Eugene weekly., January 19, 2017, Page 11, Image 11

NEWS
BY WILLIAM KENNEDY
KICKING THE
TRUMP FUNK
Tips from a local therapist for
staying sane while staying
informed
L
ook around and see signs of political
burnout, in more than just eyes red and
raw from excessive newsfeed scrolling.
Listen and hear it in voices: nervous
laughter, talk of fascism and edgy jokes
about leaving the country.
And all this is amongst folks who arguably
have the least to lose with the election of Don-
ald Trump.
For less comfortable Americans, this mal-
aise — this Trump Funk, if you will — is more
like abject terror, a genuine nervous exhaus-
riage and family counselor, is founder of Eu-
gene Therapy and Oregon Counseling of
Corvallis. Zola says that, post election, his or-
ganization has definitely had an uptick in calls
for first-time appointments
“People remain concerned about how ex-
treme, racist, homophobic and oppres-
sive views have been normalized during this
election cycle,” Zola says. “The uncertainty
this creates tends to have the most salient im-
pact on vulnerable populations, including (but
not limited to) those with chronic mental health
conditions.”
But in addition to fear and uncertainty, Zola
says the election has renewed a commitment in
people to taking action for social justice causes
they feel a Trump administration will threaten.
“To some degree, we are seeing and hearing
increased mobilization and interest in finding
common ground,” he says.
“The existential threats of climate change,
war and fascism are on people’s minds,” Zola
continues, “and this can serve as a motivator to
organize and advocate for our values in a way
‘Fear tends to be experienced in a
private and isolative way.’
HAPPENING PEOPLE
BY PAUL NEEVEL
— M A R C Z O L A , C O U N S E LO R
MICHAEL FULLER
tion. A quick Google search produces a sea of
how-to articles about dealing with post-election
anxiety.
Back in October, The New York Times re-
ported Manhattan therapist Sue Elias saying:
“I’ve been in private practice for 30 years, and I
have never seen patients have such strong reac-
tions to an election.”
Barack Obama is no angel, but with the
election of our nation’s first African-American
president, it felt like a page had turned.
And now, with a gross primary season re-
sulting in what promises to be one of history’s
most dangerous presidencies, that page has
been slammed back hard — harder than anyone
could’ve dreamed.
Marc Zola, a Eugene-based licensed mar-
that both brings us together and creates person-
al satisfaction as a healthy byproduct.”
So besides growing a big black beard and
heading for the hills in green Army fatigues
with an AK-47, what does Zola suggest doing
to weather the upcoming four years while man-
aging to stay sane?
“Our advice is to consider taking some of
the time spent being exposed to news and put-
ting that toward reaching out to others and
practicing self-acceptance,” Zola advises. “Fear
tends to be experienced in a private and isola-
tive way — part of the antidote to this is real-
izing that many others are experiencing very
similar feelings.”
“There is power in realizing you are not
alone,” Zola says.
• Let the games begin! Pete Sorenson’s announcement
that this is his last four-year term as Lane County
commissioner opens the floodgates for candidates to step
up in his progressive South Eugene district. Not an easy job
for a progressive, it does now pay $84,457 annually, making
it the best political pay prospect in the county. We wonder if
Andy Stahl will run again or if a smart, strong woman will try
to join the current men’s club? Kudos to Pete for making this
announcement four years out.
• Donald Trump is not Making America Great Again, but he
is doing a lot to make Saturday Night Live amazing. Don’t
forget to watch Alec Baldwin’s cold opening on SNL this
historic week. His Jan. 14 take on Trump’s “press conference”
dissing the media was hilarious. We can’t even imagine what
he and his writers will do with the inauguration.
“I studied for a year at the University of Dakar in Senegal,” says Michael Fuller,
who was at the time a philosophy major at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. His
graduation requirements included study abroad and work-study at home, so he also
taught outdoor school in his home state of Maine. After graduation, Fuller returned to
Ocean Park, Maine, to continue teaching outdoor school. He moved to Eugene four
years later, in 1986. “I met my wife, got married in ’89,” he says, “and I went back to
school at the UO for a master’s in special ed.” The couple moved to Portland, where
he taught in Beaverton schools for six years and served summer internships at local
tech firms. “After my internship at Intel, I didn’t go back to teaching,” he says. “I
worked 19 years for Intel, managing programs in engineering, product development
and IT. I worked in every area but sales, HR and finance.” When he retired from Intel
in June of 2016, he applied to the Encore Fellows program sponsored by Social
Ventures Partners Portland, an organization that matches business retirees to
nonprofits. “I’m the only Encore Fellow in Eugene,” says Fuller, who began a year of
half-time work on digital security for ELAW (Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide)
in September. “It’s a big draw for me. ELAW supports grass-roots activists in 80
countries. The fellows program pays me a stipend. ELAW doesn’t pay.” He and his
wife moved back to Eugene, where they have found a house for sale next door to
her parents, and where he can enjoy commuting to work by bicycle.
• The Eugene arts world hasn’t quite signed on to the
national J20 Art Strike against Trump’s inauguration, but two
arts groups plan positive protests. Oregon Contemporary
Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, will join the national Ghostlight
Project from 5 to 6 pm, Thursday, Jan. 19. Bring a light and
“make or renew a pledge to stand for and protect the values of
inclusion, participation and compassion for everyone.” At the
UO, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art offers free admission
Friday so people can “use art and the museum as (a) place for
reflection and dialogue” on Inauguration Day.
• Let’s channel energy into action! The Women’s March is
Jan. 21 in Eugene and across the country, and thousands of
people are traveling to Washington D.C. the day after the
inauguration to address fears women and minorities face as
President “I Grab Them By the Pussy” takes the oath of office.
On Jan. 16, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in
town saw a group we estimate to be around 1,500 take to the
streets rallying for racial justice (kudos to Phil Carrasco of
Grupo Latino de Acción Directa and Kevin Summerfield of
Eugene 4J schools for getting NAACP Community
Leader Awards) and on Jan. 15, rallies for affordable health
care, inspired by a call from former presidential candidate
Bernie Sanders, took place in Eugene and across the nation.
Now, as our favorite fictional president Josiah “Jed” Barlet
used to say on The West Wing, “What’s next?”
• In the print version of last week’s Slant about the
upcoming Jan. 25 Point in Time homeless count, due to an
editing error, we incorrectly wrote, “Four unhoused people in
Portland have died as a result of Oregon’s frigid weather. That’s
two people too many.” It should have read “four too many” as
EW believes no unhoused person should die of exposure.
Since last week, a stillborn baby birthed by a homeless
mother has further called attention to the issue in Portland.
eugeneweekly.com • January 19, 2017
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