Knitting as Metaphor For Personal Development

The Duke Professional and Personal Development Program is taking reservations for a four-week reflective workshop, "Knitting the Fabric of Your Life, One Stitch at a Time."The four-session workshop will use the knitting process as a metaphor to examine how we cope with four recurrent themes in life: starting something new, repeating a pattern, changing things, and making an ending."Like many creative processes, knitting not only requires us to learn and repeat basic skills, but also to explore variations on those `stitches'," explains group facilitator, Stephanie Jenal, Ph.D., a counseling psychologist for Duke Professional and Personal Development Program.  "We are excited about the prospect of helping participants gain greater understanding and mastery of the stitches they use daily to create the fabric of their lives."The series begins Sept. 26 and continues Wednesday evenings through Oct 17.  The group will meet from 5:30 P.M. to 6:45 P.M. in the fourth floor conference room of the Erwin Square building, 2200 West Main St. in Durham.  The cost is $75 for the four-week workshop.Participants are invited to bring a handiwork project such as knitting, sewing, or beading to work on during the workshop.  Registration is open to employees and the public, but class size is limited.  To register, call (919) 286-1244.The Duke Professional and Personal Development Program (Duke PPDP) is one component of the Duke Occupational and Mental Health Programs.  Duke PPDP offers fee-for-service coaching, talks, workshops, and other professional programs that promote work/life balance for individuals, groups, and organizations.