June 2025 news and views
- therapy
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Kia ora Friends and Colleagues,
As we near the half-way point of the year, I want to wish you a Happy June! You are right, we are half-way to Christmas!
It has been a busy and rewarding season as I delivered a full day workshop to the lovely team at Visionwest Community Trust and Family Action last week on the topic of understanding the layers of attachment wounds that are involved in sexual abuse and how to heal them. As sneak-peak at the content. If you are interested in my presenting this material to your organisation please email me: therapy@ruthmcconnell.com
It was a pleasure, last month, to be invited to contribute to the ISCAST–NZCIS Conversations 2025: Mental Health and Faith where I presented on the following topic:
Responding to the growing mental health crisis as a Christian: clinical and theological perspectives
To view the description and access the recording of this talk click here http://Webinar: Responding to the growing mental health crisis as a Christian – Ruth McConnell
As always, you can check out upcoming events here Events – Ruth McConnell
Events in June:
As a Professional Associate of the Neufeld Institute, I am excited to let you know about the Neufeld Aotearoa Conference. It is not too late to register as you can livestream it from the comfort of your home!!!!!
Navigating Mental Health and Behaviour Challenges: Insight and Hope for Tamariki and Rangatahi
KEYNOTE: Dr Gordon Neufeld June 6th 2025 from 2:45-4:00
The Current Crisis of Wellbeing: What is happening to our kids?
Auckland June 6th, 2025
To register: http://neufeldaotearoa.org/events/
As I have become increasingly aware, the ability to play is not only something that those suffering from trauma find difficult to access, and many with Complex Developmental Trauma never felt safe enough to play, but getting back into play-mode is one way to re-boot the nervous system stuck in the FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE (sympathetic arousal) survival mode and move it to the REST and DIGEST (parasympathetic) mode. Many who have done my One Wild and Precious Life, find this to be a perfect forum to re-boot their stuck nervous systems and come into more flow and joy in their lives.
Registrations open for the next One Wild and Precious Life online course Dates: Sept 10th-Nov. 26th 2025 Wednesdays evenings 7-9 pm
(12 weeks) 7:00-9:00 pm (Auckland, NZ time zone) VIA ZOOM
Get your name down quickly for this popular course as the spaces are limited and filling fast. Email me to register therapy@ruthmcconnell.com
Many of you may know that the line 'What is it you are going to do with your one wild and precious life?' comes from Mary Oliver's poem, A Summer's Day ... here is an excerpt:
I have been given permission to share some of the creative endeavours of the previous course participants when they committed to doing their weekly Artist Date with their inner creative child. Here are a few samples to whet your appetite and provide the impetus for you to sign up to the course as a catalyst for your own creative and spiritual recovery.
One participant found this old armchair beside the road and brought the 'little orphan' home and recovered it:
Another one stood on a large piece of paper and produced this reflective piece: 'Life is a journey, each step a new experience.....'
If you would like to experience this creative and spiritual recovery course, then here are the details: https://ruthmcconnell.com/product/one-wild-and-precious-life-12-week-online-course/
Events in July
Webinar date: July 21st, 2025
Here is the link if you want to attend the webinar - purchase tickets through Grow: https://www.grow.co.nz/applying-attachment-theory-to-clinical-practice/
For those who are interested in this material as a self-paced course (with a different name) you can purchase it here
I'll close with this inspirational ditty:
Go gently,
Ruth
