SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

CREATE AN ACCOUNT FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

CREATE ACCOUNT

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT?

IAHIP

CALL: +353 (0)1 284 1665
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
    • Publications
    • Services
    • Training
    • All Ads
    • Submit Ad
  • News
    • IAHIP News
    • Blog
  • Members
    • AGM 2020 & 2019
    • Events Calendar
    • Professional Conduct
    • Continued Professional Development -CPD- For Accredited Psychotherapists
    • Accreditation
    • Re-accreditation
    • Supervision
    • Honorary Membership
    • Child and Adolescent
    • Garda Vetting
    • Resources
      • Members’ Resources
    • Payments
  • SIGN UP
  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • About
    • About IAHIP
    • Governing Body
    • Committees
      • Committees
      • Regional Development
    • Complaints
    • Constitutional Documents
      • Articles of Association
      • Bye-Laws of the Association
    • IAHIP in N.I.
    • Considering a career in psychotherapy?
  • Psychotherapy
    • About Psychotherapy
    • How Psychotherapy Can Help Me
    • Choosing a Psychotherapist
    • Useful Links
  • Join
    • Join IAHIP
    • Why Join IAHIP?
    • Benefits of Membership of IAHIP
    • Categories of Membership
    • Fees
  • Publications
    • Inside Out
    • Subscribe
    • Buy Back Issues
    • Buy Full Page Ad
    • Buy Half Page Ad
    • Advertising
  • Training
    • Recognised Training Courses IAHIP
    • European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP)
  • Find a Therapist
  • Home
  • Inside Out
  • Issue 31: Winter 1997
  • Report: The Icebreaker – New Directions


Report: The Icebreaker – New Directions


An anonymous contribution


I joined New Directions (CAP as it was called) in April 1995. I heard of the group through a friend who had been a member for a while. I liked what I heard and so was willing to it a try.

Initially I joined to partake in the Writer’s Group. I had had involvement in two writers groups previous to this, neither of which appealed. They had drawn the rules, no deviation, no experimentation, toe the line. Not for me.

It takes time to write, time to draft and redraft short stories and poems. In April 1995
 time was one thing I had a large supply of.

Things on a social scene had reached rock bottom. I found myself isolated, insecure, alone in a city of one million. Not a unique situation, but one which only now I can comprehend.

The Celtic Tiger had not yet reared its head, unemployment was rife, but I was one of the lucky ones in that I was fortunate enough to find a job. All my social friends at the time were unemployed. My good fortune was soon to be resented.

At the time I was moving a lot around the city – a few months in one place, a few months in another; work was the only stabilising factor in my life at this time. I’d call someone wanting to know what was happening on the weekend or what had happened recently. Inevitably I found out about a party or something or other. The same question “Why didn’t you call me?” The same answer “No way of getting in touch”. Which was untrue. I have easy access to a phone in work and using it doesn’t present a problem.

Time progressed and I found myself increasingly isolated. I found myself dreading weekends. The thoughts of stopping in on Friday and Saturday night while the rest of the world was out enjoying itself almost drove me crazy. The writing was on the wall for a long time but I was looking at it through dark tinted glasses.

Day after day, night after night, alone, pondering, wondering, waiting, writing my loneliness away. Wanting someone to knock on the door, waiting…but it never works out that way, eh?

To say that New Directions when it came was a Godsend would be an understatement. It was a lifesaver. I found myself in an atmosphere in the Writer’s workshop of honesty, respect, and a place where I could write about my innermost feelings. I knew almost immediately that what I wrote would be respected. It was indescribable, almost as if I had stumbled on the Promised Land.

Eventually I plucked up the courage and attended the Friday night speaking club. The first night I went I decided to make an ‘Icebreaker’ speech. This entails telling the audience about yourself, your life, why you came to the club. I stuttered for two minutes and thirty-four seconds. When I sat down I was shaking like a leaf.

Two years later I still get nervous at the thoughts of standing at the podium to deliver a speech. I realise that this is a positive energy and that this nervousness has fuelled my own progress in the club.

Praise must also be given to the drama workshop. Don’t worry if you’ve never acted. No one there will win little gold statuettes. You are there to conquer yourself more fully. Not to mention the fact that in the drama workshop you have a lot of fun.

New Directions is a place where I can teach, learn, and cultivate friendships. It is based on warmth, sincerity and mutual understanding. With its drama workshops and speaking clubs and individual ethos, New Directions is an organisation I would recommend to anyone.

Search Inside Out

Latest from the Blog

Latest News

  • The CARI Foundation – Vacancy for National Head of Therapy
  • The Art of Wanting – Online Course, with Emma Philbin Bowman

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

The Administrator,
The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy Ltd.
40 Northumberland Avenue,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co. Dublin

Telephone: +353 (0)1 284 1665
Email: admin@iahip.org

Office Hours

9.30am – 4.00pm Monday
9.30am – 5.00pm Tuesday to Friday

Telephone Line Answered
Monday – Friday 9.30am – 1.00pm.

Disclaimer

IAHIP Ltd. cannot be held liable for the services, products or information contained in ads posted on this website.

FIND A THERAPIST

Search in radius 0 miles
  • Contact Details
  • Privacy Statement
  • Code of Ethics for Psychotherapists
  • Company Registration

© 2018 All rights reserved.

TOP
This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.