As I thought about what to write this month, I found myself returning to reminiscences of Hal and Joe. Not a day goes by that I don't remember something they taught me, either from hearing myself teach others or when, in a clinical session, an intervention is successful and I send thanks to Joe and Hal for what they taught. I hope you do send in your favorite tales as I think it would give us all pleasure! Read On

The Town Hall/Mambo, held October 22, was a great night graciously hosted by Steve and Jennifer Foreman. There was lively discussion of SFPRG news, projects and goals. We heard updates from members of various committees who encouraged and received many suggestions. Read On

If one is Italian and dreams to be a psychologist one usually, after high school at about 19 years old, studies psychology at college. Graduation currently takes 5 years and is comparable to first getting a Bachelor Degree (3 years) and then a Master's Degree (2 years). For each degree one needs to work on a graduation thesis, a deep research project on a particular topic or a self-conducted work. I decided, in both cases, to analyze transcripts of psychotherapies from a metaphorical point of view which meant learning how to recognize and categorize metaphors in the language. Read On

SFPRG members know about the many conferences, classes and seminars that we sponsor in the San Francisco Bay Area, but many don't know about the annual control-mastery conference that has been taking place for the last few years in Hartford, Connecticut and (most recently) in western Massachusetts. I was invited to speak at the October 28th conference, "Corrective Relational Experiences in Psychotherapy", at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. This was clearly one of the most enhoyable conferences I've attended in the last several years. Read On

When thinking about the many gifts that Hal and Joe gave us, gifts of clinical brilliance, clarity and grounding, I ask myself why this theory isn’t better known.

What is the best way for us to further share their knowledge? How can we build upon the foundations and continue this theory's development?

I believe it was essential for us to have created a strong, supportive community. Having a training center for our base now allows us the freedom to grow and develop in many directions.

It is up to us to decide what those directions might be. The imperative for me is to see our incredibly helpful theory evolve, develop and spread.

What will ensure that happening? The answer lays with you - us - our community thinking together, testing new hypothesis and disseminating the information.

Do you have ideas about how we can do this? Do you have something you would like to research? A paper you have wanted to write? Might your alma mater be interested in a talk about our theory; the mental health clinic you work with benefit from an in- service? Does your local psychological association sponsor conferences? Does anyone know how to market our conferences?

These questions are relevant as the March workshop is coming up. We will offer over 30 different classes and could host twice the number of participants. Help us get the word out and think beyond what we have done in the past. Let us give this theory its rightful due.

The membership committee was particularly interested in exchanging ideas about how to increase SFPRG membership and ways we can make our organization as professionally helpful and relevant to members as possible.

Some ideas were to give more talks at professional meetings such as APA, CAMFT etc. and writing announcements for classes and conferences in professional newsletters and journals.

We discussed this newsletter, now in it's 6th month, which was conceived at a Town Hall Meeting and is edited by Kathie Dunn. The membership committee is grateful to her for the effort it takes to make this happen.

Some other topics we discussed were membership survey results which indicated members want more social activities. It makes sense that when you find a group of like minded people you want to find ways to get together!

We are investigating other meeting places such as restaurants where we could enjoy good food and good conversation. Have any ideas on places to go?

We also heard from the Education, Finance, Clinic and Research Committee members. Look for their updates in the newsletter.

Your participation and enthusiasm is a large part of the success of this group. We hope you will continue to, and perhaps, share this group with others.

In the first thesis I conducted a pre- study, and the second time I went deeper, analyzing the client’s and the therapist’s use of metaphors. I focused on how the client was talking about her issues and how the therapist responded to that metaphorically, thinking also of how he could have used more efficient metaphors to reframe important facts. I graduated with honors on the 14th of July 2006.

After graduating I was required to do at least six months of an internship. During the college years I had already done two internships. I had my first experience at the psychological department of a hospital and my second at the University of Milan, conducting a training on recognizing and categorizing metaphors.

In every internship in Italy one is not allowed to meet clients, one can watch sessions, watch administration of tests, learn how to do some things, but you cannot meet clients on your own, even if supervised.

For my third internship, I finally accepted Jessica Broitman’s offer to learn more about the Control Mastery Theory taking part in the training program in San Francisco. Unfortunately it has become almost impossible to have a visa for the USA. I was only able to arrange to stay here till March 2007, “better than nothing”, as I like to put it.

When my internship ends I’ll have to do a big exam to be on the psychologist’s register and then I’ll have to make a choice: a Ph.D. or a Psychotherapy School?

The first option would permit me to keep on doing research at the University for three years, working on a project; the second option would permit me instead to be a psychotherapist in 3-4 years. The psychotherapy school would be the first time I would meet clients under supervision.

Unfortunately, according to me, the choice one has to make doesn’t depend really on what one prefers to do in life, but on the importance that Italy gives to research and researchers. Almost none.

Choice also depends on whether you desire, after all those years of theory, to meet clients! Anyway, if one really wants to do research in Italy one can do that even if not a researcher. I don’t have to explain that to people who live in a country where this difference doesn’t exist.

Despite a severe late fall storm, over 65 people attended the conference. The audience was quite diverse: it included clinically experienced counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists as well as graduate students. Some were highly experienced with control-mastery theory and some were new to the theory.

The conference format allowed plenty of time for questions, comments and audience participation. I found these discussions to be lively, informative, extremely enjoyable and I believe the audience did too.

The establishment of an east coast presence for control-mastery theory and research was spear headed by Cynthia Shilkret, one of the founding members of SFPRG. She and her husband Bob (a professor of psychology at Mount Holyoke College) began training Massachusetts therapists in control- mastery theory over 25 years ago. The Shilkrets, Jo Nol and her colleagues in Hartford, Ellen Nigorsh, and other local colleagues have formed a cohesive group of experienced control-mastery therapists who do research, supervision, teaching and clinical training.

Their annual control-mastery conference is a very important addition to their various training efforts. I am very grateful to have participated in the East Coast conference and am gratified to see the SFPRG mission of illuminating and studying how psychotherapy works move beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.