By Mary Fridley Last month I had the pleasure of attending a conference hosted by the British Society of Gerontology (BSG), which invited me to present on the social therapeutic approach I’ve used in the creation of The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding!). Social therapeutics is a…
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By Mary Fridley For this month’s blog, I’m going to share some writings that I’m inspired by these days. Since we can all use some uplift and inspiration, I thought I’d share them for your reading (and living) enjoyment. I recently had the pleasure of discovering Kitchen Table…
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As I look back on 2022, I am especially grateful for being part of an international community of people who are doing so much to promote growth, joy, and community at a time when all seem in short supply. As those of you who’ve read my columns know, I am…
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By Mary Fridley Whenever I tell people I’m a developmentalist, they most often look at me with a polite but blank stare. I understand their confusion – after all, the word development is used in many different ways – so let me say what I don’t mean by development….
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By Mary Fridley (artwork by Wally Cox) I recently had the great good fortune to speak with Wally Cox, a dear friend of mine who has lived with dementia for over eight years. I met Wally through The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding!) workshop series I lead for…
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By Mary Fridley I occasionally use this column to share the writings of people I admire, and high on that list is Sally Fox, a “writer, consultant, and coach ready to help you redesign your life.” She is also one of the most curious, thoughtful, caring, and creative people…
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Mary Fridley is on the faculty at the East Side Institute in NYC, co-creator and leader of The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding!), and coordinator of Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice. An accomplished teacher and workshop leader, Mary practiced social therapy for 12 years and uses the social therapeutic approach as a teacher and workshop leader. She is the author or co-author of several articles and chapters on the Joy of Dementia, including a chapter that appears in The Applied Improvisation Mindset published in August 2021. Additionally, Mary is a guest blogger for agebuzz and a playwright and theater director. She makes her living as a non-profit fundraising consultant. She can be contacted at mfridley@eastsideinstitute.org .
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