A heart felt thank you, HAMFT, for your kindness in awarding me the Warm Hearth Scholarship to attend the 50th Annual Symposium on Family Theory and Family Psychotherapy held on November 1-2 , 2013. The event took place at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Arlington, Virginia. The experience was one of a kind and helped me understand the work being done by researchers using Bowen Theory as they find ways to improve the health and healing for individuals with behavior and relationship issues.
We left Houston on October 31st and reached our destination safely. Finding the beautiful mansion-like home of the gracious Bowen Center supporter was a bit challenging. Once in, we realized that there was a warm welcome awaiting us. After a short reception we left to prepare for the next busy day.
We had a full day with five speakers. The sessions were followed by a panel discussion which lasted about thirty minutes and help us understand their perspectives. Daniel V. Papero , PHD, MSSW focused on "Psychological Symbiosis Revisited." This research inspired by the the publication of Dr. Bowen's annual reports at the National Institute of Mental Health and "would review this idea in his earliest writings and discuss its relevance to current thinking and clinical practice."
Ann S. Mcknight's recent research focused on " the examination of gene X environment which examines how the environment, especially the social environment, has an epigenetic influence on the development of the child and examined through the lens of Bowen's concept of the family projection process and the formation of differentiation of self in the child."
There were other researchers working with the Bowen theory from various fields, such a psychologists, social worker, and others researching from the spiritual aspect of the same lens with positive outcomes. We had eight speakers the next day with a similar format of the previous day.
The celebration of this special event took place Friday evening. Many friends and supporters shared their personal experiences with Dr. Bowen and other colleagues of his era. They helped us understand the humor and leisurely aspect of their experiences during their relaxation and recreational time together, along with the passion of their research.
This was a wonderful event. The experience was unique and one which I will not easily forget. I am eternally grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
Beulah Moses RN, LMFT-A
Beulah began her career as a nurse and has several years of practice in numerous nursing practice settings. She is currently practicing as a nurse as well as offering counseling in a private setting. Her passion is building healthy lifestyles for individuals, couples, and families by improving, repairing, and supporting interpersonal relationships.
