Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, March 24, 2017
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OUR TOWN
Talks with an American psychoanalyst I have wanted to do a piece on psychoanalysis for a long time. Psychoanalysts are that rare breed of therapist that have been trained an additional four years in order to understand the working of the unconscious as first described by Freud. The unconscious is that part of the mind which contains the experiences of the past which are too painful to remember but also too painful to forget. Like Sisyphus and his rock people then spend their entire lives blindly repeating whatever childhood trauma they are trying to forget. So I scheduled an interview with one of Long Island’s best analysts in order to explore these issues in some depth. I called upon Dr. James Zaikowski who practices in Great Neck and teaches at the Derner Institute at Adelphi University. When I travel out of the country and need a psychoanalyst to cover my practice Dr. Zaikowski is the only guy I entrust my patients to. My plan was to explore his thoughts on the value of analysis, what patients hope to gain in analysis and what are the underlying values offered in psycho-
analysis. We had a wide ranging discussion of these topics in BeeOrganic Café in down town Great Neck. The first thing I asked was how patients come to learn about the process of psychoanalysis. He remarked that patients sometimes have had psychotherapy in the past and already know the rules of free association. He also mentioned that films often introduce basic concepts like the unconscious and the connections between past and present. The Antonioni masterpiece “Blow Up” was about the director’s efforts to explore his own unconscious. Films like this help the culture to learn about the existence of the unconscious and its importance. I then asked if he thought the process of psychotherapy was difficult. He said “The art of psychotherapy is difficult but it is also exhilarating. Patients wind up making changes at work, at home or in their friendships and the process of discovery is exciting to take part in both for patient and for doctor”. We talked about the pleasure of practicing psychotherapy as a career.
DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town Psychotherapy is like fishing. The analyst drops the line and patiently waits for something to emerge from the patients unconscious. And if we are quiet enough and attentive enough something will always jump out of the water and right into the boat. Dr. Zaikowski mentioned Erich Fromm who said that psychoanalysts spend their days listening for the ‘red thread’ to appear in the tapestry of the patients associations. I also asked Dr. Zaikowski about the use of about humor and laughter in our practice. He told me that when jokes emerge in the session it can be a sign that there is trust between patient and therapist. It remind-
ed me of the classic comedy film ‘Analyze This’ starring Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal. De Niro played a mobster who was having panic attacks and Billy Crystal played his analyst. Each time Billy Crystal made an interpretation De Niro would look at him, wave his finger and say “You, you, you’re good… you!” I then asked him about the question of the values that are inherent in the analytic process. All the way back in the
mid-19th century Alexis De Tocqueville described Americans as tireless, over active, status seeking , commercial minded and not terribly literate. De Tocqueville’s description of Americans remains central in political theory and this character description is referred to as “American Exceptionalism.” It is obvious that on American’s do seek money, tend to be commercial minded and seek after status. But this attitude may not Continued on Page 71
Dr. James Zaikowski, a kind and gifted psychoanalyst who works in Great Neck.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Yarn Crawl starts March 30 Seminar on jobs for the disabled
After two successful years, nine yarn shops from Mattituck to Port Washington will be participating in the third annual Long Island Yarn Crawl on March 30 to April 2. Over the course of four days yarn crafters — knitters, crocheters, weavers and spinners — are invited to participate in this self-guided tour of our Long Island yarn shops, which will have extended hours and special activities throughout the weekend. It is a great way for crafters to explore what our local fiber community has to offer and meet other local yarn enthusiasts. Participants are invited to either pick up their Long Island Yarn Craw Passport from a participating store or download it from the yarn crawl’s website, and have it stamped as they “craw” from shop to shop. Crawlers who collect stamps from all 9 stores will be entered to win amazing prizes: the grand prize, a $100 gift card from each of the participating stores; or second prize, over $400 of yarn donated by gold sponsor Knitting Fever. Participants who drop off a passport with fewer than 9 stamps will be entered to win a separate drawing. Further prizes will be announced as the yarn crawl approaches! Special edition Long Island Yarn Crawl bags can be purchased at participating shops, or are
available as a free gift with $40 minimum purchase (while supplies last). Each store has specials planned and will have drawings for door prizes during the crawl. Details will be made available closer to the Yarn Craw weekend here on our website: http://longislandyarncrawl.com/ This year’s Yarn Crawl features shops from all over Nassau & Suffolk counties: — Altman’s Needlearts - Mattituck — Knit - Roslyn — The Knitted Purl - Oyster Bay — The Knitting Cove & Yarn Shop - Port Jefferson — The Knitting Garden - Huntington — The Knitting Place - Port Washington — The Knitting Store - Oceanside — Long Island Livestock Co. - Yaphank — Sew What’s New & Yarn Tool - Islip Yarn crafters of all backgrounds are invited to explore Long Island’s rich fiber community during the yarn crawl weekend and make connections with fellow crafters. The different offerings and events at each shop are sure to provide crafting inspiration and ideas to all. It will be a wonderful Long Island celebration for yarn enthusiasts and sure to be an event to remember.
On Tuesday, March 28, Conversations from Main Street, in conjunction with The Port Washington Public Library, will present Spectrum of Hope, a program that will explore the ways educators, parents and business owners can tap into the creativity and passion of people with disabilities to create opportunities for productive employment and rich, rewarding lives in inclusive communities. More and more of our schools have students who learn differently. Autism, ADD, ADHD, Down syndrome, hearing or visually impaired, intellectually disabled and more are labels that focus on a person’s challenges rather than his or her capabilities. Unfortunately, these students have often been separated from their peers, leaving generations of people unaware of the benefits of inclusion for individuals as well as
society. The event will feature a touching video presentation and passionate panel discussion, followed by a Q&A with the audience and the chance to share information and resources. The panel will include: Eileen McDonald Egan, executive director of Community Mainstreaming Associates and Community Mainstreaming Enterprises. McDonald Egan oversees a team of professionals providing supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Long Island; including residential, employment, Medicaid service coordination, and selfdirected community habilitation. CME co-owns Coffeed, a bakery and coffee shop in Port Washington, where individuals with developmental disabilities work and train alongside typical workers.