TigerNews | FHE News

From FHE Executive Director Jane Hansberry Dear Colleagues,

We are here to support the teachers, students, researchers and community organizers who are bringing the work of Somatic Experiencing to the greater world. Speaking of the greater world, if you’ve visited the FHE website lately, www.traumahealing.com, you’ll see that the website is translated into 6 other languages, using the Alta Vista program.

Our job as the administrative staff is to work closely with all of you in incubating new ideas, new markets for our trainings, and new ideas for how to use this work. We are right now working with a private sector partner to consider the use of interactive media for dissemination of Somatic Experiencing®. The administrative staff helped conduct the FHE Faculty Retreat in early February in San Diego. There, led by FHE Training and Education Director Kathy Kain, the FHE Faculty deliberated on a number of critical issues relevant to the ways in which our trainings are organized and supported.

FHE administrative staff is working to support the work of Dr. Laurie Leitch, FHE Research Director. Dr. Leitch is in the midst of creating the first phase of a multi-phase research project working with Afghan and Iraq veterans. There is a service component to this work, in that the veterans involved in this project will be given access to pro bono and reduced fee SE sessions with SEPs in the regions in which the research will take place.

We continue to evaluate and explore our opportunities for outreach in this country and outside of this country. As an example of how SEPs are using their skills in their own community, see the story “Start Where You Are” in this edition of Tiger News. It’s a terrific story of how we can impact our own backyards in our work. Our long-term vision for outreach is evolving. Let me share our thinking so far. We believe that in order for the Foundation to do effective outreach we will need sustainable long term funding in place. We also believe that there are opportunities for us to join our energies with other alternative healing organizations and disciplines in order to be more effective. Thank you to all of you who have called, emailed me, and shared your ideas and passions for how our outreach program can proceed. I am grateful for your generosity of time and spirit.

Finally, I invite you to stay tuned with me as we look forward to the First Annual Somatic Experiencing® Conference, October 24-26, 2007. Our Somatic Experiencing Conference will bring together leading thinkers and practitioners in trauma healing. Dr. Levine will present the opening key note address. The Foundation is honored to announce that Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Stephen Porges, Pia Mellody, RN, LISAC, and Dr. Robert Scaer and many others will be presenting at the conference. A conference highlight will be a panel discussion among Drs. Levine, van der Kolk, Scaer and Porges. The dialogue among these leading trauma healing pioneers promises to be lively and provocative.

And on the lighter side…. Join us at the conference on Thursday, October 25th, 2007, from 7-10 p.m. for an evening of comedy and cheer featuring comic John Heffron. Heffron is a rising star in American comedy, winner of the 2005 “Last Comic Standing” NBC series. Heffron hails from Detroit and started his comedy career as a student at Eastern Michigan University, performing at the Main Street Comedy Showcase located on the University of Michigan campus. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Foundation’s scholarship and research funds.

With all best wishes,