“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”
                                                     — Rumi

Welcome to the Spring edition of Westside Notes. Here on the Westside of Los Angeles Spring tends to be a bit overcast at times — May Gray and June Gloom we call it. Because our seasons tend to be so subtle I thoroughly enjoy the clouds and fog as a distant reminder of my former life on the other coast.

Therapy Group Now Forming

I’m very excited to announce the formation of a brand-new Westside therapy group (general process group for men & women). It will be meeting on Mondays from 6-7:30pm in my Westside office, and I’m now setting up consultations for anyone who may be interested. It’s intended for clients who already have individual therapy experience under their belt and are looking for the therapeutic support and feedback available in a group setting. For more details, please contact me at 310.281.8681 or andrew@westsidetherapist.com.

Resource of the Month:
InsightLA

If you live near the Westside of Los Angeles, please check out InsightLA, a meditation center located in Santa Monica (www.insightla.org). Recently, I completed an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) workshop developed from the research of Jon Kabat-Zinn. Not only did I have the first-hand opportunity to fully understand and experience mindfulness, but now I have a valuable practice for myself as well as tools to offer my clients. The workshop was co-facilitated by Trudy Goodman, founder of the center and Christiane Wolf. InsightLA also offers a diverse selection of groups, classes, workshops and retreats in a very safe, supportive space.

Group Therapy Conference in Review

In February I attended the first half of the six-day 2010 American Group Psychotherapy Association conference in San Diego and left the experience knowing that I’ll try to attend it annually. The first day’s topic was entitled Addiction as an Attachment Disorder which aligns with my lens on working with addictions. During the second and third day I participated in an all-day group therapy experience with a master group therapist and experienced the challenges and victories of being in a group—a palpable reminder how my group members experience the process.

Office Space Available in Encino Suite

• Therapist-friendly building (Ventura & Woodley)
• P/T space in windowed and interior offices.
• Floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Encino hills.
• Very good soundproofing.
• Call light system, separate exit.
• Bottled water, microwave, refrigerator.

Spring 2010

In This Issue:

• Therapy Group Now Forming
• Resource of the Month: InsightLA
• Group Therapy Conference in Review
• Office Space Available in Encino Suite