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              PSYCHOTHERAPY SAINT LOUIS

Out-Going President’s speech

June 1, 2006

Joy Allen, LCSW, M.Div.

Click for photos

 KEY POINTS:

  • Value Psychotherapy Saint Louis. SAVOR IT.

  • Celebrate this exciting time in the life of the organization; it is growing, strong, evolving

  • Future Opportunities: We need to attend to the culture, make careful choices about infrastructure and focus on continued high member involvement.

WELCOME AND LET’S SAVOR THE RICHNESS

Tonight as I’m here with you, this group of professionals in my field, people I respect, people I would like to know better and people who have been a part of my development as a professional, I’m aware of my own pleasure, satisfaction and savoring of this moment in this organization’s history.  I am enjoying the richness of this moment in time with you and within this organization; this organization that means so much to me and I trust to you as well. 

Take a minute to look around you: Who has been a part of your development? Who in this group has challenged or invited you to think differently about your work? Who would you like to get to know in new ways?  How has Psychotherapy St. Louis (PSTL) provided information, support and guidance to you? This is a wonderful group of people dedicated to the work of promoting choice and confidentiality in psychotherapy.  

We offer to one another what we offer to our clients each day – a place to be genuine, to become better people and to then offer that growth by sharing our experiences with clients and the larger community.  When we are at our best as an organization we are able as individuals to be more fully human -- living compassionately and generously in the world. 

This is truly a time to celebrate the growth and the energy of Psychotherapy Saint Louis tonight. 

 CELEBRATING

So, what is there to celebrate this evening in this 10th anniversary annual meeting? 

We have so much to celebrate.  Even as I begin this next section I know I’ll miss some important pieces.  We are here celebrating 10 years. It is a big accomplishment that we are even in existence, and that is thanks to people who helped establish and build this organization from the ground up. We are doing many, many things right.  There is a deep sense of value for what this organization does and is.  There is a mission and purpose to the organization that people invest in.  Good people are willing to give time and service to make this valuable and meaningful for each of us. Let me just name a few of the things that we have to celebrate about Psychotherapy St. Louis:

Growing and strong

  • 20 new members; speed networking event in January 
  • We are now 94 members strong this year; a 29% increase over last year; and a 71% increase over 2002 when we had 55 members
  • There is a buzz about the organization – people are telling friends and new therapists
  • Our Euthymic Hours have tremendous quality and attendance
  • Active Board participation – people attend, do work, eager to stay involved, dependable
  • People contacting PSTL about opportunities to share information, collaborate, etc.

 Balancing for continuity

  • Shifted to a local organization in 2003 with a major transition of leadership
  • Founders are still involved - Julien, Steve, Kyle, Phoebe;
  • 23 people have been in the directory all 7 years;
  • We have a printed history; we have been around long enough to need this;
  • Directory went to a new binding and next year will be published using new software
  • We are making budget (3 years ago we were talking about a minimum number needed to print the directory)
  • Working to communicate clearly about expectations and referrals so people have a longer view of their financial investment in their professional life and in the organization
  • Investing in what we know works – Euthymic Hour, mail parties, relationships, open house

 Locating organization within our current context

  • One of several professional organizations; finding and strengthening its unique place within these various organizations; differentiating & finding place
  • Interdisciplinary, collegial,  collaborative without ignoring the reality of the work of running businesses
  • Use of internet: web site, google ads, listserv, e-newsletter, & soon sign up by web
  • Availability to consumers and to professional audiences via both web & print
  • Continued use of a public relations firm and working to leverage our monies

LOOKING FORWARD TO FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

Even as we celebrate the present, we look forward to future opportunities for growth. If we want the organization to remain strong and vital, it will be critical to make wise organizational choices and to carefully involve members in decision-making. Each member’s contributions will shape this organization. We have something very special in Psychotherapy St. Louis and we need to tend to the culture that has made us unique. The ethos we have established will not happen automatically; it requires careful thought, leadership and participation.

 Keeping our current culture as we grow

  • Open, friendly, collegial AND knowing one another
  • Informal but professional
  • Service to others and service to self
  • Broad range of levels and variety of clinical experience
  • It is easy to think someone else will preserve this culture, but how we work at connections, how we choose to participate as members, how we interact with each other, and how each of us works to engage and be engaged will make all of the difference in the world.

Making careful shifts in our “infrastructure”

  • Keep mindful so that we have a budget to support projects
  • Staffing, leadership – volunteer and paid
  • Need for paid staff person in the next two years, providing resources to do the work of the organization
  • Managing the future of the organization through balancing formality and informality (e.g. calendaring ahead may require more formality to get the word out)
  • How we make decisions and choices about our finances will be important; we need to have member buy in about those choices; we did this well with the web site upgrade because it was in response to our strategic plan of three years ago; (e.g., a Web-based directory in comparison to print could shape some of our decision making)

 VISIONING THE FUTURE

  • Who will we be in 10 years?
  • How will the future of PSTL get shaped?

I am honored to be a part of this organization at this point in time.  I hope you are savoring it this evening.  I wonder where the next 10 years will lead and who will be at that party celebrating together the heritage, excitement and opportunities.  I wonder what moments we’ll be savoring then, what events will make PSTL what it will be at that time.  I invite all of us to be very engaged so that the organization will be one you value.  I’m excited to see where we go next as we promote high quality psychotherapy and the importance of confidential and choice for clients.

 

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