“I considered Nat King Cole to be a friend and, in many ways, a mentor.  He always had words of profound advice”-
                                                                             ~Diahann Carroll

As the Mentoring Program Chair, I am pleased to report the successful launch of our initial cohort of mentors and mentees.  We currently have twenty-three mentorships that began, with the goal of sharing expertise, in May 2013!  
The commitment and energy around this new program has been dynamic!  All involved have contributed generously to the program’s initial success and the “pay it forward” movement.  Collaboratively, with this interconnectedness, we are
creating a more compassionate organization where inclusion is encouraged and rewarded.

In May 2013, I attended a thought provoking conference on Cultivating Compassionate Organizations, which incidentally, was held in Louisville, Kentucky.  I had the opportunity to meet and speak with the Mayor of
Louisville, Greg Fischer.  Louisville is considered a “compassionate city”.  Fischer signed on to the Charter for
Compassion which requires a 10 year commitment of practicing action-based compassion in the community on a daily
basis.  Fischer’s mission is to fuel connectedness and inclusion, meaning having empathy and a deeper understanding
of all people, in order to create greater opportunities, social justice, and a better environment, all which helps
with resilience, happiness, and the best opportunities for people in the community to flourish.  Without the ability
to be compassionate, we are vulnerable to illness/disease, increased depression, poor attachment, and lack of
meaning in life.

For those contemplating membership in this program, imagine the following:
                * A therapeutic community with a credible organization, where members not only feel comfortable
                   discussing controversial matters, but are perceived as well respected in the community.
                * A therapeutic community in which these mentorships are values and protected
                * A therapeutic community that gives back by sharing knowledge, and that sensitively addresses issues

This is an invitation for involvement in such a community.  The Mentoring Program is currently enrolling new mentors
and mentees for our second cohort.  A time commitment of one hour per month for at least one year is required.
Licensed therapists are encouraged to mentor students/interns or newly licensed therapists.  A mentor is someone
willing to give back by sharing expertise and guiding the professional and personal development of another.  A
mentee is a “learner”, who is motivated to seek valuable advice in order to grow.  Please contact me at
lfriedeberg@yahoo.com for more information or to enroll.

Laura Friedeberg completed her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University.  She
supports adults, teens, graduate students, law enforcement, and groups, suffering from losing a loved one by
disability, transition, divorce, affairs, addiction, or death.  She uses evidence-based practices, framed to re-
structure "stuck" thinking.  Her approach addresses compassion and social substance as a method of finding meaning
in times of profound pain.

Laura's new practice will open in September 2013!

Laura Friedeberg,
Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Unriddling Relationship Loss with Compassion: The foundation for Emotional
Freedom, Mentoring Program Chair EB CAMFT
1676 Solano Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94707 * 510-984-6544 * lfriedeberg@yahoo.com * www.laurafriedeberg.com