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Hello, everyone. I hope you all have been well. How are you managing the cold weather these days (if you’re living in a cold place)? I sometimes wear a beanie, gloves, and two pairs of socks as my house is freezing! When I am in my practice space, even though the heater is on, I feel cold so I sometimes move and raise the body temperature. In this newsletter, I will update you about my research project and talk about my definition of happiness.
Research – A Long-Term Project
The first phase of my research project nearly came to an end; I was so lucky to have 3-month-research mentoring sessions with Dr. Caroline Frizell, a senior dance movement psychotherapist/researcher. This has been an enriching experience and I never had thought that I would start understanding what research was about.
My research theme is;
A study investigating the embodied experience of foster/adoptive parents in building attachment with children who have experienced preverbal trauma.
While deciding on a methodology and the direction of my research, I focused on writing a literature review for the past month. I read some case studies that have made tremendous impacts on me – it felt like being re-traumatised by some of the stories. This led me to realise possible bodily impacts on practitioners when working with people with a trauma history. I often had to move to process these. As I plan to interview 6 foster/adoptive parents in September and October 2024, I decided to create a somatic body map to mitigate possible vicarious trauma.
Practitioners, I am looking for foster or/and adoptive parents who meet the criteria of the research. If you know (of) any parents who might be interested in participating in this research, please share the details with them. After interviewing the parents, I will gather and summarise my findings. Please note that I plan to call for a focus group for creative arts psychotherapists, psychotherapists/counsellor, and other professionals to hear about my findings and think about how these can be utilised for your practice. This is scheduled in 2025.
Practice
I have been sitting with fear and relief around my practice situation. As I practice privately at the moment, I notice I can get anxious about the fluctuations of my caseloads. Simultaneously, I feel relieved with the fact that I have more time for my children. This is a conflicting fact for me. I have been thinking of finding a job after I finished with the clinic while being mindful of my commitment to the research project and training. So, I have been putting that on hold.
But there is another reason for me to stop myself from finding one more job. When I was little, I remember that I used to stay at home all by myself (from the age of 8), waiting for my parents to come home. It was a lonely time for me (I do not have siblings!). I still remember this experience. I remember that I used to make a small cozy cubby house in front of the heater and stayed there until one of the parents came home. At the moment, I can pick up my children from school/kindy a few days a week. When I sit down with them for snacks at 4pm, and ask about the day, I feel quite fulfilled and happy with the fact that I can do this now. I find happiness in such a little thing. As the kids grow older, I am sure I have more time for myself and can do what I want. And indeed, I have been doing pretty much of what I want even now. So, this is the way I think about my happiness (and wellbeing) right now.
Thank you for reading the newsletter. I hope you find happiness in your way too.
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