Dr. Peter Breggin and Ginger Breggin’s Empathic Therapy Conference in Syracuse was so inspiring! We were deeply touched by the stories of some of the survivors of Psychiatric abuse, and deeply grateful to hear of efforts in so many directions (legal, pediatric, parenting training) to support human beings in using natural resources (starting with 
empathy!) instead of medications to manage adult and childhood issues of of anxiety, depression, psychosis, and ADHD. I was horrified to learn that children as young as 3 years of age are given bi-polar diagnoses and meds and that prescribing meds for hyperactivity is the current norm regardless of the long term brain and body side effects. The Breggins’ will soon offer a DVD series of the major speakers so you can be similarly inspired. Dr. Bert Koren who was this year’s Empathic Tx Honoree and Dr. Breggin were among the completely compelling speakers… describing how they work effectively and compassionately with deeply disturbed people.
I was also delighted to meet Lisbeth Cooper Riis and learn about the Cooper Riis Healing Community (www.cooperriis.org) she and her husband, through grit and grace have developed. This is a healing center where people with mental distress can go and reconnect with nature, with purposeful community participation, with the simple pleasure of growing, preparing and sharing healthy organic food. In addition creative art, movement, body, emotion and imaginal therapies are used to help restore residents’ health and happiness.
