Evie Preston, LCSW

Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy

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Mindfulness Training at Willingway Hospital

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Mindfulness Training | Willingway Hospital
Willingway Hospital

On June 28th 2013, I had a wonderful experience teaching meditation, mindfulness and relaxation practices to clinicians at Willingway Hospital, a treatment facility for alcoholism and addiction in  Statesboro, Georgia. The training was also open to addiction councelors from other nearby facilities.

This amazing group, most of whom were new to meditaion and mindfulness practice, participated fully in this interactive and multidimentional training. We had an incredible day of experimenting with short meditation practices and contemplative exercises as well as restorative yoga practice in the afternoon. Everyone took this opportunity to “stretch” their comfort level inorder to gain new ways of working with the mind, training the mind and relaxing the mind and body. Here are statements from two of the participants;

” I attended the training with Evie on June 28th at Willingway. When I think of meditation, I think of sitting on the floor with my legs crossed saying a mantra. But when I got to the training, it was something totally different. It opened my mind up to different types of meditation that I can use as a Recreation Therapist with the patients that I work with. The different types of meditation will allow me the opportunity to show the patients that there are healthy ways to deal with stress without looking for an instant gratification from alcohol and drugs. I will also apply the different techniques to my personal life as well.”

-LaShawn Napier, CTRS

“I’ve always thought that meditation was about ‘checking-out’ mentally. One of the things that Evie taught me is that it is actually more about getting in touch with myself, with my thoughts and feelings, and embracing them.  My group was asked to participate in a 10 minute meditation and my initial thought was, “there is no way I will be able to do this!”  To my surprise, 10 minutes passed and felt like only a few. WOW! Unbelievable! I am grateful for Evie’s training; I have been able to practice it on a daily basis and show those that I work with new techniques for relaxation. Thank you, Evie!”

-Eleanor Dunn

 

 

Being An Interventionist In The Hudson Valley

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Part One: The Pre-Intervention

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Before moving to Woodstock, NY, I was an interventionist in New York City. After training at the Arms Acres outpatient clinic, I worked in conjunction with Dr. Jacob Sperber, an addiction specialist, and together we helped addicts and their families discover lasting recovery. After witnessing the plethora of substance abuse in my practice in NYC and when I decided to move upstate, I imagined it might be less so as an interventionist in the Hudson Valley. It’s almost ironic that in Woodstock, NY I’m doing about the same amount of interventions that I did in the city.

The destructive force of addiction is universal in its patterns and dynamics whether in the city or the country. However, having worked with so many clientele over the years it is important to understand the unique configuration of issues that each intervention presents.

Considering that every family system is different, it’s important for me to identify who the key “co-addicts” are. Meaning that some family members and or friends will be enabling the addict in more dramatic ways than others will be. Usually these family members or friends don’t even recognize their role in the addiction. These members need to be immediately educated and supported in understanding their contribution to the family disease of addiction. The so called “silent” members also need to understand that they too are contributing to the systemic crisis. This family/group work is the “pre-intervention” part of the intervention.

Once each member of the group comprehends the role they are playing, behaviors can begin to change. The group can then shift from being co-dependent to being pro-active and truly ready to participate in the intervention. The members will be ready to talk directly to the addict about how the addict’s behavior has affected them and how they feel. They will be able to do this without shaming or verbally attacking the addict and will be talking in the spirit of support and compassion.

 

Facing Fear

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We have all felt a great deal of fear and uncertainty these past few weeks from the explosion in West, Texas to the bombings in Boston and most recently, to the horror of the factory collapse in Bangladesh.  These tragedies remind us of the preciousness of our human life and how quickly everything can change. We feel helpless, angry and confused about what to do.

As I struggled with these feelings, I turned to my meditation practice to stay present with myself and “rest” in these uncomfortable feelings and thoughts. I noticed when I wanted to “fly off the handle” with my story lines and practiced returning to the breath and just being with the sense of sorrow and grief that came up for me.

I also did something else. I “showed up” for my storytelling piece I was scheduled to perform. I walked up to the mic and faced my fear, performed my story and celebrated life. Through this offering, I connected to others and embraced the beauty of our shared humanity. Celebrating life, reaching out to help others and practicing compassion has helped me through this difficult time.

 

Welcome To My Blog

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Welcome and thank-you for exploring my website. I will be blogging periodically about how we experience and work with current events, personal and interpersonal issues and everyday occurances that strike us in exceptional ways. Stay tuned for my first entry.