Have you ever felt an inner call so strong that you had no option but to heed it? But what if that demanding inner calling led you to make certain decisions and take certain actions that would fill you with guilt and shame? How would you forgive yourself?
Those three questions have shaped the life of Kathleen P. Perkins, Ph.D., the award-winning author of three books, including her recent Flight Instructions: A Journey Through Guilt to Forgiveness. The touchingly honest memoir tells the story of being compelled at the age of 31 to leave her family in order to figure out who she really was at her core. The inner summons ferocious enough to wrench her from her husband of 14 years and their three young children would launch a decades-long journey during which she would uncover a powerful spiritual dimension that would eventually force her to take her hands from her eyes and the shield from her heart.
The emotional cost of leaving not only her family but everything she had known for more than 30 years was huge. But eventually her quest for self-discovery led to self-forgiveness, redemption and healing, which we could all use more of.
A former college professor and licensed therapist who holds both a Ph.D. and Masters in Social Work, Dr. Perkins’expertise includes group/workshop facilitation, grief counseling, addictions therapy and individual/family counseling. She also gives keynotes and workshops for behavioral health/mental wellness facilities, cancer survivors and spiritual centers.
“Forgiveness opens the heart for love,” states Dr. Perkins. Her January 18 ConnectW program on the power of forgiveness promises to be as revealing and thought provoking as it is inspirational. “Many of us came from families where infractions and wounds were never acknowledged, attended to and healed,” writes one Amazon reviewer about Dr. Perkins’ Flight Instructions: A Journey Through Guilt to Forgiveness. “This story is a beautiful example of what we’re capable of when we meet life from truth and accountability.”
In January, ConnectW will be introducing its nonprofit of the quarter—The Family Access Network (FAN). FAN’s mission is to ensure that children have access to basic need services. FAN advocates improve the lives of nearly 10,000 children and family members in our community each year by linking children and families to critical basic-need services with the goal of keeping children healthy and in school. Although the nonprofit won’t present until ConnectW’s February meeting, a needs list for the organization will be posted on the ConnectW website this month.
For more information about ConnectW, please contact ConnectW Marketing Chair Janice Silva at marketing@connectw.org or (541) 706-1684, check out www.connectw.org or come visit in person. ConnectW meets at 5 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Bend Golf & Country Club. Tickets are available on the website. You can attend twice without being a member, but ConnectW is pretty sure you’ll want to join. After all, where else are you going to find such a mix of business opportunities, networking, friendship and fun?
