Westside Notes

“It takes a lot of courage
to show your dreams to someone else.”
— Erma Bombeck

Welcome to the Autumn issue of Westside Notes. While spending a few days with family and friends back in Philadelphia, I had the chance to take in the crisp Fall weather and walk on the fallen leaves. Because I grew up back there, it felt so familiar, yet it’s been 23 years since I packed up my 1980 Toyota Celica and drove across country to begin a new chapter of my life here in Southern California. Although I miss aspects of the east coast, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue my California Dreamin’.

My Recent Journey:
The Bridge to Recovery, Santa Barbara

After my July visit to The Bridge in Bowling Green, Kentucky, something touched me in a way I didn’t anticipate. Because they focus on trauma, codependency and process addictions, I felt an automatic kinship with their mission, but I never expected to find myself on a Santa Barbara ranch for the first two weeks of October. When my colleague, John Stenzel, executive director of The Bridge, gently suggested I consider attending their two-week program at their brand-new location, I mulled it over a bit but somehow knew it felt right. Fast forward to October, and there I was—participating as a client up at The Bridge.

I was deeply touched by the work and feel grateful that I followed my instincts and treated myself to this healing and rejuvenating process. As I further metabolize the experience, I’ll be happy to share more details with you, and most of all, it’s a fantastic resource to benefit Southern California for a long time to come.

The Evolution of Addiction Treatment
December 8-11, 2011
Westin Hotel at LAX

On Friday December 9th at 11am, I’ll be presenting a 90-minute workshop entitled “It’s Not About the Sex: The Paradox of Sexual Addiction” at this Los Angeles conference, and here is an excerpt describing the weekend event: We provide a forum that encourages professional dialogues of controversial issues, showcases innovative and creative treatment approaches, and offers an overview of the field and its future. I’d love to see you there if your schedule allows. For more information, visit www.theevolutionofaddictiontreatment.com.

Conference in Review:
GPALA Annual Conference 2011

In September the Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles hosted its annual conference, and it was a very intimate and rich experience for all. Dr. Richard Billow, a leader in the group therapy world, facilitated the event, and he set the tone for the 2-day experiential conference. If you haven’t attended GPALA’s events in the past, I highly recommend that you consider learning more about us. Once again I left the conference with a renewed experience of the intricacies of what it takes to be an effective group therapist as well as a renewed appreciation for the courage it takes to show up as a client in group. For more information, please visit www.gpala.org or contact me directly.

If you prefer not to receive future mailings, simply unsubscribe below and I look forward to connecting in other ways. In the meantime, take good care and I hope to cross paths sometime soon.

Gratefully,

Andrew

Autumn 2011

In This Issue:

My Recent Journey

The Evolution of Addiction Treatment

Conference in Review:
GPALA Annual Conference 2011

About Andrew Susskind

Andrew Susskind, MSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Certified Group Psychotherapist and Life Transition Coach who brings more than 20 years of experience to his work.

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