The day has finally arrived! Two years of painstaking labour has culminated into one final draft of my dissertation, presented to the faculty of Widener University for review. My dissertation defense date has been set for this Friday, March 30th, and I’m more than just a little bit excited. In less than a week, there is a strong possibility I will be Dr. Thomas Wood!

This March, I will be co-facilitating a men's group at my Glen Mills office. The Men’s Group is an 8-week Empowerment Program to help men explore their past and present relationships. Attention will be paid to the myths of masculinity as well as negative messages that challenge men as they seek emotional maturity and intimacy in their lives. Using lecture, movie clips and group discussion, participants will learn how to develop and strengthen relationship skills to foster healthy connections with others. The goals of the Men’s Group are:

• To improve communication skills;
• To reduce negative interactional patterns;
• To increase the ability to sustain emotional attachment;
• To understand the impact of gender on the development of emotional bonds.

• The male attachment experience;
• Exploring gender similarities and differences;
• Understanding emotions;
• Fathers and sons: exploring masculinity;
• Loneliness and depression: the male experience;
• Male identity: rescuer, protector, warrior;
• Mother and sons: closeness without fusion;
• Forgiveness: cultivating compassion;
• Mindfulness.

• March 12, 2012 - April 30, 2012
  Mondays, 7:30 pm - 9 pm in Concordville, PA
  Course Leaders: Nancy DePaul, MSW, LMFT and Thomas Wood, LSW, MEd
• For any further information, click here to contact me

Thomas Wood was quoted in an article related to fostering relationship communication to reduce or eliminate nagging behaviors. The article can be found in the January edition of "Delaware Moms" magazine. This magazine is free and available throughout the state of Delaware and some parts of PA. If you would simply like to read the article, you can click over to my tip of the month link and find it posted there.

For the next four Sundays, from 9:35-10:40am, you can find me at First Presbyterian Church in Phoenixeville, PA. I will be offering classes in human sexuality for the adult members of the congregation, focusing on foundations, sexual messaging, religion and sexuality, as well as spirituality and sexuality. Here is a quote from the Rev. Cynthia Breen regarding this seminar: “To offer sexuality education in a congregation is to acknowledge that human sexuality is simply too important, too beautiful, and too potentially dangerous to be ignored in a religious community. Sexuality education gives families and individuals of all ages the benefit of community support as they wrestle with sexuality issues and decisions.” “Introducing sexuality education into your congregation can be a wonderful opportunity to put faith into action. It can show members that sexuality education contributes to an objective held dear by virtually all people of faith: respect and justice for all, deserving of all. It can offer your congregation the opportunity to articulate and live these ideals, making it a richer source of life, hope, and support.” I am thrilled to be a part of this educational offering and look forward to examining the roles of sexuality with the good folks at First Presbyterian.