Monday, June 21, 2010

Mentioned in an Article

Compassion is the bases of the Healing Circle Improv Group at Benedictine Hospital in Kingston.
Founded 14 years ago by Barbara Sarah as an extension of the hospital's oncology unit, the group consists of a handful of women, all cancer survivors, who meet twice a month to visit patients in the hospital or their home. Although they don't act out scenes in a traditional theater sense. Barbara Sarah said, they improvise their reaction to the stories of the patients and include them in the activity.
For West Hurley resident Barbara Kalleberg, the group decided to form a circle around her in the hospital waiting room and sing a song about hope. Kalleberg had been sitting vigil at the bedside of her now late husband, Kal who was a cancer patient in the hospital, and the groups support was exactly what she needed at the time.
They were very kind and supportive and they had good advice, loving touches and kind words. It was very uplifting for me at that point in my life with so much going on. It put the focus on me for a little while. she said.
Healing Circle member PHYLLIS HAGOPIAN of Kingston said intuition plays a large part in what transpires between the group and other individuals.
A male patient was in so much pain during one of their visits he couldn't bring himself to even hold her hand. I started talking to him a little bit and said, "What is on your mind, Pete? BASEBALL? and he just lit right up like a light bulb. He started talking about baseball like he was right there, and all of a sudden we started singing "TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME. It was such an improv thing that it blew our own minds, and he started singing with us and came out of the total depression that he was in that caused him pain."HAGOPIAN said. " When you bring someone into their center and are uplifted, it's a total transference- you feel the same way. (This was highlighted in a box on the page.) also.


Link to full article here:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100530/LIFE08/5300305/Theater-helps-heal

Stephanie Fagnani
freelance writer
Poughkeepsie Journal
and newsletter editor in Dutchess County.
stagnani@optonline.net

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Quote

ASPIRE TO INSPIRE BEFORE YOU EXPIRE.