Welcome Our New Board Member
March 2012 ImagiNews

Susan Gold

Susan Gold is a certified hypnotherapist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area.  One of her specialties is helping writers to overcome blocks, reconnect with their creativity, and develop discipline in their craft.  She is also an educator and works as a mindset coach helping teens utilize the power of their Imagination to achieve goals and develop the presence of mind necessary for confidence and success.

Susan has a master’s degree in Creative writing from San Diego State University and is a published poet and fiction writer. She has taught writing, literature, and mythology courses at high school and college levels.  Much of the curriculum that she has developed fosters self-exploration and creative expression.

You can learn more about Susan by visiting her website at http://www.susangold.net.

When asked why she joined the II Board, she replied: “When I attended the 2010 conference, I felt so lucky to have found an outstanding organization that would foster my continued growth as a healing arts professional.  I found the members to e warm, creative spirits with wide-ranging areas of expertise.  I eagerly joined the conference committee the following year and am deeply honored to to serve on the board.  My primary responsibility will be working under Jann’s [Fredrickson-Ramus Conference Chair] leadership to help plan the next conference.  I also hope to find other ways to contribute to help grow you community.”

See the 2012 roster of Board of Directors http://imageryinternational.org/about-us/board-of-directors/

Seven daily essential mental activities to optimize brain matter and create well-being byDaniel  J. Siegel, MD

• Focus Time When we closely focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way, we take on challenges that make deep connections in the brain.
• Play Time When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous or creative, playfully enjoying novel experiences, we help make new connections in the brain.
• Connecting Time When we connect with other people, ideally in person, and when we take time to appreciate our connection to the natural world around us, we activate and reinforce the brain’s relational circuitry.
• Physical Time When we move our bodies, aerobically if medically possible, we strengthen the brain in many ways.
• Time In When we quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, we help to better integrate the brain.
• Down Time When we are non-focused, without any specific goal, and let our mind wander or simply relax, we help the brain recharge.
• Sleep Time When we give the brain the rest it needs, we consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.

To see the rest of this information visit Dr. Siegel’s website

Mind over Matter: Patients Perception of Illness Makes a Difference

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2012) — Whenever we fall ill, there are many different factors that come together to influence the course of our illness. Additional medical conditions, stress levels, and social support all have an impact on our health and well-being, especially when we are ill. But a new report suggests that what you think about your illness matters just as much, if not more, in determining your health outcomes.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Journal Reference:

Keith Petrie and John Weinman. Patients’ Perceptions of Their Illness: The Dynamo of Volition in Health Care. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2012