[humanser] New Member

[MARY CHAPPELL]

Dottie,
I welcome and applaud you. Any one of us, whether blind or otherwise, could
benefit from the infusion of positive psychology. To work from a perspective
of learned optimism, a prime factor in the practice of Positive Psychology,
lends to the resilience and heartiness necessary in the confrontation of
existence. One theory of mental health and well-being speaks to mental
health being assessed by one's ability to adapt to change. Blindness may be
construed as a "change" in a manner of doing or being. To allow the space to
acknowledge whatever feelings may be evoked while offering components that
may allow the acknowledgement of strength in   the same experience is what I
am imagining in your group offering. I planned a pursuit toward the Master's
program in Positive Psychology at University of Pennsylvania just prior to
beginning my doctorate. I hit a snafu with the GRE accommodations and was to
impatient to await resolution. The late Dr. Betsey Z. of NFB heritage, the
first director of the Jernnigan Institute,  first introduced me to the
approach and I am forever in her debt. 
Wishing you the best in your endeavors and looking forward to the rich
exchange and learning we will have with you. Welcome.
Genuinely,
Mary Tatum Chappell, Psy.D.
-----Original Message-----
From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dorothea
Martin
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 4:39 PM
To: humanser at nfbnet.org
Subject: [humanser] New Member

Hello to All,
I have just joined this list and would like to introduce myself. |I am an
American studying Positive Psychotherapy, a new branch of psychotherapy
known mainly in Europe and Asia, in Kosovo. I am in my last semester of
classwork for a Master's degree in this field. I am blind and look forward
to sharing ideas and thoughts with other human services workers. Beginning
in September I will be facilitating a psychotherapy and mental health
maintenance group for teenaged students at the Kosovo school for the blind
and helping them start a music program to prepare students to enter the
music program at the university in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. I am 62
years old anhd in my day the schools for the blind gave no attention to
teaching us how to maintain our mental health. I believe that this lack has
actually led to many blind people dying well before their time. I want to
specialize in helping blind and disabled people to maintain or restore
mental health. I very much look forward to sharing ideas with all of you.
Dotty Martin

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