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Spiritual, Emotional, and Mental Health Advocate
A Healing Journey
ISBN: 0-9781587-0-6
This is a practical guide to emotional and spiritual wholeness through personal journaling.
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From rhyming verse to technical manuals, Pamela A. Bridgeman is a master communicator. Her skill and artistry with language, both written and oral, is exceptional. A provocative writer and commanding presence, she is engaging as she employs poetry, parables, essays and drama to convey powerful messages of unconditional love, self-acceptance, and the power of forgiveness. She advocates continual spiritual and emotional growth.
Pamela is also a community activist and political analyst promoting responsible social change and moral, responsive public policy.
FAVORITE LINKS
PURCHASE A Healing Journey ISBN: 0-9781587-0-6
Ready Writers Consultation Services
North American Association of Christian Social Workers
SAMPLE ARTICLES
Poetry
God will meet you there
Short Story
The Song of the Ages
Other Article
When God Seems Far Away
MY NEWS
JOURNEYS: THE NEWSLETTER OF A HEALING JOURNEY SEMINARS
Volume 2, Issue 3 August - October 2005
Journaling as a Therapuetic Tool
From the time we are in our mother¡¦s womb continuing throughout our life, how we interact with others affects our sense of well-being. Even the most cynical person was not always that way nor was the profoundly despondent one. Such brokenness of spirit and distortion of character happens in response to repeated experiences of rejection, abandonment and emotional loss. On the other hand, if we learn to give and receive honor, faithfulness and love in our relationships with others, our inner being will be healthy because inner health is all about relationship.
Our emotional and spiritual well-being is determined in large part by how we perceive and react to others as well as how they respond to us. If we feel honored, we tend to experience a sense of joy leading to emotional health. If we feel loved unconditionally, we tend to experience a sense of peace leading to spiritual fulfillment or wholeness. When a relationship is no longer characterized by love, honor and faithfulness, our emotions become damaged and our spirits wounded. This causes us to censor what we say and do, thus erecting barriers to openness and honesty. The end result is a lack of trust, the foundation upon which our emotional and spiritual health rests.
Personal journaling promotes inner healing because it is an uncensored bloodletting of the soul that allows the toxins of bitterness, grief and self-reproof to be purged from the inner self. It also allows us to evaluate the judgments we have made concerning those who assaulted our emotions and spirits. However, be aware that healing is not in the purging; rather this is where the healing journey begins.
Undertaking this journey within a therapeutic group context provides the accountability and psychological safety needed to go beyond mere purging and fully step into the depth of healing.
(Portions of the article excerpted from "A Healing Journey" (c) 2004. Used by permission)
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I AM JOY (c)
By Pamela Bridgeman
I am joy
I am the strength that forges your way
I am the peace that under girds you day to day
I am the dance in the midst of your pain
I am laughter that heals you again and again
I am joy
I am the grace that frees you from sin
I am the hope that arises within
I am the mercy that holds judgment at bay
I am the deliverer that pulls you from the miry clay
I am joy
I am your shield, your glory, the lifter of your head
I am your shepherd, your door, your bread
I am the wisdom and the knowledge you need
I am the authority for every righteous deed
I am joy
I am the one who always your honor will defend
I am the one who is with you until the end
I am your friend and the lover of your soul
I am the one who makes you completely whole
I am joy
I Am
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ATTENTION LEADERS
Journaling is an effective strategic planning application and powerful leadership development tool. Learn why. Book the A HEALING JOURNEY Seminar for your group of faith leaders, community leaders, or neighborhood leaders. Phone 770-983-4444 for details.
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One Tuesday Morning in September(c)
By Pamela A. Bridgeman
One Tuesday Morning in September
In memory of those who died in the terrorist attacks on the United States of America on Tuesday, September 11, 2001; and in tribute to those who must keep living
I drifted in the nether regions of self-pity, took comfort in my pain and convinced myself that no one understood my losses.
Until¡K
The phone rang. It was my only son.
¡§Did you see it?¡¨ ¡§Oh, my God, did you see it?¡¨
That which only the most evil of hearts could conceive exploded from the blackest pits of hell, leaving towers burning and souls in anguish, and one Tuesday morning, life changed.
Forever¡K
Grief worthy of pity brought me to shame.
¡§Oh God, why?¡¨ ¡§Have you forsaken us?¡¨
Patriotic cadence could be heard in the most unlikely places. Songs of allegiance poured from the lips of politicians and in the churches pleas for mercy rang out.
Sincerely¡K
People from all walks of life pleaded, ¡§Hear our prayer, Oh God. Heal our land.¡¨
One Tuesday morning in September, in spite of the horror, we held truth to be self-evident.
copyright 2007 Pamela A. Bridgeman, All rights reserved.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Pamela Bridgeman's formal education includes a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia, a Masters degree in Human Relations from Pacific Lutheran University, WA, Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Montevallo, AL, and Systematic Theology training from Beulah Heights University, Atlanta, GA.
Pamela has over 32 years experience in professional mental healthcare. She has over 30 years of lay ministry experience in teaching, mentoring and compassionate care.
- PUBLICATIONS
Published, A Healing Journey: Emotional and Spiritual Wholeness through Personal Journaling, ISBN: 0-9781587-0-6 (sc), August 2006, Timeless Avatar Press, New York, NY.
Published, poem commemorative of 911 attack on the United States of America titled One Tuesday Morning in September in A Celebration of Poets. March 2003, Creative Communication, 90 N. 100 E, Logan, UT, p. 10.
Published, article titled Forgive President Clinton, ¡§Ministry Matters: Ethics¡¨, Ministries Today, November/December 1998, Strang Communications Co., Lake Mary, FL, pg. 16.
Published, article titled Ethnic Elements of Treatment, Treatment Today Magazine, October 1993, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX, pg. 37.
Substance abuse and family relationship articles in base newspapers, United States Air Force, 1980-88, including King Salmon Air Base, AK, McChord AFB, Tacoma, WA and Rhein Main Air Base, West Germany.
Published on numerous Internet writing sites including www.faithwriters.com, http://www.voicesofchrist.org/ and others.
- SELECTED SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS:
„X Functional Accountability of Case Managers in Specialized Foster Care. Scheduled November 2008. 9th Annual Child Placement Conference. ¡§Many Minds, Many Perspectives: Supporting the Vision¡¨. Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites, Augusta, GA. By attending this session, each participant will be able to describe functional accountability as it relates to case management and the role of a case manager in the specialized foster care delivery system; identify the spheres of functional accountability in the specialized foster care delivery system; and understand the impact of functional accountability in developing and maintaining rapport with Resource Parents, Stakeholders, and Collateral Resources.
„X Effective Communication for Leaders. Annually since 2005. Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute (GNLI) Class of 2008. By attending this session, participants understand how their leadership style impacts their ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences.
„X Journaling as a Healing Tool. October 2005. NASW Georgia Chapter 17th Annual Conference: "Social Work. Help starts here." Marietta Conference Center an Resort, Marietta, GA. By attending this session, participants will be able to facilitate emotional and spiritual wholeness through personal journaling. They will learn to integrate journaling as an effective component of follow-up and/or after care planning for survivors of emotional and spiritual trauma.
„X Finding our way: Faith, Mental Health and the Black Church. February 2005. Sponsored by the Interfaith Health Program, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA. As a panel member covered the topics: mental health issues and their link to substance abuse; how to be pro-active about mental health; and what questions to ask in searching for a Christian counselor that is not a pastor.
„X Book signing of A Healing Journey, ISBN: 1-4208-0226-5 (sc). October 2004. ADMAG (Atlanta Diversity Managers Group). Seminar on psychodynamic aspects of diversity management, October 20, 2004, Atlanta, GA.
„X Journaling as a Healing Tool. November 2003 ¡VMarch 2004. Centerville Community Center, Snellville, GA.
„X Laborers of Love: Ministering to Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. Summer 1996. The Assembly of God Tabernacle, Decatur, GA.
„X Mental Health Issues and HIV/AIDS. May 29 ¡V June 1, 1996. The Eighth Annual Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS, Atlanta, GA.
„X Tamar, My Sister: A Christian Perspective of Sexual Abuse. March 1992. Metamorphosis ¡¦92 ¡V Sixth Annual Spring Conference, Ft. Worth Chapter of TX Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, Ft. Worth, TX.
- COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND OUTREACH
Nov 1973 ¡V Current
Community Activist, Public Policy Analyst, Mental Healthcare Advocate
and strong supporter of social policy relevance and community development; media and strategy consultation for three winning political campaigns.
April 2006 - Current
Appointed President of the Board of Directors. L.E.A.R.N. Inc., a youth advocacy and leadership development organization. Atlanta, GA.
Aug 2005 - Current
Nominated and Selected participant, Class of 2005; Mentor and board member 2006 Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute, Gwinnett County, GA.
May 95 ¡V May 96
Appointed Co-chairs, Planning Committee 1996 International Conference on AIDS, Social Workers¡¦ Response:HIV/AIDS: ¡§The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection,¡¨ Atlanta, GA.
June 95 ¡V June 96
Appointed Member 1995 Georgia Statewide HIV Community Planning Council.
Jan 95 ¡V Dec 95 Appointed Unit Representative, National Association of Social Workers, North Georgia Chapter
May 93 ¡V Mar 94
Gubernatorial Appointed Review Panel Member, Texas Education Association Review Panel of Education for Self-Responsibility.
Oct 93 ¡V Dec 93
Appointed Committee Member Strategic Planning Committee for Substance Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment, Fort Worth, TX.
Jan 86 ¡V Apr 88
Volunteer Lay Chaplain, Mannheim Medium Security Military Prison, Mannheim, West Germany.
Mar 87 Invited Guest Faculty, Drug/Alcohol Training Center, Seventh Army Combined Arms Training Center, Munich, West Germany.
CONTACT ME
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