.

Once school finishes up, I will definitely look into classes that are offered at Samy's in LA to help my learn more about photography. I look forward to building a business on the side. I have been looking into ways to incorporate my career as a therapist with photography. With my clients permission and release to take their photos of their work, I have already taken photos of the work that my clients completed in session. I have had my clients complete collages and exercises which incorporate imagery and work with childhood fairytales. It amazes me the content that my clients have surfaced through these activities. Down the line, I hope to share some of their work in relation to demonstrating the powerfulness of Depth Psychology. Here, I hope to capture their journey with the use of photography. More will be revealed in due time!

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

I just finished reading more for school.....will it ever end? I look forward to the day when I can just pick a book I want to read verses one I have to read for an assignment for school- almost there!

So it's very late but I had to post this becuase it has been on my mind.

Eventually I will be writing more about the Conference I went to this past weekend but for now I just want to post something that I really liked that I heard. A few months ago, a friend of mine sent me an email which i thought was right on with what was in front of me at that present time. Just this past weekend, while talking with some people I had just met at this conference, a woman mentioned the same passage to a group of us as we talked about our own individual paths.

This conference was all about Energy Psychology- were practictioners share their knowledge about working with trauma, depression, axiety- etc, etc. It is an alternative modality from the one I am trained on at Pacifica. Highly effective, one I have incoporated with my own clients as well as work on myself. It is amazing. Another blog entry another time. But for now, here is the little passage that was mentioned by my friend- hearing it brought me to how amazing it is that I have been able to see the beauty of all different people who have come in and out of my life.

Here it is, copied from an email I received months ago:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. when u know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed they have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. they may seem like a godsend and they are. they are there for the reason you need them to be. then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end sometimes they die. sometimes they walk away. sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. what we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. the prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow and learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a SEASON.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and area of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

San Diego

This past weekend, I went to San Diego for the first time. The visit was to attend a conference in Coronado, CA which is located right next to San Diego. I was happy to be able to reconnect with a friend, Amy who lives in San Diego that I had met at Pacifica. I was so grateful that Amy was able to provide me with a room to stay in for the weekend. It was great to see her again! It had been over a year since I last saw her. It was a shot in the dark as far as where Amy lived in relation to where the conference took place but I happily discovered that her house was just a 10 minute drive to Lowes Hotel in Coronado.When we met up that first night in San Diego it was like no time had passed and we were able to pick up right where we last left off. My first night we went out to dinner and caught up. I like the energy and the feel of the city. Soon after I arrived, we walked about 5 blocks from her house and got some Mexican food, sat outside and had great conversation about life- past, present and future.

During my last session at Pacifica, I came to a realization that over the years, I had become accustomed to thinking in terms of limitation. I don't like that at all, however glad I saw that about myself. During class, I whispered over to my classmate that she needed to start paying attention to the professor and stop circling and highlighting away on something which was not class material. (all in fun) So then, after I picked on her, I finally asked, "whacha got going on over there?" My classmate told me- its a print out of all internships in California who are currently looking for interns to begin once we have our degree posted. Then like a ton of bricks, it hit me. I have been working on looking in the Santa Barbara area for a job that I have missed the whole picture. The whole picture is that I have all of California to choose from and consider.

Just knowing that allowed me to look at a my options at a larger scale. I became very excited and began my search throughout Cali. The one thing I know, is that I need to stay on the coast. I love the beach too much to head back inland. (I can't believe I am saying that- I use to not be a beach person at all, now I can't be without the waves and sand!)

I have been keeping my eye on San Francisco for some reason. I have some friends from Asheville and people who I had met in South America that currently live there. It's nice to know that I already have connections! The thing is, after being in San Diego, I felt something while I was there. It was beautiful! The nice thing is that it does not have to be limited to those two cities. I have some time now to really think about where I would like to go if anywhere. I have to follow my gut and go where my heart is telling me.

I love Santa Barbara. I have made some amazing friendships- I feel really grounded here- but based on location, I am not in love with the town. For all of my life I have lived in small towns. Don't get me wrong- small towns have a lot to say- like Asheville,NC for example- it's amazingly beautiful with its Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has so much character and a lot going on downtown, especially in the summer months! For me, year after year the scene gets redundant- seeing the same thing over and over gets to me. Asheville, is by far one of the best places to live- by no means am I trying to put the city down at all! In fact, I highly recommend to visit Asheville, North Carolina!

I feel in my core that it is time for me to live in a big city. Well we will see! Home is where the heart is. It does not matter what the surroundings look like. Ultimately, contentment, love and all that creates happiness comes from within. I am however, at a point in my life that I am so grateful that I have the freedom and ability to go wherever I feel I want to go.

I look at my life map, of which I created a few months back- it was a cool activity to complete. Cali, Colombia- Elma, NY- Quito, Ecuador- Asheville, NC- Cusco, Peru- (stop back in Colombia)- back to Asheville, NC- now in Santa Barbara, CA. And everything that manifested itself in between. nothing happens without there being a reason- that I know for certain!

I am grateful for all the treasures that has been handed to me. Seeing it with my eyes wide open is so important. I am excited for what is to come. California thus far has been a healing experience, full of blossoming friendships, laughter (the kind that makes your sides ache) and wow- a true sense of freedom and vitality.

The Pier

This past Sunday, I spent it at the Pier with my friend Matt. We ended up spending well over 4 hours on the Pier- We strolled around, people watched, had some ice cream and topped things off with some dinner- nothing like fresh fish and chips at good ol' Moby Dicks!

Here are some photos of our day together. We made friends with a little Pelican who stole the center stage- allowed his photo to be taken. I thought it funny, but he had an agenda. All along he was waiting to catch some fish from the fisherman surrounding the edge of the pier. He finally got himself a bite. I was pretty grossed out by the sight of the Pelican eating the fish. What he did was held the fish captive in his mouth till the fish gave out. I know that the Pelican has to eat but I don't like watching the process. Matt stole some shots of the pelican eating while I looked away.

Baby Tilapia (He was thrown back in the water)

Star Fish

Later I went with Matt to his office- outside from his office, there is a beautiful Koi Pond