When you ask a therapist about the single quality that distinguishes the young clinician from a weathered old pro who’s seen and heard it all, the answer is likely to have something to do with wisdom. It’s a word with enormous resonance that seems to get at the heart of what psychotherapy is all about. But what do therapists actually know about wisdom? Clinical theories, techniques, how to fill out insurance forms—sure, we know a lot about those things. But wisdom?
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Especially during this time of year, in which many of us pause to reflect on the past year and think forward to the year ahead, we tend to consider what we’d like to strive to do less of and what we’d like to do more of. Common resolutions may include cutting back on calories and hitting the gym more often; spending more time with friends and family and less working overtime hours; spending less money on cute shoes and more on…well, nothing! Today, many of us work to spend less and less money and save more of it for the future.

At the Networker, this is the time of year in which we’re really looking forward to the upcoming annual Symposium in March. We’ve sent out the Symposium program and posted details on our website—and this year, for the first time, we’ve even produced a digital edition of the Symposium program, which you can see on our Symposium 2012 page.

Nearly every day, no matter what time of the year, I find myself enthusiastically talking (more like gushing) about the Symposium in some capacity—to some poor subscriber who calls to ask a magazine-related question, to a webcast participant who emails to ask about CE credits, to friends who are social work students, to a family member who’s a health nut (“Did you know Andrew Weil is coming to our conference next year?! And Jane Fonda?!”), and more. Those poor souls who have to hear me go on and on about much they’d love the conference and how it’s worth attending….

But for those of you who’ve never been to a Symposium—or for those of you who’ve been in the past—I wanted to let you know just a few reasons I think you should consider registering for Symposium 2012:
•    There’s no substitute for real-life, human interaction—in our increasingly virtual universe, where we can easily and instantly communicate and learn online, you may think, “Why should I travel to Washington, DC when I can learn in other ways?” Trust me, there’s just nothing like face-to-face learning, in this one-of-a-kind atmosphere of energy, positivity, openness, and inspiration.
•    The extraordinary featured speakers—Andrew Weil, Dan Siegel, Scott Miller, Mary Pipher, Pat Ogden, and special guest Jane Fonda—and more than 100 incredible presenters, like Mary Jo Barrett, Lynn Grodzki, William Doherty, and Harville Hendrix.
•    The wide variety of relevant topics—no matter your clinical interest, we’ve got something that’s sure to be interesting and provide you with a new, helpful perspective. We’ve got workshops on topics such as mindfulness, clinical mastery, communities of practice, professional development, the business of therapy, and much more.
•   The energetic atmosphere and ample opportunities for dialogue, adventure, and fun available when thousands of therapists are gathered in one place. 
•    It’s the best way to survey and reflect on the field—past, present, and future—with so many likeminded colleagues.
•    Come celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Networker Symposium with us!

If you’ve attended the Symposium in the past, it’s likely you’ve got your own list of reasons to attend this year. What do you think is the absolute best reason to join us in Washington, DC this March 22-25, 2012?