Dear Colleagues and Graduates,............................................................................October 10 , 2008

First, I would like to congratulate our new graduates for having completed the 100 hour Training Program. They have been an inspiration to all of us through their creativity and accomplishments.

Now, a new season is about to begin and there have been a number of changes at NYSEPH. Rita Sherr has transitioned into her new role as faculty emeritus and consultant to the Board. We thank Rita for her many years of hard work and dedication to the creation and development of this extraordinary training program. Judith Grosz and I are also in our new role as Co-Directors of the 100 hour training program.

We were all very saddened by the loss last year of two of our very dedicated members of the Board, Janee Albert and Karen Sands. We miss their presence very much.

NYSEPH has almost completed its planning of the seminar program for this year. There are a number of interesting hypnosis presentations being given this fall and in the spring. PLease see our Seminar page.

It is important to all of us at NYSEPH, to have a united and supportive community of colleagues and friends with whom to share questions, concerns and successes. This is why I would like to encourage you once again, to join our NYSEPH community by becoming a member. It is an important time to keep in touch, share experiences and support our organization in its efforts to teach health professionals the tools necessary to help others in all kinds of difficult situations.

Here are some of the things that we have offered and are also planning for the coming season.

• Referral list: If you are a graduate of NYSEPH's Training Program and have paid your membership dues of $75, we offer you the opportunity to be on our Website Referral List which can enhance your visibility and accessibility. Members are seeing more and more of the benefits of being listed on our website. If you wish to be included, you need only send in the referral form with a copy of your up-to-date malpractice insurance and check "yes" on the bottom of the form.
  
  If you are a Social Worker, you must specify whether you are a LMSW or a LCSW .
  Only graduates who have sent in their membership dues for 2008-2009 will remain on or be added to the referral list.
  
• We are again offering a number of interesting and diversified Free Seminars for NYSEPH members from December 2008 through May 2009. These are opportunities for you to learn about topics that interest you, to support each other, and to share your knowledge and experiences with other colleagues.

• Join our Listserv so that you can share information and/or protocols, receive assistance with problems and questions, post referrals, or simply stay in touch with your colleagues. All you need to do is go to NYSEPH's Homepage and click on the "listserv" link.
  
• Video Library: One of the most popular membership benefits we offer is access to our library of videotapes of Milton H. Erickson and other Ericksonian practitioners that may not be easily available elsewhere. You can check these tapes out regularly for up to a month each, and can do so via e-mail or in person. The list of videotapes is on our website. We are adding new DVD's to our collection. They should be available soon. Just call Judith Grosz at 212-794-0143.

• Metaphors and Case Studies: We encourage our graduates and members to submit a short case study or metaphor to our website. If you are interested in sharing either one with us and others, just send the metaphor or case study to nysephinfo@earthlink.net .

• Bulletin Board: Members of NYSEPH are invited to post information such as announcements, available office space, presentations etc. on our Bulletin Board. Just send your request to nysephinfo@earthlink.net .

Website: NYSEPH has an active website (www.nyseph.org ) that is constantly being updated to bring you our presentations, news, links to other websites, and information. Please check our website again from time to time for updates and new information.

E-mail program announcements: Because of greater mailing expenses and the speed of e-mail, we will continue to send you announcements electronically throughout the year. Be sure to write your e-mail address on the renewal form if you would like to receive announcements via e-mail. You can also send an e-mail to nysephinfo@earthlink.net saying that you would like to receive announcements electronically. All e-mail addresses are kept private and are not shared with anyone else.

There is easy access to information about NYSEPH's Training Program and presentations via our website's e-mail address: nysephinfo@earthlink.net . If you have not already renewed your membership, I hope that you will do so now! The NYSEPH Board of Directors is doing its utmost to provide real value for your annual $75.00 membership dues. I hope that you will also feel free to e-mail us any time, with suggestions or concerns that you might have.

The NYSEPH Board is very dedicated to being of real help to our members. Hope to see you soon at one of our upcoming events!

Best wishes,

Brigitte E. Lifschitz, LCSW
NYSEPH President and Co-Director of Training

IMPORTANT NUMBERS
NYSEPH President: Brigitte E. Lifschitz 212-877-1931
100-Hour Training Program: Brigitte Lifschitz and Judith Grosz 212-873-6459
Membership: Giulio Bianco 917-770-6070
Library: Judith Grosz 212-794-0143