MYTHOS Dance of Psyche / Rhythm of Consciousness
Christina Campbell
ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-700-5 / 304 pages / paperback / 7” x 9” / illustrated / $19.95
Psychology & Healing / Dance / Trauma
ABOUT THE BOOK
MYTHOS: Dance of Psyche: Rhythm of Consciousness is a healing story that shows a shift in consciousness from being a machine, moving fast in time to dancing with life, becoming a vibrant human being. It describes the emotional spiritual conditions of our times; the traumatic effects of profit over the needs of people, and the traumatic effects of the bully as gatekeeper of the profit motive. She uses her own trauma as mirror into the collective trauma of our times: sexual harassment as Navy Nurse; bullying in the health care system; many toxic bosses; ancestral trauma of holocaust; and early childhood grief and loss. Thus, making her sensitive to racism, sexism, and classism. She gives a warning about s profit over people, hurry-up rhythm and the effect it would have on our health and freedom, alienation, violence and war, and potential for fascism. This message was in the first book and, continues in this one. She uses her own trauma as mirror into the collective through dance and dreams.
Dance is used as symbol of the psyche. A personal and collective story is told through posture, rhythm, Images and dreams. It is also about the denial of vulnerability related to human needs and feelings that drive the alienation and make people sick and/or violent. The writing is sensitive and heartfelt.
There are illustrations, watercolor painting of dreams and beautiful photography of dance that shows movement across time and the life force.
It is a philosophical shift from a mechanized, commercialized world to one that is human, from war to peace, and from trauma to well-being, becoming compassionate human beings. It is a healing journey from darkness into the light.
The first edition of Dance of Psyche / Rhythm of Consciousness repeatedly received five star reviews.
www.christinacampbell.com for more details.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Christina Campbell has over 55 years of experience in the health care field as educator/consultant, researcher and clinician, psychologist and nurse. She received her BS in Nursing in 1968 from the University of Florida. She worked as a nurse at many teaching hospitals in pediatrics, medicine and psychiatry. Her interest was in helping patients cope with stress and trauma. Her research was in studying the relationship between stress and health and illness. She received a grant to conduct a study in “Play Preparations for Children Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization Procedures.” Additional research projects were: “Perception of Stress by the Staff While Working in an Adolescent Milieu” conducted at Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital, San Francisco, California, and a “Treatment Outcome Study of Hospice Care” conducted at various hospices in the Bay Area. She helped nurses develop research projects as part of a national grant at Stanford Medical center.
She received her M.S. in Community Health Nursing from San Jose State University in 1977. After receiving her masters, she taught Psychiatric Mental Health and Community Mursing at the University of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, and Dominican University in San Raphael, California.
She also taught Integral Health at California Institute of Integral Studies and John F. Kennedy University. She received her doctorate in Educational Psychology Counseling from the University of San Francisco in 1984. Her internship was in a clinic for dual diagnosis, addiction and mental disorders at the Sausalito and San Francisco Professional Clinic. She opened her own psychology practice for treating trauma in 1992 through 2018.
She was credentialed as a Clinical Specialist in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing in 1982 and received her license as a psychologist in 1992.
Inspired by the vitality in Greek music and dance, she studied and performed ethnic dances including classical Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Egyptian, Tunisian, Flamenco, and Greek. She has integrated dance and dance therapy artistically and clinically throughout her career. Her passion combines interests in dance as healing art and trauma psychology. Through rhythm in dance and through her dreams, she brings a message about survival in her first book Dance of Psyche / Rhythm of Consciousness and in this one as well.
Christina creates and performs authentic dance pieces based on psychological and social issues and perspectives, such as her moving and profound works, “Dances of Psyche.” In “Guernica: the Nazi and the Roma,” she confronts violence, trauma, and alienation in society. The dance was named after Picasso’s painting of the Nazi invasion of Spain. Guernica conveys the horror of war, the Nazi was foretelling of the neo-Nazi movement, and the Roma represented the Romani people that were gassed by Hitler. This was related to ancestral trauma. In her “Dance of Gentle Sorrow”, she expresses grief at the loss of life and innocent children, particularly as it relates to war. In her “Fire Dance” she celebrates life, and the natural forms and forces of fire and wind. The last dance was “Venus: Goddess of Love and Peace,” a trance dance with Sufi whirling to connect with the divine, a sacred dance for peace.