Work, conference, learning ... yay!

Ok folks, I'm back! After a very busy week of work and then two days at the Central West Opening Doors Conference, I have returned to my computer to entertain and educate you!

If you haven't already read about the near-miss in Mississippi, you should read this post - Phew! Mississippi Personhood Amendment Defeated and learn more about the attempts of Republicans to take away women's rights to terminate unwanted and unsafe pregnancies as well as to use intra-uterine devices (IUDs). If it had passed, the Personhood Amendment could have even created legal problems for doctors offering in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in the case of embryos not surviving. YIKES!

So, back to the conference. First of all, it was a good time! I walked away from it having broadened my network, enhanced my knowledge, and renewed my passion for this work. I learned a great deal about HIV/AIDS - particularly relating to the personal experiences of people with HIV/AIDS (PHAs). I attended a workshop on mindfulness and enjoyed the in-session meditation exercise ... it was a good chance to find my brain surprisingly quiet! :)

In the end, though, what stood out the most was definitely a workshop I attended this afternoon on motivational interviewing (MI). While often used in the field of substance use disorders, MI can be useful to help people with a wide variety of issues. Throughout the workshop I became increasingly excited about the prospect of integrating MI into my own work. Dr. Tim Guimond was an absolutely fantastic session facilitator, and I am excited to learn more and put MI to good use!

I will keep you posted as I learn!

Candice :)