A warm welcome to all of our subscribers! This is the GAB Gazette, a highlight reel from the world of Guided Autobiography for July 2024.
Contents
Message from Cheryl: Code of Ethics
Announcements: GAB Mentorship Program
Featured GABBER: Mark McNease
Member Shoutout: Shirley Ross
Article Roundup: Chronic Loneliness and Stroke Risk
Bookshelf: Nostalgia Revolution
Community Poll: Where Are You?
Message from Cheryl
Here’s a preview of the Code of Ethics that will soon appear on the revamped Birren Center website.
Code of Ethics
All certified Guided Autobiography (GAB) instructors of the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies must adhere to the following Code of Ethics, which reflects the core values of our organization. To protect the integrity of our work and safeguard the interests of our clients/participants, all members are expected to:
1. Conduct Business with Integrity and Fairness
Conduct business according to impeccable standards of fairness and integrity.
Represent honestly their qualifications, background, and professional affiliations.
Provide participants with the highest quality of service possible.
Work diligently and with reasonable promptness.
2. Act in the Best Interests of Clients and the Profession
Act in the best interests of the client/participant, and profession.
Avoid violations of intellectual property rights (including copyright).
Avoid conflicts of interest, activity, or influence.
3. Respect for Individuals
Respect the inherent worth of all persons.
Respect participants’ wishes about privacy, confidentiality, and nondisclosure.
Respect the right of participants to hold values, beliefs, attitudes, and opinions that differ from their own.
4. Respect for Diversity
Respect cultural, individual, and role differences, including those based on age, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status.
5. Professional Conduct
Act honorably toward other members of the profession and the field as a whole.
The Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies is not liable for the performance of any Guided Autobiography instructor. All members of the Birren Center affirm that they will adhere to this Code of Ethics. Our GAB instructors set their own fees and policies.
Best, Cheryl
Announcements: GAB Mentorship Program
Birren Center Board Member and GAB instructor Heidi Thorsen along with GAB instructors Bill Marsella and Steve Hoover are developing a mentorship program to assist those GAB instructors who have been trained but would like some guidance and support before and possibly during their first class of instruction. Please watch for further updates and information when the program is ready to roll out.
Featured GABBER: Mark McNease
by Jana Rae Corpuz
Mark McNease is a new GAB instructor and has already conducted a four-week pilot GAB class in Lambertville, NJ, near where he lives. He calls himself “a bit of a dynamo”: not only is he about to launch a four-week, in-person condensed version of GAB this summer, but also a six-week online class in September. He’s also working on another mystery novel (he’s published 14 of them), produces a monthly podcast (The Twist), and a weekly SubStack column (Mark McNease On Topic).
Mark found out about GAB from a friend who had taken the training. He liked the idea of “writing about themes that shaped me as a person.” But he had some reservations about signing up for the training because, he says, “I wasn’t sure if GAB was something I would be able to do,” reflecting a common concern of many potential GAB instructors. However, Mark says, “I learned in the training that I could be a facilitator. I also learned a lot about myself in the process.”
So “the dynamo” forged ahead despite the challenges a new GAB instructor encounters. He developed a free two-hour introductory GAB class to get people interested. “I offer these free introductory workshops to show people what GAB is, and they all loved it.” Six people signed up for the four-week session.
“My biggest takeaway was that I could do it!” says Mark. Participants’ feedback told him that he was “compassionate and gentle as a facilitator.” He also learned that participants especially liked the flash writing activity about drawing a room from childhood and discussing the memories it brought up.
What about charging a fee for the GAB classes?
“I have no trouble charging a fee,” says Mark. “Pursing GAB as an instructor or facilitator requires a significant investment of my own.” Mark explains that the four-week pilot class was complimentary and that the two-hour introductory workshop will always be free, but “asking to be paid for my skills and experience is fine with me! I do, however, base my fees on what I think is reasonable, and I also keep in mind that a lot of older people simply don’t have as much disposable income. Lastly, I don’t expect people to offer me their time and talent for free, and I don’t think we should be asked that, either,” he said.
Mark is very comfortable with technology: he self-publishes his mystery novels and hostsa weekly podcasts. So when it comes to offering online workshops through Zoom, Mark says, “I love it!”
“That’s how I intend to offer most of my workshops and classes. Zoom also allows me a lot more flexibility with my schedule,” he says. “I can offer a 10 a.m. workshop or class, and another one at 2 p.m. if I want to do two in a day. It’s not easy to find a venue for an in-person class. As long as you’re comfortable and able to be engaging with Zoom, I don’t see any reason not to use it. And it makes the pool of potential participants much wider—one man in my workshop lives in Spain,” he said.
His advice for new instructors?
“Believe in yourself! The harshest critic you’ll ever have is you. Relax, get into it, stay focused during the class or workshop,” he said. “You can do this! And remember, you are the designer of it. Let yourself create something that works for you using the tools and handouts and themes we were given as well as themes you can decide alone or with your participants. Imagination is the first ingredient.”
You can contact Mark at his website: Mark@YourWritePath.com
Member Shoutout: Shirley Ross
by Cheryl Svensson
Shirley Ross is my oldest GAB student, in every sense of the word! On May 29, 2024, Shirley turned 104, an event that was celebrated with friends at her West LA home.
I met Shirley in 2007 at a GAB class I taught with Jim Birren at UCLA. Though Shirley never wrote and published her memoir except for her GAB stories, she is the author of four children’s books. Her most recent book, A Kiddy Pool Garden, was published in 2023. The book was illustrated by her grandnephew David Mudrick. The book helps young children learn that vegetables grow in a garden or farm (even though you may live in a high-rise apartment) and do not just appear packaged and pristine in the supermarket.
Shirley is more than just a friend to me; she is a role model and guide on this journey called aging. Her daily routine is a testament to her indomitable spirit: each day she uses her stationary bike, calls friends to stay connected, and makes plans for concerts and gatherings. This routine is not just about maintaining physical health; it is a powerful statement about the importance of staying engaged and connected with the world. And as GAB instructors, that is what we do; we connect people, bridge diversity, and prevent social isolation.
Thank you, Shirley!
Article Roundup: Chronic Loneliness and Stroke Risk
A new study suggests that people older than 50 who experience persistent chronic loneliness have a 56% increased risk of having a stroke. Read more at Medscape.
Bookshelf
Nostalgia Revolution: Sarah White, GAB instructor and Birren Center board member, recently published a review on her blog of the book Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life by Clay Routledge. Sarah says, “[Clay’s] research findings align strongly with what we know from our experience about GAB groups.” That is “how reminiscence writing in small groups combats social isolation, increases understanding of life experiences, and deepens one’s sense of meaning.” Read Sarah’s review at her blog True Stories Well Told.
Community Poll: Where Are You?
Thanks to all of you who responded to our June Community Poll, How have you put your GAB training to work? There was a total of 20 responses. Here’s how those responses broke out:
There were 17 responses to I HAVE put my training to work by:
· Conducting a GAB class (94%)
· Collaborating with another instructor (6%)
There were 3 responses to I HAVE NOT put my training to use yet because:
· Life circumstances changed (33%)
· Other (67%)