Interest Groups
During the Conference, you will meet four times with the Interest Group which you select from the list below. The process that unfolds within the group—the ups and downs and insights—is an important part of the FCRP experience. Interest Groups are intended as a personal growth experience, not as therapy.
Groups are limited in size and assigned on a first-come basis. Please be sure to indicate your preferences on your registration form. Include second and third choices, in case your first choice is not available.
PLEASE NOTE: The meeting rooms are frequently uncomfortably cold due to central air-conditioning over which we have no control. Please bring an extra cover-up to ensure your comfort.
1. Jung and Quakerism Walter Brown
We will discuss reasons why Quakers like and/or need psychology and Jung. We will examine Mysticism in the Jungian psychology and Quakerism (Rufus Jones’s Mysticism of Everyday Life). We will compare Inner Light and Collective Unconscious, the Self, and God. We will look at the metaphoric view of the Bible and all sacred writings as well as introversion and intuition in modern liberal Quakerism.
Mode: worship sharing, meditation, drawing
Walter Brown is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been practicing psychotherapy for 32 years. He is a life-long Friend who has filled various roles for his local meeting (Langley Hill, VA), Baltimore Yearly Meeting, and Friends General Conference.
2. Dream Your Dream Bonnie Damron
Dreams, those fascinating and illusive creations of the night, are filled with treasures just waiting to be unearthed. The fact is, we all dream every night. It seems a shame to waste them by simply dismissing them as “just dreams.” During the time we have together we will help each other to find some dream gold. How can dreams help us map our own destinies? What archetypal, universal, instinctive patterns do we see in dreams? As a way of getting started, Bonnie will share some dreams found in the biographies of several public figures, and some found in the stories and mythologies of the world. In addition, she will use some of the methods described by C. G. Jung to work with dreams. If someone should like to share a personal dream, we will listen with respect, encouragement, and confidentiality. Primarily, we want to spend individual time with our own dreams. We will also spend quiet time with our journals, and then share our thoughts with each other. Please feel free to bring your favorite art materials—pen and ink, pastels, or whatever helps you imagine your dreams more fully.
Mode: Discussion, meditation, journaling
Bonnie Damron is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in a private practice for nearly thirty years. Her work is largely Jungian based. She listens to numerous dreams every year, and helps her clients understand their dreams in light of their lives in the every day world. In addition, for forty years she has kept a dream journal, and has used her dreams to guide her path. She also leads seminars on mythology, fairy tales, and Jung’s psychology. Bonnie was the 2010 Washington FCRP plenary speaker.
3. The Practice of Presence Patty de Llosa [cancelled]
Is it really possible to get a fresh start in life? Yes, we can, starting wherever we are, and without changing our external conditions. The key is to learn to practice “attention to our own presence.” Drawing from four traditions—the wisdom teachings of the legendary spiritual teacher Gurdjieff; the ancient Taoist discipline of Tai Chi; Jungian analyst Marion Woodman’s Body/Soul Rhythms exercises and the mind-body retraining system of F.M. Alexander—we will study practical ways to harmonize our thoughts, emotions and bodies as we surrender unnecessary physical tension and negative mental attitudes in order to develop balance and calm centeredness.
Mode: Movement, meditation, drawing, discussion
Patty de Llosa has led group classes, daylong workshops and weeklong intensives in The Gurdjieff Work, Tai Chi and Taoist meditation, and the Alexander Technique. She teaches both privately and in group classes in New York City. Patty is author of The Practice of Presence: Five Paths for Daily Life (Morning Light Press 2006) and Contributing Editor of Parabola Magazine.
4. Creating Mandalas Sandra Fox [cancelled]
In creating mandalas we participate in an ancient practice of representing and reflecting on our spiritual landscape. Using classic tools, the compass and the straightedge, we will construct designs from several cultural and religious traditions. As we meditate on our work we may bump up against spiritual or religious barriers. We will explore the questions: Who erected these barriers? When? What purpose did they serve? Are they still useful? What insights have I gained into my own spiritual beliefs or practices? What insights into those of others? No experience in art or geometry is necessary, and all materials will be provided. However, participants are welcome to bring their own tools, paper, art supplies, etc.
Mode: Mandalas, meditation, discussion
Sandra Fox teaches high school mathematics in Manassas, VA. She was awarded a SciMat Fellowship for a project studying the intersection of mathematics and art. Over the course of the last ten years she has lead mandala workshops for churches, spirituality groups, the Manassas Art Guild, and the 2005 FCRP.
5. Masks for Life Dana Gayner
We all hide behind masks at one time or another, but rarely do we actually see the mask we present to the world. What do others see? In order to remove the mask, we must first acknowledge it. Join the merriment with this hands-on experence and find what mask(s) you like to present to the world. No required reading and no previous art training necessary.
Mode: Mask making, discussion
Dana Gayner studied illustration at the Philadelphia College of Art, now the University of the Arts, but after having children, her interest turned to education. She now has 22 years of working in elementary schools teaching art to children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Dana been making masks in various mediums since 1979. For the past 5 years, she has maintained her fresh perspective on art by attending summer classes at the Artist/Teacher Institute at Rutgers in Camden, NJ.
6. Before We Dream: Potential Therapeutic Uses of Liminal States Mary R. Hopkins
What stories do we tell ourselves before we go to sleep? How do we use them? In this workshop we will explore ways can we use “unconscious awareness” for healing from the events of the day. This is not a dream workshop and we will not be sharing content. Hopefully you may take home a new tool to use for self understanding. If it helps you to loosen up your right brain, bring your own art supplies.
Mode: Worship sharing, discussion
Mary R. Hopkins has led groups at FCRP since the 1960s. She holds the degree of MSSW from Bryn Mawr College and has practiced Social Work for forty years. Her interest in this topic is new—she has not seen a workshop or book about it.
7. Beginning Your Own Redbook Lorraine Kreahling
Jung’s just published Redbook is the colorful illustrated intimate journal he kept locked away for his lifetime. Here Jung recorded in words and careful childlike drawings his encounters with the archetypes governing his life. We will look at his journal together, discuss the concept of archetypes, and begin soliciting our own through writing and drawing. The process will focus on witnessing rather than analysis. We’ll share only as we feel comfortable. Please bring notebook and paintbox if you can.
Mode: Journal writing, working with color, discussion
Lorraine Kreahling wrote her master's thesis on Jung and fairy tales. Jungian psychology and Quaker worship and philosophy have been a part of her life since she first attended FCRP in 1972. She is a writer and editorial producer, and has been a regular contributor to The New York Times. Together with her husband she recently produced a 20-part series on aging for PBS. Lorraine is currently writing The Green Hotel, the true story of the loss of their historic house to a propane explosion and fire, and its rebuilding with a “green” non-fossil-fuel-burning geothermal heating/cooling system.
8. Collage—Images of the Soul Carole McNamee [cancelled]
Collage provides an opportunity to engage with images that hold personal meaning for us, facilitating self-expression and healing. The SoulCollage® process, in particular, is a “flexible, creative, and inclusive tool” for the creation and exploration of personally selected images. We will experience this card-making process and several techniques for dialoguing with our creations. These creations often serve to surprise, bemuse, and even amuse. They always enlighten!
Mode: Collage, journalling, sharing
Carole McNamee is a psychotherapist in private practice in Blacksburg, VA and a member of Blacksburg Friends Meeting. She has been a student of creative process for over 30 years, and has been using this process with others for the past 10 years. She has published, lectured, and given workshops locally, regionally, and nationally on the use of the expressive arts in therapy. She was the 2009 Washington FCRP plenary speaker and has been leading small groups for FCRP since 2004.
9. Letting Go and Paying Attention—the Wisdom of Tai Chi Beth Perry
There is a great deal to learn when we relax and pay attention to our own bodies (key principles of Tai Chi). It is a form of moving meditation, and in some ways has some revolutionary (in this society) principles to teach.
Mode:Movement
Beth Perry first studied Tai Chi with Maggie Newman, student of Cheng Man Ching, in the early 1980’s. She has been teaching Tai Chi for the last six years in adult education classes, senior centers, and in retirement homes. Beth is a member of Radnor, PA Meeting.
10. Forgiveness as a Spiritual Practice Sue Regen
Encountering our personal stories of anger, fear, hurt, and pain can ground our spiritual lives. When we choose to practice forgiveness within ourselves, we may find ways to connect more deeply and spiritually with ourselves and others. This can move us towards inner peace and wholeness. Focus will be on tools and techniques for doing forgiveness work, not on therapy.
Mode: Discussion, sharing, meditation, writing, practicing!
Sue Regen has been regularly attending FCRP for over 35 years. She considers it one of her “growing places.” Since 2002, she has been engaged in forgiveness work as part of her personal journey. Sue has presented over 35 workshops around the country, including Attica Prison, Pendle Hill, the FGC Gathering, and FCRP. This ministry is under the care of her Rochester, NY Friends Meeting. Sue is also very active as Presiding Clerk for Friends General Conference.
11. Finding an Inner Democracy of Spirit through Journaling Dorothy Reichardt [cancelled]
A journal is a means of meeting our many selves—including the Spirit within—and hearing what they each have to say. We may find parts of ourselves whom we have ignored, but who are worthy of our attention and have much to offer us. We shall try out some different ways of journaling to see which methods work best for us. Bring writing materials and a listening heart.
Mode: Writing, optional drawing, sharing
Suggested reading: How to Keep a Spiritual Journal: A Guide to Journal Keeping for Inner Growth and Personal Discovery, by Ron Klug
Dorothy Reichardt is a clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice. She has studied at the Jung Institute in Zurich and has completed the three year Leadership Training in Marion Woodman’s Body/Soul Rhythms program in Canada. She has led small groups at FCRP for many years.
12. Exploring Spirit Doris M. Tennyson [cancelled]
Our explorations will involve combining a world view with our personal ideas, including concepts of peace, maintaining and breaking boundaries, testing personal freedom, embracing change, experiencing independence, and individuation. Reading, writing, movement, walking meditation, and other techniques will support our explorations. Wear comfortable clothes.
Mode: Experiential
Doris M. Tennyson, a member of the National Association of Poetry Therapy, is training to become a Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator. She has led small groups at FCRP, Washington FCRP, and elsewhere. She retired in 2008 from the National Association of Home Builders after 39 years service in positions involved in publishing in a variety of formats. She was a part-time massage therapist for 23 years and has been a student of dance therapy.
13. Doing Nothing Creatively Peggy Walbridge
This group is for those who would like unscheduled time to collect thoughts, share, meditate, and just relax. Loosely scheduled, we will provide a safe space for those who just want to be or do their own thing.
Mode: Discussion, sharing, free time, your choice
Peggy Walbridge was fomerly a member of, and is presently serving as a Resource Person to the FCRP Planning Committee, She recently retired from a career in academic management at Cornell University. Peggy is a member of Ithaca(NY) Monthly Meeting.