Who's the Fat on Me?

For those of you in Budapest or who have friends here.
 
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA LCS16233), Dr. Ryan James set out to create the “Who’s the Fat on Me?” Group Therapy program, which he initiated in California in 1997. From the start, the group had more applicants than the availability to accommodate them in a group setting. This was because people astutely realized that dieting alone was not going to sustain weight loss.

He successfully ran these groups until 1999 when he had to focus all of his time and attention on a doctoral dissertation. He has been in Hungary since 2001 and has wanted to bring the program to the English speaking community here and finally feels this is the right time to do so.

Two groups will commence in September, but are limited to 9 participants in each session. Go to www.renovationofalife.com and look for “Who’s the Fat on Me?”  in the left hand menu.

Pin It Now!

Grand Announcement - My Future Plans

I have been contemplating this for some time, but recent circumstances and an adjustment of time have allowed me to put this renewed plan into action. I have decided that since I have continued to maintain my Clinical Social Worker license, I should extend the ways in which I have used it or not used it since leaving California. 

As a clinical social worker, I am a licensed mental health practitioner (California license LCS 16233). This has enabled me to provide mental health therapy to individuals, couples, and groups. I had a successful private practice in California for a number of years where I had clients of all types and combinations. 

If you are interested in my other professional credentials, they are on my curriculum vitae, which is on my life coaching and mental health website Renovation of a Life.

For a number of years, in addition to having been a therapist, I extended my skills to life coaching when the client did not need therapy, but still needed guidance. My life coaching career had not ended when we left the United States, as life coaching can be accomplished through e-mail, phone calls or in person. However, due to initially adjusting to a new culture, followed by initiating a variety of other pursuits in addition to teaching university full time, I had not advertised beyond word of mouth, keeping my practice minimal. 

At this point in time, I am able to make a commitment to creating a limited practice for up to five therapy clients a week in addition to a maximum of eight life coaching clients. There may be some flexibility for balancing these numbers, but since I continue to be a full time university instructor, I have to balance my time as well.

For those living in Budapest, I will be able to provide face to face mental health therapy at an office located in the First Site Business Center at Kossuth Lajos utca 7, district V, Budapest. Further information is available on my website Renovation of a Life. Mental health clients must be adults. Although I have worked with children in the past, it is not an area of expertise.

If you feel that you may benefit from life coaching, it is something I can provide regardless of where you are living: here in Budapest or anywhere else in the world. In this age of technology, my life coaching is readily available to you without limitations. If you are in Budapest, we can meet face to face in the First Site Business Center office if you so choose.

For more information, visit my website  Renovation of a Life where you will find free assessment forms and brochures that explain more about the process of life coaching.
 
Because this blog reaches readers of all types: those just interested, ex-pats, armchair travelers, and others who happen to come upon it by accident, it is with this in mind that this is a resource that reaches out to you regardless of your life transitions or where you call home. 

Nationality is of no importance as long as you, the potential client is comfortable communicating in English.

Related articles

• Can Everyone Benefit From Therapy?

Pin It Now!

The First Day and They are After Me

Today was the first day of school. Yipee! Summer is officially over as holidays go. There are only 45 days until fall break, but who is counting? I am. I am feeling overwhelmed and each time some American university instructor tells me "Full-time in the US would be three classes" I feel even worse. No, not worse enough to return to the US, but then again, I would never get a position here. 

Today, I had five classes in a row. This is mostly my fault since I create my own schedule, but I do it this way to have long weekends; weekends are 5 days long. I only teach 2 very brutal days a week. Tuesday is five classes and Wednesday is four. This doesn't mean I sit around eating Bon-Bons the rest of the time. There are tons of papers to read, students to advise for their thesis, student problems to solve and so on. 

This semester it is not nearly as bad as it could be. I decided to teach 2 classes online. Today was the orientation for one and the other will be tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, when I would generally be teaching Academic Writing, I have a Fulbright student to do that for me this semester. After I do the initial class tomorrow, she will take over for the rest of the semester. 

Here is where they are after me though. I have been e-mail chased after by another college. They want me to come teach there too. After exchanging a couple of e-mails. I said I would meet with them at least. They are going to have to make a really appealing offer, but they have aroused my curiosity. 

What I really want to do is start up my private practice once again. I maintain my CA clinical license and have done some life coaching. This is where it is at. I need a professional change of pace to balance my life out. I have the office ready to go. Now I just need to start the marketing.

Related articles

• Record Number of Fulbright Students Choose Montclair State University
• The Literary Writer's Guide to Getting a Fulbright Fellowship
• Is my reason for doing a Fulbright ETA here good?

Pin It Now!

7 Degrees of Separation

I went to my therapist today, continuing my back therapy, though I have not had problems. Now it is more preventative than healing. I offered to correct the English on his web site when he asked me about my book. I went to the Frommer's site to show him and clicked on their bookstore. Low and behold, my book was listed. I had no idea. It is slated for April 21st release.

We then started chatting about his clients. He mentioned he had three American clients while I was on vacation, so I asked how they found him. He said Craig's List. I only heard the name, but knew nothing more about it.

When I came home, I Googleed it and found they have a Hungary page. I immediately signed up to post an ad for our B and B. After submitting the post, I was looking at their list of categories spotting one called "Writers". When I clicked on it there was one ad. An online magazine was looking for a travel writer to write an article on Budapest. After looking over their site, I decided to send my C.V. and the samples they asked for. Within minutes, I received a response saying I was exactly what they were looking for and they asked if I wanted the job.

They only need 2,000 words and it is an update of their article from a couple of years ago. I could write this in hours, not months like the book took. It is easy money. I accepted and they are sending me a contract.

Maybe those silly e-mails that threaten you to send it on to 10 friends and make a wish are not so silly after all. Being superstitious about not sending them, I have been guilty of clogging friends' e-mail boxes with them all the time saying I want to be a travel writer.

Pin It Now!

The Chiropractor

After thirty minutes and 8,000 Huf later, I left the chiropractor's office. I have had years of experience with chiropractors in the past, so this method of health care was not new to me. I was interested to see what differences a chiropractor who is American would have working in Hungary. He is an older man and this was surprising since I thought I had seen his picture in ads where he appeared much younger. The office itself is three rooms in the basement of an apartment building. The male receptionist had me fill out a simple form, in English. Then the doctor's assistant took me into a small room where he questioned my reason for the visit. Back in the waiting room, I was called in to see the doctor after about five minutes. He asked if I had x-rays with me. No, where would I have them from? He checked my back and buttocks and said there were three layers of triangular muscles in that area and all three were swollen. This could have been caused by any number of things, including sleeping in the wrong position. After he did some 'therapy' with two different machines, I left that office with more information than I could process, but some of it was old knowledge. One should only sleep on one's back with the knees propped up and one should only swim the back stroke to keep the spine in correct alignment. My parents were chastised for not knowing this information and ruining my back health all of these years. The assistant took me to the original room for 'physical therapy' with yet another electric machine and I was told to come back with a certain tape to aid my problems with my feet. The range of motion has improved, but still not normal and not without pain.

Pin It Now!