/Health HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISRAEL! Though this small nation restored,in the 20th century faces troubled times, it is destined to prevail. The Holy Scriptures affirm Israel's place within the ancient borders. They will not be displaced and will yet dwell peace- ably within the promised land. Jeremiah 24:6 We wish to extend our best wishes on this 50th anniversary of Israel's state- hood. We also wish to offer a faith strengthening review of the Scripture promises and prophecies being fulfilled for the Jew in the borders of their ancient land. THE TIME TO FAVOR ZION HAS COME FREE BOOKLET THIS LAND IS MINE Associated Bible Students of Metro Detroit P.O. Box 2153 • Dearborn, MI 48123 Please send my copy of This Land is Mine Name Address City State/Zip ARNOLD LINCOLN-MERCURY-MAZDA Drive East Pay The Least maema PASSION FOR THE ROADTM' 11 LINCOLN Mercury GIL PRATT Leasing Manager Your West Side Specialist (810) 445-6000 Gratiot Ave. at 12 Mile Road Roseville, MI 48066 Fax (810) 771-7340 c *Y2 :: A gfAe Get Results... Advertise in our new Entertainment Section! Call The Sales Department (248)354-7123 Ext. 209 DETROIT JEWISH /DEIS 6/5 1998 114 QIN Healing, Wholeness and Holiness An Ann Arbor psychologist brings the spiritual into her practice. LISA GAYLE Special to The Jewish News T o symbolize spring's increasing light, Dr. Bar- bara Boyk places a three- wick candle on her dining- room table. A small plant sitting on a weaving of deep peach, brown and black reminds her that the earth's richness nourishes all things. For Boyk, a psychotherapist, the objects on her dining room table are symbols that evoke feelings, prayers and memories: She believes that one's spiritual life is as much a part of health as the physical body, the intellect and emotions. "If we don't have awareness of where we are in all four aspects, we can't move forward in a balanced way," said Boyk, 44, who has been practicing in Ann Arbor for 15 years. She points out that Jewish mystical tradition regards the body, mind, emotions and spirit as the four worlds that are fundamental to being human and that other long-standing spiritual traditions have a similar way of looking at humanity. She said that patients facing severe loss or major crises often want to connect to something greater than themselves but didn't know h6w. Seeing that as a need outside the realm of traditional psychotherapy, she created two workshops to help bridge the gap. T'filah, or Prayer, tried to expand a participant's experience of prayer. For Boyk, davening can look like an egalitarian minyan, a silent medita- tion, a chanting service or a spiritual dance. The workshop includes shar- ing experiences about prayer as well as davening. The other workshop, Derech, or Pathways, helps participants to con- nect their psychological issues with their spiritual development. Participants' ages range from 30s to 60s. They are men and women, singles and married, Jews and non- Jews. Within Judaism, participants come from Reform, Conservative, secular and unaffiliated backgrounds. Boyk grew up in Toledo and earned her degrees from the Univer- sity of Michigan. While earning an undergraduate teaching certificate, she focused on alternatives in educa- tion and psychology. Her master's degree is in educational psychology, her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and higher education. After receiving her MA, Boyk became ill and spent six years healing and working in the creative arts. Dur- ing that time, she became involved with non-Jewish spiritual teaching and felt the experience of prayer. "Although I had a clear Jewish identity, it never touched my soul in a way that was spiritually sustaining," she said. That changed when she found Jewish Renewal, an approach to Judaism that integrates Torah with the Jewish mystical teachings of Kab- balah and the chasidic masters as well as the insights of contemporary ecol- ogy, feminism and democracy. She started to attend classes, con- ference and retreats given by ALEPH, the Jewish Renewal organizational and teaching center in Philadelphia, and found them spiritually nourish- ing. As her health returned, she created personal spiritual practices and kept in touch with Renewal friends. Grad- ually, others have joined her, and she has joined the Ann Arbor Recon- structionist Havurah. Barbara Boyk: Integrates prayer with psychotherapy.