Advocacy

Deborah has been an advocate, for those who are marginalized in our society, recognizing and challenging  institutional and individual discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and religious affiliation. 

Dr. Adamy also has been an advocate for those who face a wide range of psychological hardship, from those paralyzed by fear, to those seeking to thrive more fully. Many people believe that they are at the mercy of their emotions, their thoughts or their circumstances; often operating as a victim in the world, dis-empowered and stuck, questioning their own self-worth, disappointed by dissatisfying relationships. Dr. Adamy provides compassion, support and practical life skills for those suffering from a victim mindset, as well as for those who are compelled and open to  expand, grow and live more confidently into the fullness of their potential.

When running a high school youth group through her Episcopal church, Deborah advocated for summer service trips to be incorporated into the program. Knowing that the teenagers learned best experientially, Deborah created meaningful opportunities for them to volunteer in communities that were affected by war, natural disasters, oppression and extreme poverty. She saw how moved the teens were by these experiences that took them out of their comfort zone, exposed them to lifestyles so different than their own, yet tapped inner resources and qualities within them they didn't know they possessed.  She captured this experience in her dissertation for her doctoral degree in clinical psychology. The title for Deborah's dissertation is "Witnessing Psycho-Spiritual Transformation in Teens Who Volunteer: The Young Hero's Journey." Her study was based on a two week trip to Nicaragua with 15 teenagers who volunteered to build one-room cinder block houses for materially poor families in rural villages. Charting Joseph Campbell's stages of the hero's journey of self explorations and discovery, the teens lived in very rustic conditions (cold-water bucket showers, no electricity, no privacy, mosquito-netted cots, intense heat, insects and demanding manual labor), yet experienced profound change, growth and transformation. Deborah grounds her research in psycho-spiritual transformation, the process of change and volunteerism, providing generalized insight for anyone interested in evolving spiritually.

Deborah also advocates for making psycho-spiritual wisdom accessible to everyday people seeking to enrich their lives, by developing and facilitating workshops and on-going support groups:
The Art of Thinking: Consciousness, Intention, Intuition, and Essence
The Art of Creating: Desire, Integration, Purpose, Beauty
The Art Of Being: Open Mind, Open Heart, Alignment, Presence

TMAD: Teens Making a Difference
Cultivating Sacred Activists: Addressing Social Justice from a Spiritual Foundation
111 Questions for Artists - Connecting with Our Soul’s Purpose