Learning Better Than Shopping?

I just came back from the 23rd Annual SPI Counselor’s Institute on South Padre Island, Texas. The event was put together by the hard work of the Tip of Texas Counseling Association, a great group of counselors from the Brownsville area. While I was at the conference sessions and presenting; my wife and daughter enjoyed some time shopping on the Island and nearby Port Isabel. Personally I felt I had the better time learning from the various presenters.

Some of the topics I enjoyed the most were learning strategies for dealing with anger; understanding the emotional needs of millennials, and re-wiring the addicts brain which looked at neuroplasticity. I was also glad to sit in again on a creative vision journaling session conducted by a dear friend Dr. Marsha Nelson. If you get the chance to attend one of her sessions they are life inspiring. I was also glad to see a former Counseling program classmate and friend, Rosa Linda Cruz and picked up a copy of her children’s book, My Favorite Bubbles. I have a hyperlink on her title if you are interested in purchasing it. I plan on using that book with younger clients in my counseling work.

Usually after a conference I do a post about a favorite session I attended. This time I want to focus in on the session I did twice. The session was “Bibliotherapy Tips From Mr. Bookhead”. I appreciated the Counselors who attended it and brought to the discussion their insights. I usually do not like being a talking head for a whole hour so I try to draw out thoughts from others so we can all learn from each other. That came to pass at this conference as many were open to sharing their thoughts.

I take the definition from the American Library Association “The use of selected reading materials as therapeutic adjuvants, (enhancer of treatment), in medicine and psychiatry; also guidance in the solution of personal problems through directed reading. (AHIL Quarterly, Summer 1966, p. 18.From http://www.ala.org/tools/bibliotherapy). I emphasized that it is not a miracle cure but it is another tool that counselors can use in serving their clients. This tool can help clients gain insights into their particular problem area. This tool can also promote communication between the client and counselor concerning their problems so as to move to solutions.

We discussed the various types of literature to use Fiction books, non- fiction books, Magazine articles, Chapters in books, Poems and Song lyrics. Some of the book titles attendees suggested were: “When God Winks” by Squire Rushnell, “The Outsiders” by S.E Hinton, “7 Habits of Happy Kids” by Sean Covey, “Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes” by Eric Litwin, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” by Aesop, “The Bible”, and “Dynamic Catholic” by Matthew Kelly. They all provided a wide variety of meaningful books. Of course here I need to mention my book, Living More Than OK, as the purpose I wrote it was for personal self-growth of individuals on their life journey. It can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

I also looked at songs by having them discuss through the song “Story of Your Life” by Matthew West and discussed a poem from off the website https://www.poemhunter.com/poems/change/page-1/24402/. Poem hunter is an excellent poetry website to gather poems from various topics. I wrapped up the session also discussing how counselors can use movies and videos for self-growth and overcoming problems. Some of the meaningful movies they shared where: Angry Birds (2016), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Good Will Hunting (1997), and Finding Nemo (2003).

So I will let the reader decide what is more fun learning or shopping? For me when it comes to conferences learning is always more fun.

Reflection: Think through what is a book that has had special impact on your life? Think over the movies you have seen what is one that has had special impact on your life?

Enjoying Nature on South Padre Island

At the beginning of February my family went with me to the 2015 South Padre Islands Counselors Institute. It was organized by the Tip of Texas Counseling Association of Brownsville, Texas. When we lived in Brownsville I regularly attended most of the years. It was a privilege to be able to present again there as well as to learn from other presenters.

On the last day I left the conference early as my wife and daughter wanted to visit a couple of nature activities on the Island before traveling back to New Braunfels, Texas. The first place we visited was Sea Turtle Inc. The purpose of this group is stated on their website as “to aid in the protection and recovery of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle.” The workers and volunteers are very knowledgeable about sea turtles. They had a number of turtles in tanks that they had rescued and that were being medically cared for until releasing them back into the waters. They had educational information for all ages. Turtles as you watch them come across as very Zen like. As they float through the water they have a peaceful look about them as if they are meditating about life. On their website they mention they offer internships to biology majors so they can learn and study about sea turtles. In talking with the workers there it was easy to see their passion for turtles. Sea Turtle Inc. would make a nice family learning activity or a learning experience for all ages.

We then moved next to the South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center that was nearby. The SPI Birding Center is also educational, as well as a peaceful way to enjoy the natural beauty of South Padre Island. From their website here are some aspects of their facility: Over 3300 linear feet of boardwalk, 5 Bird Blinds, A five story tower with spectacular views of Laguna Madre, Beaches & dunes of South Padre Island, the Gulf of Mexico, & the South Padre Island Skyline , Auditorium showing a short Richard Moore documentary movie about the wildlife of South Padre Island , Nature Gift Shop.
We took our time strolling the boardwalk to view the various birds and even a few alligators. There were a number of photographers who by the look of their equipment were very passionate about their hobby of photography as well as their interest in birding. This visit we were up against the clock as we needed to make a long drive home. They enjoyment of the birds, the sun reflecting off the water, and the views from the tower made us realize the next visit to the Rio Grande Valley would include another stop here.

South Padre is a beautiful relaxing get away spot. Nature centers are one way to enjoy the magnificence of creation. If you are ever visiting SPI make sure you take in the Sea Turtle Inc. and the South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center. Look into Nature Centers and parks in your state and local vicinity for enjoyable relaxing days with family and or friends. Nature Centers can be a break from the same old going to see a movie or simply staying stuck at home and playing with electronic gadgets. Taking time to visit those two spots brought added value to our visit to South Padre Island.

Reflection: Do a search on Nature Centers and Parks in your local vicinity. Plan a day picnic trip to a park of your choosing.