Here is a link to an article, “We Need to Be Disoriented, Says Psychiatrist,” by Chris Kelly from my recent talk at Western Sydney University, Australia. The article appears in Hunter and Bligh.

Thank you Chris Kelly and Hunter and Bligh for this article that captures the essence of transformational learning – that we need to be disoriented and lose our bearings in order to really have the opportunity for transformational learning – learning that changes who we are beyond just learning new information. Transformational learning is a concept that Jack Mezirow developed. He listed ten different steps that I have condensed down to three steps in the circle below, corresponding to the circle of initiation: separation, initiation, return. This model also fits with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey model in which transformation comes through transitioning between worlds, cultures, or states of consciousness.

This was part of a 2 hour talk I did for staff and students called “Caring for Self & Others,” based on the Caring for Self & Others workbook that Laura Merritt and I have adapted from my first book, Re-humanizing Medicine: A Holistic Guide for Transforming Your Self, Your Practice, and the Culture of Medicine. We had a great discussion about creating a counter-curriculum of self-care and contributing to the compassion revolution!

Thank you to Sneh Prasad for connecting me with Dr. Asha Chand at Western Sydney University who coordinated this event while I was in Australia for the Australasian Doctors Health Conference. Thank you everyone involved in the talk! I will be posting about the other talks I did on my trip as well as some of the photos soon…

Dr David Kopacz speaking at Western Sydney University about anxiety and stress. Image: Christopher Kelly