I will be giving a talk about employment specifically about how I coach peers and others on writing resumes and finding a suitable career.
Details:
2016 NAMI-New York State Educational Conference
Friday, November 11 to Sunday, November 13, 2016
When I will be speaking:
Saturday, November 12
5:40 to 6:40 p.m.
10 to 15 minute talk
Questions & Answers after talk.
See the 2016 NAMI-New York State Educational Conference information here.
This Friday, February 26, 2015 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m:
IAWA–the Italian American Writers Association will be celebrating Italian writers and our literature.
Where:
Lodge Hall at 113 Baxter Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy.
Directions: N, R, 6 trains to Canal Street.
Walk east down Canal to Baxter and make a left on Baxter. The Church and Lodge building are just down the street from Canal.
I will be selling copies of my memoir Left of the Dial for $10/copy.
Select authors will be reading from their books–I hope to be one–and there will be entertainment.
Just show up. There’s no cover–only the cost to buy the authors’ books.
Ciao. See you there.
I want to thank everyone who stopped by the book signing table and bought a copy of my memoir Left of the Dial.
I was also glad to talk to people who didn’t buy the book.
Yes: I sold a ton of copies. Yet the reality is most mental health authors aren’t going to get rich selling books. We’re happy to earn the money that will enable us to get a haircut or eat a restaurant meal as a treat one night.
The thing is: I was a good salesperson. As people walked by I made eye contact and said, “Hi. I’ve written a book about recovery from schizophrenia that you might be interested in.” As soon as people zoomed over I started to tell them: “I credit my mother and my family’s support with enabling me to recover.”
I was surprised with how easy it was to sell the books. Yet then again the topic of the education conference was “Redefining Recovery.”
The point is not that everyone will be able to do what I do. Or that everyone should be able to do what I do. My recovery illustrates that with family support and with a compassionate treatment team it’s more likely you will have a better outcome.
Let’s here it for the mothers and fathers.
The point is that I make the case as I have for going on nine years that the secret to success in recovery is to do what you love, do what you love, do what you love.
It was fun to sign books at the convention and talk to everyone who stopped by.
And like I said I was glad to talk to everyone not just the customers.
Cheers.
I will be selling copies of Left of the Dial at the NAMI-New York State Educational Conference on November 13 and 14.
Stop by and I’m happy to sign copies of my memoir.
In 2004 and 2005 I was a guest speaker at the NAMI-New York State Educational Conference.
I hope to be able to lead a workshop at this conference next year where I talk about going to school and getting a job when you have a mental illness.
Cheers.
I will have a book launch in Brooklyn for my memoir Left of the Dial.
Details:
The Bookmark Shoppe
8415 3rd Avenue (between 85th and 84th)
Brooklyn, NY 11209
(718) 833-5115
March 21, 2015
2:00 p.m.
R train to 86th Street goes there.
The bookstore also sells yarn and has a knitting and crochet club.
The Bookmark Shoppe is an independent bookseller that has thrived for over 10 years in this vibrant Brooklyn neighborhood. Come on out and support a local business.
Hi everyone,
I’m excited to tell you that I will be reading from my memoir Left of the Dial and signing and selling copies of the book at the NAMI-Staten Island Information Meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
It will be spring and I will be selling the book at a reduced cost: $10. It retails for $12.99 via special order at bookstores.
I will read from sections of the book and then talk for a bit and do a Q&A with the audience.
Staten Island is where I lived for most of my life and through the early years of my recovery.
Details:
Christina Bruni book talk
Freedom from Fear building
308 Seaview Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305
NAMI-Staten Island information meeting
Wednesday, April 8, 2015 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Buses that go there are the S78 and the S79 along Hylan Blvd. to the Seaview Avenue stop. You can ask the bus drive to tell you when the Staten Island University Hospital bus stop comes up because that’s where you get off. The Freedom from Fear building is just in off Hylan on the right side of Seaview Avenue.
I’m happy to give the talk and excited to meet people in person.
NAMI-APRIL of Brooklyn was started circa 20 years ago as APRIL, with parents of individuals with mental illnesses advocating for independent living for their loved ones.
I had the great honor and pleasure to talk on Thursday, October 16 with members of this organization. The gig went well and I was grateful for the warm welcome and support everyone gave me.
The highlight of the event when was I talked about this insight that hit me last week: medication and self-motivation are the twin engines that drive a person’s recovery. You can’t have one without the other. If you have the motivation to do better yet aren’t taking your medication you’ll strain against the illness and your efforts won’t be effective. If you take medication yet aren’t motivated to create a better life for yourself one day will be like any other holed up in your room watching TV.
I realize a lot of people with schizophrenia have negative symptoms like a lack of drive and cognitive deficits. Social skills training and cognitive remediation are two evidence-based treatment options that can help these individuals resume having a normal life. These options are often better alternatives to traditional “day programs” that are little more than babysitting services.
I will announce in here in the speaking engagements forum the dates and times of the author appearances I do when Left of the Dial is published shortly. I expect the book to go on sale in early December.
Today I gave a 35 minute talk to older adults at Pride of Judea.
The talk went well. I met great people. I talked about the Left of the Dial philosophy of how to achieve balance.
A woman wanted to know if I took medication. I told her I did and that my one and only drug holiday failed.
Another woman complimented me on doing well. I thanked her and told her that my life was planned from the start, I didn’t chose this life, it’s what God planned for me to do. Not that I didn’t want to do this because I do want to uplift and inspire others.
I was glad an agency exists to treat and welcome adults 50 and older who have mental illnesses.
The audience was beautiful and they inspired me too.
I talked about having a second or third act.
I will report back in here the dates and times of my upcoming talks.
In two weeks I give a talk for Pride of Judea members. It is open to individuals in the psychosocial club. I will be talking in the future at NAMI-APRIL in Brooklyn and the public will be able to attend so stay tuned for details about this talk.
Speaking Engagements 