When jokes aren't funny

A promise: lots of links and news in this post, as I have been trying to catch up with myself for so long. No more excuses!

 Collage and pastel drawing: 'What's your next life?'

This is a collage I made in our peer supervision group on starting my QUT Masters in Social Work course at the beginning of the year.  (The course director in the webpage video is my current lecturer for my summer course in Political Economy and Policy Making). It seems like a long time ago, but as usual, time goes fast when you are busy and yes, some of it was even fun. I LOVED my placement for example, as I have written in previous posts. 

 2 collages on parental attachment and ACT, based on Russian dolls - words may be illegible, sorry!

But back to the now, or at least the recent past. Since I last wrote here. I have been away interstate twice in a week, and have only just started feeling normal again, as it was surprisingly tiring (going to Sydney for THE DAY being the most ridiculous idea I have had for a while - 4am sucks, period). However, the Melbourne trip in particular was a great success, and our presentation about our therapy model at Silky Oaks Children's Haven to the national Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) conference went very well, with a lot of positive feedback from participants. It was almost worth the prior anxiety. 

And the unhelpful thoughts, that this would not be good enough, that we needed more evidence, that it wasn't ACT-enough, well I have thanked my mind many times for them. And found a great response to this anxiety from another blogger, Graham Martin, who is a leading child and youth psychiatrist on the north side of Brisbane. This is the link to Graham's blog for a Haiku on mental health. I really appreciate his sentiments. The importance of doing what matters, in other words.

Photo: 'Impress an environmentalist' sign on Brisbane CityCycle bike basket

One thing that did not impress us at the ANZACT conference, was the Saturday night 'entertainment', The (well-named) Follies. Like a recent and very unfortunate radio prank (a good analysis of this here), it was probably not intended to offend.  Or at least, not much. But somehow they got it horribly wrong, and it was rather inappropriate to say the least. No longer is it ok to say, we were 'only joking', as one man's Snigger may be another (wo)man's Trigger.

Probably enough said, but since I have become a Joint-Destroyer, I cannot say NOTHING!.

more later.