LATEST NEWS

Now posted! 
A Spanish version of the Summer 2009 and Winter 2009-2010 VSOF quarterly Windowsill online newsletter is now posted.

First issue of the 2010 International Gestalt Journal devoted to children and Adolescents We have just received the Fall 2009 International Gestalt Journal. That issue (Volume 32, Number 2) edited is by Felicia Carroll and dedicated to Violet.  The entire issue is about Gestalt therapy with children and adolescents.  Contributors are from South Africa, Australia, the U.S., the U.K, Switzerland, Brazil and Taiwan.  Several refer to Violet’s work.  You can listen in on the three hours plus conversation VSOF founder Christiane Elsbree had with Violet over two days because in addition to including a print excerpt from the interview, the Journal includes the entire June 2009 interview with Violet in MP3 format!  The Fall 2009 International Gestalt Journal (Volume 32, Number 2) is available from the Gestalt Journal Press at http://www.gestalt.org/igjsubscribe/igjordfr.html

Save the Dates:  Workshops, Classes and Trainings coming up Spring 2010 – Santa Barbara, CA
Lee Weiser will teach a class in the spring on the Oaklander method at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute which is an affiliate of the Chicago school of professional psychology.  For more information:  www.thechicagoschool.edu/  or lweiser@mac.com

May 18, 2010 –  Marrakesh, Morocco 
Felicia Carroll will be presenting a half-day workshop on Working with Shame and Anger from a Gestalt Therapy Approach.  This conference focuses on innovations in the use of play and creative arts therapist in developed and emerging economies to provide psychosocial support children and adolescents.  Entire Conference is May 17-22, 2010.  For more information Felicia at www.feliciacarroll.com.

May 22-30, 2010 – Nurnberg, Germany 
Felicia Carroll will be presenting Basic and Advanced workshops in Gestalt Therapy with Children and Adolescents for Symbolon Institute, Nuremburg, Germany. For more information contact the institutes directly or Felicia at www.feliciacarroll.com.

2010 Year Long Training in California  
Felicia’s Year-long Training program held in California is filled for 2009-2010.  However, individual week-ends can be attended.   This year special guests from the Philippines and Brazil have attended this intensive training adding to the richness of our discussions about clinical needs of children around the world.    For more information contact www.feliciacarroll.com

June 23-24, 2010 – Kentucky 
In June, Felicia Carroll is the featured presenter for a Two day Conference for the Appalachian Center for Play Therapy at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky.  As the only presenter, Felicia is honored with this invitation as only leaders in the field of child therapy are invited.   Felicia will be presenting on the fundamental of Gestalt Play Therapy.    Participants come from a seven state regional area, making this one of the larger state conferences.  For more information go to t www.feliciacarroll.com 

July 31-August 8, 2010 – Solvang, CA:  Felicia Carroll is offering her 60 hour Summer Intensive Training in Gestalt Play Therapy, the Oaklander Model  through the West Coast Institute for Gestalt Play Therapy.  This promises to be an international training experience.  You can also contact Felicia with questions.   Requests for reduced fee will be considered.  See website for request form.   To read more about this training or to register, go to www.feliciacarroll.com.  

August 16 to 20, 2010 – Wurzburg, St. Arbogast, Austria 
Felicia Carroll will be presenting a week-long training through the Institut fur Integrative Gestalttherapie of Wurzburg, the Kompakttraining 2010.  For more information contact the institutes directly or Felicia at www.feliciacarroll.com. 

August 16-20, 2010 – Malibu, California 
The 2nd Annual 21st Century Perspectives training in the Oaklander method will be held in Malibu, California.  For more information visit 21stcenturyperspectives.org or call Lynn Stadler at 805/962.9992.

Dates to be arranged,  October, 2010 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
Felicia Carroll will be presenting a Lecture and Workshop on the Neuroscience of Gestalt therapy with children and adolescents.   For more information go to  www.feliciacarroll.com 

NEWS ARCHIVES

SUMMER 2009

International Trainings Scheduled for 2010
Felicia Carroll plans to offer trainings in Morocco, Austria and Germany in 2010. www.feliciacarroll.com

Fall Trainings in California
Felicia Carroll will offer a year-long training in Solvang, CA, as well as several Graduate level seminar classes in Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo at universities and institutes. www.feliciacarroll.com 

Coming Soon!
A Spanish version of the VSOF quarterly Windowsill online newsletter is planned for our next issue, to be posted in December 2010.

One-Year Anniversary in LA
Violet has lived in Los Angeles for one year now and is settling in. Although Los Angeles is less attractive than Santa Barbara in just about every way, Violet is nearer to her family in her new home and she is very happy about that.

SPRING 2009

VSOF MEETING AUGUST 30th  – ALL WELCOME!
Please join us in Los Angeles at the Khalsa-Oaklander compound for our quarterly VSOF meeting. See your Friends of the Foundation donations at work. Contact martyoaklander@earthlink.net for directions.

VSOF Scholarship Fund Doors Open!

With the success of its first pilot program with the Spring 2009 training in Kyrgyzstan, the VSOF Scholarship Fund is taking a more solid shape with a new Scholarship Committee, including VSOF Board members Karen Fried and Patric White, and the always helpful and generous Mha Atma Khalsa (Violet’s son).

The Kyrgyzstan training tapped the fund dry, so the first mission of the newly-formed committee is to replenish the fund. There is a new page on the VSOF online store so that tax-deductible donations can be made directly to the Scholarship Fund via PayPal. The committee will also contact Friends of the Foundation about the Kyrgyzstan success story, as well as other training opportunities for less advantaged students. The committee is ready for suggestions regarding how the fund can be developed and used to help those in need. The committee will review all scholarship applications and trainers’ proposals.

To make a donation, please go to store.

New Training Program in London
Jon Blend is facilitating a five-day workshop on Gestalt Therapy with Children & Adolescents in Central London in March 2010, with a “taster day” on October 10, 2009. This course draws inspiration from Violet Oaklander. Within a largely practically oriented framework participants will also explore some notions from Gestalt, attachment theory and family systems, developmental psychology and neuroscience. Some case vignettes from Jon’s clinical practice will be offered by way of illustration. To register, please contact: mail@gestaltcentre.co.uk or visit www.gestaltcentre.co.uk. Jon can be contacted by email: life-changes@ntlworld.com

WINTER 2009

VSOF MEETING APRIL 19th  – ALL WELCOME
Please join us in Santa Barbara for our quarterly VSOF meeting. See your Friends of the Foundation donations at work. Contact Claire Mercurio cmercuriophd@cox.net for directions.

Santa Barbara CAMFT Creates Violet Oaklander Scholarship
Violet was honored by the Santa Barbara chapter of the California Association of Marriage Family Therapists (CAMFT) in December. The CAMFT-SB Board president announced a yearly ($300 to $400) pledge to the VSOF scholarship fund to support a CAMFT-SB member to train in the Oaklander Model.  VSOF Board member Chris Orpen volunteered to be the local contact with CAMFT-SB, and will develop the application process.

CIIS Graduate Students Learn to Oaklander Model
Therapists in training at the Integral Counseling Center at Church Street in San Francisco are beginning to expand their Gestalt program to include children and families. The Church Street center is affiliated with The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). VSOF Founding member Lynn Stadler provided a half-day workshop in February on the Oaklander Model, and is working with the center to explore its plan to work with children.

Training in Tijuana
Violet provided a one-day workshop on March 7th for 80 psychotherapists in Tijuana, Mexico on Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents: A Gestalt Therapy Approach.  Most of the participants live and work in Tijuana, and many came with the Spanish editions of both “Windows to Our Children” and “Hidden Treasure” for Violet to sign. 

Moving the Oaklander Model into Nature
VSOF Board member Claire Mercurio PhD is now offering individual psychotherapy in nature for children ages 7 to 17.  By moving beyond the walls of the therapy room, children will explore the spontaneous discoveries of the natural world.  Nature's undeveloped regions can truly invigorate the imagination and sense of self.  For more information call (805) 682-9208 or email cmercuriophd@cox.net.

FALL 2008

New! One-Week Training in Malibu, CA
VSOF founding members Sue Talley, Karen Fried and Lynn Stadler will offer a new one-week training on Therapy for Children & Adolescents on the beach in Malibu August 10-14. Named after Lynn’s new VSOF Windowsill column – 21st Century Perspectives – this training will combine aspects of Violet’s past two-week Summer training with some ideas for applying the Oaklander Model to specific presenting problems like Adolescent Cutting/Self-harm and struggles related to Learning Disorders. To maximize the gorgeous setting, sand tray training will take place on the actual beach. During one of the afternoons, Violet will be available for group Q & A, followed by a beach party and bonfire. We also welcome special guest lecturer Patric White. Thirty (30) CEUs are available. More details and applications will be available at HYPERLINK "http://www.21stcenturyperspectives.org" www.21stcenturyperspectives.org in late January. Meanwhile please contact Lynn Stadler 805/962.9992 or lynnstadler@verizon.net.

Violet to Train in Spain
The 11th International Gestalt Therapy Conference will be held in Madrid, Spain, April 30 – May 3.  Violet will participate at the conference, and she’ll offer an all day workshop after the conference on May 4th. For further information go to http://www.xicongresointernacionalgestalt.org.

IGJ Special Issue
The International Gestalt Journal (IGJ) will offer a special issue in 2010 about Gestalt Therapy with Children and will recognize Violet’s worldwide influence on clinicians. VSOF founding member Felicia Carroll is the guest editor, and work is underway to invite contributions and a call for papers will be made in the IGJ in 2009. To inquire about writing an article for the special issue, contact felicia@feliciacarroll.com.   

RESOURCES

Check out:
Kandmcenter.com
Awareparenting.com
Bamgroups.com

Summer 2008

IGJ Special Issue
The International Gestalt Journal (IGJ) will offer a special issue in 2010 about Gestalt Therapy with Children and will recognize Violet’s worldwide influence on clinicians. VSOF founding member Felicia Carroll is the guest editor, and work is underway to invite contributions and a call for papers will be made in the IGJ in 2009. To inquire about writing an article for the special issue, contact felicia@feliciacarroll.com.   

SPRING 2008

News from London
Psychotherapist Jon Blend facilitated a weekend course last April at the Gestalt Centre London. Entitled A Gestalt Approach to working with Children and Adolescents, the course combined a ’ hands on’ overview of Violet’s approach to child therapy with input on child development, attachment theory and Mark McConville’ s field/systemic notions about adolescence. Jon is offering further extended training at the same venue, starting in March 2009. For further details contact Jacqueline Wearns, administrator (www.gestaltcentre.co.uk) or Jon (life-changes@ntlworld.com).

BAM! Making Big Impact
Seventy-eight working school counselors recently attending a one-day workshop about BAM! (Boys Advocacy & Mentoring) at the Washington Association of School Counselors conference A workbook about BAM! is published by Routledge and available via www.bamgroups.com

Magic on Campus
Graduate students in Portland, Oregon at Lewis & Clark College just completed a course entitled "Expressive Arts Therapy" using both Windows to Our Children by Violet Oaklander and Windowframes by Peter Mortola. The students are in the graduate program in counseling. Peter reports, “One student, who looked to be somewhat skeptical at first, stated after the clay work: ‘This stuff is like magic.’”