This year we are receiving a very painful lesson about the power water – first, the tsunami in Japan and now more recently, in areas of Vermont which have experienced record-breaking flooding because of Hurricane Irene. The power of water lies in its fluidity, which allows it to go around anything it encounters. With few…
Disasters can bring out the best in people or the worst in people. Here in Vermont there is already a great community effort going on to rebuild homes, roads, bridges and businesses that were destroyed by the floods caused by Hurricane Irene. I recently heard that in Japan, about $78 million dollars in cash was…
Make Effort, Not Outcomes, Your Focus by Gregg Krech Whenever we’re facing a challenging situation, one of the wisest things we can do is take a few minutes to distinguish between what’s controllable and what isn’t controllable. This is one of the key elements of psychiatrist Shoma Morita’s work and it’s an example of how…
Where East Meets West: Morita Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) By Dr. Richard Blonna Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), is a “third-generation” form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) that became prominent in the Western psychotherapeutic community in the early 2000’s in America (Hayes, 2004, 2005). In many ways, ACT is remarkably similar in…
“Purpose-mindedness helps mood-governed clients to pay more attention to their action and the environment, instead of incessantly dwelling on feelings.” — F. Ishu Ishiyama, Ph.D. In Vermont we have a fifth season called “Mud Season.” It happens between early March and late April when the ground thaws and the snow melts. The fast-melting snow,…
The Japanese Psychology of Action: Morita Therapy by Gregg Krech When I was 22 years old I moved into a freshly painted one bedroom apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. It was my first “solo” experience – no roommates, no dog, no parents, no siblings. I could leave my dirty socks on the dining room table and…
By Mary Michelfelder Pay attention! These words echo through homes and classrooms across the country. Adults are constantly reminding children to pay attention. But what does it really mean to pay attention? Gregg Krech, of the ToDo Institute, teaches that attention is a skill. For me, as a professional school counselor, I’ve found this concept…
Arugamama: The Challenge of Acceptance by Gregg Krech Morita Therapy is sometimes referred to as the “Psychology of Action” and most people use it as a tool for getting things done. But there is a less obvious, and especially profound side to Morita therapy that addresses a very different issue—the difficulty many of us have…