Assissi

Hey it's Dani! This morning we were able to sleep in...Yay!!!!  It was another rainy day when we got up this morning. We traveled to Assissi, which is a small town where St.Frances was buried. On the two hour drive, we stopped at Lake Trasimeno, a very gorgeous town by the way, for a cappuccino.  We also got a taste of ceramic shops and other shops outlooking the beautiful lake.  We then headed to Assissi, a religious town with massive churches and thousands upon thousand religious relics for sell. Robin, Megan, and I shopped, shopped, shopped....and then ate and went to visit St. Frances' tomb.  After leaving Assissi, we had a two hour winding journey back to Casa Cares in time for dinner. After dinner we gathered in the sitting room....which has become the center of our universe because its the only place to get internet, and chilled out the rest of the night, socializing and having discussions of theories and supervision (you know me, anywhere I can get it :))

Mental Health Services, Organic Farming, and a walk around Reggello

Today we had Dr. Andrea Cicogni, a Psychiatrist, come to speak with us about mental heath services in Italy. Dr. Cicogni shared his experience about working with domestic violence, mental illness, and involuntary hospitalization. He also spoke about incorporating creative therapies, such as art, music, books, and movies, into the therapeutic process since the 1980s. As a leader in the mental health field, Dr. Cicogni discussed the importance of working together in interdisciplinary teams with Psychiatrists, Counselors, Social Workers, and others in order to improve the lives of their clients/patients. Next week, Dr. Cicogni invited the group to visit a psychiatric hospital and speak with other Italian mental health professionals.

After Dr. Cicogni’s lecture, we had an opportunity to learn about organic farming from Giordano. We spent time out in the garden at Casa Cares and watched two documentaries about healthy eating and lifestyle.

After an amazing lunch, we walked to an olive press, winery, and church within a few kilometers of Casa Cares. The walk was beautiful, and we even ran into a wild Peacock along the way! - Dr. Michel 

Aside from this amazing trip to Italy I had the opportunity to practice my newly biggest love, Brazilian jiu jitsu. I have been training bjj since last August. It has really become a part of my life and I no longer know how to function without it. Once my Italy trip was confirmed I immediately looked for Bjj schools in Italy. After all one of the mottos is travel and train jiu jitsu with as many people as possible. There is always something to learn and it’s the only way to know how good you really are. I found Centurion Jiu Jitsu in Florence with the permission of the faculty I stayed in Florence after our scheduled departure. On my own in a strange city, not knowing anyone or the language, with some luck and some helpful people I was able to find the training center. After I found the center I walked in early to find a Japanese Jiu Jitsu class on going. I stayed and watched until the Bjj began. I was greeted warmly by the instructor and his team. Training began with a warm different from what I’m used to but with similar concepts. The professor then began class with foot work, a take down, control the position, and finally a submission. After about 20 minutes of instruction the fun parts began, sparing. I won’t get into detail about the matches but I will say the Italians are tough! After some successes and learning situations class ended with a formal bow. As a sign of respect and appreciation I gave the professor one of my Uflacker Academy rash guards. He was very grateful for the gift and I was invited back to train for my entire stay in Italy. I believe I have created a bridge of friendship and competition between Centurion Jiu Jitsu and Uflacker Jiu Jitsu. - Danny V. 

An Afternoon in Reggello

Hi Everyone! This is Heather checking in from Italia! Today I skipped breakfast since I was feeling so tired... I just had some of the fruit that was left over from our time in Rome. We then had a seminar by Dr. Remley, The Culture and Counseling in Italy. I was thrilled to be able to hear what Dr. Remley had to share with us, since he has spent 10 years on this trip as well as living in Italy during a Sabbatical. He has a unique perspective of the Italian culture, through an American's eyes.

Our next lecturer was Paola Salbioni, who is an Italian American who now permanently resides in Italy. She grew up in Manhattan and is a practicing counselor. I was intrigued to learn about the limitations that counselors experience in Italy. She mentioned that if they have a client that is displaying depressive symptoms they must refer them to a psychiatrist or psychoanalyst because a counselor is not permitted to conduct therapy. I thought they would be very complicated as I currently assist people with multiple diagnoses and through our training at GSU we should be competent in working with and treating those with mental illnesses. According to Paola, the counselors in Italy are experiencing difficulties with the psychiatrists. This reminded me of some of the complications in the United States between the roles of social workers, counselors, and psychologists.

After a delicious lunch, we then we gifted in watching a presentation on mask making by Vito Albanese. Vito is a local artisan whom crafts masks, wooden candle holders, as well as working with bronze. He walked us through the process of making the molds and doing paper mache. I am struck by the introspection of many of the Italians that we have met. They seem to hold very different philosophies than Americans and the way that they approach life is very appealing to me. Vito mentioned that he is currently not making any new masks because he has not felt "the inspiration." Another participant of the Institute asked if he got his inspiration from the outside or other art, but he stated that his designs "come from inside" and if he hasn't thought of anything new, he will not begin any new masks. I found this very different from most people I have met in the States, who seem more interested in producing and selling, rather than on the art.

After Vito finished his presentation and we had spent some time trying on his large variety of masks, a group of us took the bus into Reggello. Jenna and I planned to go to the Super Mercado (the town's super market) and then have some gelato. We spent more time in the supermarket than we had initially expected, but it was so interesting to see the different types of items that were offered compared to at home. People here also shop here everyday or every other, which is contrary to what most Americans do when they go to big box or bulk stores to stock up for as long as possible. Unfortunately Dr. Remley's recommended, or favorite, gelato store was closed, but I was able to have a nutella, pistachio, and chocolate cup which was soooo good! We sat a people watched for awhile and it was amazing to see a depiction of small town Italian life in action. This is such a different pace compared to home.

After dinner there was some vino and excellent company from all the great new friends that I have been making here. I have met so many people from around the country and I have been enjoying the opportunity to speak to other counseling students and make new connections. I can't wait to see what the rest of this adventure will hold for us!

Lucca & Pisa

It is our first day trip as a whole group and we are heading to Lucca and Pisa!

It was our first full day at Casa Cares and we received a wealth of information.  We started with a lecture by Dr. Paul Krieg on some history of Europe, Italy, and then some regions of Italy.  He also talked a great deal about the Tuscany area.  This lecture was followed by a tour of Casa Cares.  From first glance the villa looks bigger than larger American homes, once the tour began we realized exactly how big the house actually is and it is enormous!  We were led into a basement which actually contain to lower levels.  The house has large barrels were wine can be stored, a chapel, theatre, and many guest rooms.  The house is built on top of a mountain which means it can spread as far as the mind can imagine and that is exactly what they have done in Casa Cares.  The next lecture of the day was with Nancy Bailey, an American school teacher in Italy.  She told us about the Italian education system and what it entails.  One very surprising note is that at the age of 13 Italian students must decide their career path!  The final lecture was with Dr. Pat Thomas.  This lecture was more of a reflection on what was to come in our lives.  The nice thing was the lecture was held outside in the warm sun and beautiful Tuscan scenery.  Our goal was to go through a personal inventory on Personal Wellness.  We each had the opportunity to venture out on our own and reflect on several aspects of our lives and decide if it contributes to our health.  First day was great, many more to come with a visit to Lucca and Pisa tomorrow! - Danny V.

My adventure to Italy began on May 15th, I flew from Chicago to Frankfurt Germany, and then to my final destination in Rome. My flight to Rome was pretty smooth except for some minor turbulence in Germany, grabbed my bags and headed on my way towards our apartment in Rome. The directions to the apartment were pretty simple... or so I thought. I made to the main train station but then had no clue where I was going from there. I was having a very hard time getting someone who spoke English to help me. Just as the anxiety started to sink in a very nice young man came up to me and offered to help me out. He pointed me to the bus I needed to take and then I was on my way to our apartment.

After walking up and down the street a few times, I ran into Jenna who had come down to wait for me. Put my bags upstairs, caught up with Jenna and Heather for a bit and we were on our way to explore Rome. Going through the Colosseum was one of the most amazing experiences I ever had. It was nice to just take in all the history it had to offer. The forum was pretty great too. After a long day of walking through Rome, we went and had a nice dinner before packing it all up for our next stop on the trip.... Casa Cares.  - Megan T.