Using One's Profession to Reach People
Dear Harvey,
Thank you very much for your invitation to the Tokyo RC Conference. I am sorry to say I can't get the passport and visa on time (it will take two months to get the passport and visa in my city, so I cannot get them by the end of April). It's a pity for me. I lost a great opportunity to meet Asian RC people. I do wish to learn from them.
Also, thank you very much for the package of RC books you mailed to me. They are very helpful and useful. I sent some of them to my colleagues and students in "Sino-German Advanced Training Program of Psychological Counselling and Psychotherapy," which is a three-year program to train Chinese counsellors-school counsellors and social workers-in psychiatry. As a teacher, I have introduced to some participants some fundamental concepts of RC as one kind of humanistic counselling system.
Now I am in the process of planning a fundamentals RC class/listening group in my new work place, Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital, which is the largest hospital in the western part of Shenzhen City. There are more than one thousand out-patients every day, and two hundred inpatient beds (six hundred beds in the near future). I am the head of the division for psychologic counselling and medical psychology for the hospital. Shenzhen is a very attractive city undergoing rapid social change. As the nearest city to Hongkong, Shenzhen is also the most "westernized" city in mainland China. I am curious what changes have already happened or will happen to Chinese people under these social and economic situations. I have had many new experiences and challenges since I came here a few months ago. I like this city.
I have tried to have some RC sessions with my family members, close friends, and some clients. The first-hand experiences are very intense and stimulating. Sometimes I don't know how to handle the situation. Sometimes I don't know how to handle my own emotional situation (as a client) and how to deepen the feeling step by step. At that moment, the first thing that comes to mind is "hurry to escape." I deeply feel the lack of experience, especially for the family RC sessions (RC with family and children). One time I tried to have a session with my daughter, but it did not move smoothly. If you can give me some booklets about family RC or support me to attend some workshop in this area, it would be very helpful for me.
Thank you very much for your kindness and help.
Xiangyi Chen
Shenzhen,
China