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New Possibilities |
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Welcome to New Possibilities, a newsletter for the clients, colleagues, and friends of The Mandorla Center and The Mandorla Lodge and Retreat Center. During 2005, we were blessed to host an educational teacher’s retreat, a working retreat for a mental health practice, several spiritual retreats and women’s retreats, and several weekend getaways for couples. In addition, Carole Darnell, LPC has opened a new psychotherapy office for her clients at the retreat center in Jasper, GA. We look forward to the new possibilities that 2006 will bring. With Peace and Love! Carole and Patrick. |
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Welcome to Our Winter 2006 Issue! |
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Feminine Journey: A Women’s Growth Group |
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To add or remove your name from our mailing list or to contact us with questions, comments, and event or news items for our next issue, as well as articles for the Client’s Corner, please e-mail us at patrick@mandorlacenter.com or call us at 770-893-1108. If you know of someone who can benefit from this newsletter, please pass it along. All correspondence and information (including personal data such as email addresses, etc.) sent to us is kept completely confidential and is not shared with anyone outside The Mandorla Center. The editor reserves the right to make appropriate edits to submissions to ensure all information published stays within all ethical, legal, and professional standards, and is consistent with the positive and supportive spirit of The Mandorla Center. Carole Darnell, LPC, Clinical Director; Patrick Blessinger, MS, Educational Director. © Copyright 2006, The Mandorla Center. All rights Reserved. |
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Feature Article |
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The Feminine Journey is a group of caring women gathered to explore the concerns unique to women's experiences and issues. Members are free to suggest and select their own discussion topics. Contact Carole at 678-290-1337 to join or for more information. |
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Create The Life You Want Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. - Henry David Thoreau How many of us can honestly say that we are fully living the life we truly want to live—the life that we feel we are meant to live? We’re not so much talking about achieving the societal measures of success, e.g., possessions, money, etc, but instead we’re talking about how one achieves emotional and spiritual maturity; what is sometimes referred to as self-actualization, i.e., living out our full potentiality—that state of being that manifests peace, balance, wholeness, and happiness in our lives. The key difference between societal measures of success and emotional measures of success is that the former is primarily outward focused and the latter is primarily inward focused. And these inward focused qualities are the very qualities that psychological therapy is concerned to render. Know Thyself As we go through the socialization process, e.g., via the educational system, via our religious teachings, via our family upbringing, via our association with our own ethnic subcultures, etc, we begin to learn how to assimilate and survive in an often complex and challenging world. Although the socialization process is a natural and necessary process that allows us to function as ‘civilized’ human beings, the downside is that this same process can also tend to cover up the very core of our true and unique self. In the core of our being, after you strip away all the layers of the socialization process, each one of us has a unique and authentic self, with a unique personality, with a unique set of interests, with a unique set of skills, talents, and abilities, with a unique way to interpret the world around us, etc. This authentic self is who we really are, our true ‘inner voice’, our ‘true self’. But how does one ‘peel back the layers of the onion’, so to speak, to get to the core of our true selves? There are many tools and techniques one can use to help do this. One can begin by connecting with a competent and caring therapist or counselor to guide him/her through this process of creative self-discovery. It’s important to have a therapist to guide us along the way because as we begin to peel back the layers of ourselves, we will undoubtedly uncover aspects of ourselves that have been neglected over the years that may bring up emotions like anger, confusion, etc., as a result of issues we’ve never adequately dealt with, e.g., alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, social anxiety, psychological disorders, etc. Create a Vision for Your Life The first step is the recognize where you are at in your life, where you want to go, and then figure out how to get there. Remember, it’s not just the destination that’s important, it’s also the journey itself. One useful way to begin is to find a quiet place to get by yourself for an hour each day and use this personal time to reflect and meditate on what you would like your life to look like—visualize it in your mind’s eye and let your intuition (your inner voice) speak to you. What changes do you need to make in your life? What obstacles do you believe are in your way? You may even take it a step further by creating an actual picture or collage of pictures that depict you living the life you want to live—this is a form of creative visualization. Then share your discoveries in the safe and confidential setting of your therapist’s office. Begin Your Journey Now An ancient truth says that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Life is short so have the courage of life to take that first step. At first, you may find that you feel like you are not making much progress but if you continue on the journey, you will look back and be amazed at the progress you have made. The poet Rumi captured the essence of taking this first step in the following poem: The time has come… the time has come to break the chain of insecurity is broken into fragments. let hope adorn the door to your heart and do not invite in any words of doubts. crash the door and how long will you how long before while bliss awaits you. ~ Patrick Blessinger, Educational Director |
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If you are a mental health, educational, or religious/charitable organization and would like to announce a future event, send your submissions for possible publication in our next issue to patrick@mandorlacenter.com. Jung Society of Atlanta,, see http://www.jungatlanta.com/schedule.html Journey to Wholeness, see http://journeyintowholeness.org/events/events.shtm Psychological Personality Types, see http://typelogic.com/ |
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Upcoming Events and Interesting Sites |
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Important News |
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If you are a mental health practitioner, educational organization, religious/charitable organization or related organization and are interested in holding your next meeting in our beautiful lodge in the Appalachian mountains, contact carole@mandorlacenter.com or 678-290-1337 for more information. If you interested in joining one of our existing women’s growth groups or are interested in starting a new group, contact carole@mandorlacenter.com or 678-290-1337 for more information. The Mandorla Lodge and Retreat Center was blessed to be in a position to donate over $3,000 worth of services to deserving educational, therapeutic, and non-profit organizations in 2005—their way of giving back to the community they serve. |
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The Mandorla Center 1640 Powers Ferry Rd. Building 17, Suite 250 Marietta, GA 30067 678-290-1337 |
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The Mandorla Lodge and Retreat Center 610 Old Mill White Rd. Ext. Jasper, GA 30143 770-893-1108 |
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Client’s Corner |
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A Self-assured Woman Named Sabra Sabra, the look and the way she carries herself belies her age and the fact that she’s a grandmother. Her grandchildren call her ‘Grandma’ but that does not suit her look now. She has had a dramatic transformation. She’s hardly recognizable, as though she’s been on one of the TV makeover shows. She dresses for speaking in front of a large crowd of people. But regardless of what she wears, she looks like a model of what a mature woman should be. This is a dream of her’s – to be able to address large groups of women who are where she has been. She does not look like the person she was until about 1 year ago. That person no longer exists. She has changed into a beautiful, confident, articulate woman. She’s able to express her love for these women by assuring them that if she has changed, with the help of GOD, that they can too. She walks with purpose and has a very engaging smile. The way she speaks encourages others to believe that they are as capable as she is. She instills hope that they can change as dramatically as she did. When they next meet, she will have a hard time connecting the last picture taken with the women who are here today. She walks with a spring in her step, glad to be alive. She’s anxious to talk to as many of these women as possible, but with so many here, she asked for a written copy of each of their stories. When the meeting is over and the applause comes, she is very humble and says that she has only told her own story. It encourages them and makes each of them believe that change is possible for them too. She walks off stage and into the audience, shaking hands and hugging as many as possible. She’s always dreamed of this life. Making a beautiful difference in other hurting women’s lives. This is what gives meaning to her life. That and the relationships and times spent with her husband, children and especially her grandchildren. She is tired, extremely tired, but it’s a very satisfying feeling. When she puts her head down to sleep tonight, there’s a big smile of contentment on her face. She knows she is following GOD’s plan. - Sabra |
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You are helping me look at all the possibilities in my life. Your caring guidance and support is just what I need to make some changes in my life. - Individual Client |
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I'm very grateful to be a part of the group. It is such a lifeline now. You have a great quality of being able to make us see what we like about our inner selves. - Group Client |
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Stone artwork of bird... |
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Enjoying a peaceful moment in the Native-American medicine wheel... |
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The Mandorla set into stone... place... |