Dear Colleagues,

Our year had a wonderful start with surgeon Dr. Scott Fried's presentation on the benefits of hypnosis with nerve pain and surgical patients. For me, his talk provided a scientific understanding of why to pursue temperature warming and increased blood flow in patients with nerve damage. My work with one chronic pain patient has taken a turn for the better and we are both grateful. The program evaluations were overwhelmingly positive and I look forward to having him back for another presentation: "... wonderful speaker, presents didactic material with humor and empathy ... great job - nice to have a physician provide us with the big picture - physical, mental & emotional .... I found this presentation inspirational and thought provoking." And for those of you who were not there, Michele Lyons-Fadel, our new Treasurer, provided a delicious array of nibbles.

I look forward to this year, the usual line up of monthly meetings offering diverse perspectives on hypnosis and another first for GPSCH, the Intermediate Training this October 20-22. We intend to make these 20-hour training programs yearly events. We also plan to offer a half-day program on hypnosis and ethics. And, of course, we are open to your suggestions for programs you would like to attend.

For those of you interested in EMDR as well as hypnosis and the combination of the two modalities, our October meeting, the 18th at 7:30 PM, ( 7:15 PM registration ) with Harriet Hollander, Ph.D. is a must - ECEM: Eye Closure, Eye Movements. An Integration of Eye Movements into Hypnosis, Applications to the Treatment of Trauma. For those of you not yet experienced in the use of EMDR, I urge you to attend.

I'm in the throes of moving and more appreciative than ever of the hypnotic power of my dog Dylan; no matter how hectic the day, he has the ability to fully capture and focus my attention in a way that is restorative. "We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made." - M. Fracklam. However, it behooves me to remember that I'm not so great a person as he thinks I am.

Here is a PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY: As most of you are aware, GPSCH is now able to offer American Psychological Association ( APA ) continuing education credits for our monthly programs in addition to the twice a year workshops. There is a nominal fee for this, just $10 per credit/hour for members ($15 for 1.5 hour programs, etc. ). The non-member fee is $20 per credit hour. Please have a check payable to GPSCH. APA certificates will be handed out at the end of each meeting.

The certifications of attendance for ASCH certification and re-certification are on a separate sheet and are available to be picked up at the registration desk. Full-Day Workshop registration includes CE fees. We ask that everyone attending the program fill out the program and instructor evaluations at all events; we do use them for feedback and future planning. We want your input. Thanks for reading this, and I hope to see you soon.

Judith S. Berman, President