RC Has Changed My Life
In 1975 I was a twenty-year-old university student from a Lebanese and Italian low-income working-class background, majoring in sociology and committed to progressive social activism. After making my first public speech on campus as an ally of women, a faculty person contacted me and invited me to her class in Re-evaluation Counseling. I was amazed to hear that someone was going to listen to me for an hour and that I would give equal listening time back.
I loved it. Emotional release came easily for me. At first it was mostly tears about the loss of my father when I was eight years old and connections with my family.
I became the local RC librarian. During breaks from school, I read all the RC literature that was published at that time. It made a great impression on me. Human liberation had to do not only with social activism but with freeing our minds from emotional distress to increase our effectiveness and recover our true selves.
I had been thinking about becoming a social worker and doing community organizing, but after many Co-Counseling sessions, I decided to move back to my old neighborhood, do working-class jobs, and organize from the grassroots using RC as a tool. I have never regretted that decision. I have made many connections with people, learned a lot, been a good influence, and together with an African American friend built a diverse RC Community. From this base, I have also reached out internationally as an ally to share Co-Counseling and build solidarity. RC has changed my life.
Los Angeles, California, USA
(Present Time 205, October 2021)