From the time I was born, and likely before that, I have been taking in information from available senses — it's just the human thing to do. But how did we as a species arrive at an adaptive information processing system, one that serves to keep us safer, more likely to survive? The answer to this question is a matter of much opinion. Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and others have always served me well, and they suggest that as we take in new information we integrate it with older observations; voilá! an adaptive information processing system.
Humans without the ability to integrate information in this way are left with points of trauma. And, integration takes time. A client shared this thought with me and I was left with a sense of just how important "time to be" was for the integration process. As a child he knew instinctively that the time he required for "being" was necessary, despite important people in his life steering him toward spending time accomplishing other goals. Whether we call this "time to be" mindfulness, meditation, or even just enjoying the view, it is a kind of catalyst that allows us to let in the new.
Once again, the monthly IE-CAMFT trainings/CEU opportunities are a catalyst that enhances the process. They build on the old, adding the new to the adaptive information system, each of us at our own rates of speed. I hope that all of you will take in the new, allowing yourself the gift of time to create a new you. I love being part of IE-CAMFT. I'm so glad to be a part of a bigger picture. It keeps me hopeful.
Warmly,
Paul Velen, MS, LMFT
