On June 17th, Leo Fong, MSW, M.Th. was a guest of the Graduate Counseling Program at LIU Hudson at Rockland and delivered a talk: Transforming Adversities into Advantages: The Mind-Body Sprit Connection. Masha Arius a student in the Mental Health Counseling program at LIU Hudson at Rockland and was in attendance.
Upon hearing about Leo Fong’s presentation on campus, I decided to go because I have heard so much about him. I was surprised to hear his life story and how he has not only overcome adversity but he make that adversity his stepping stone in life. Leon Fong is a very spiritual man and he is in tune with the embodiment of spirituality and fitness, such as mediation. He has also channeled that into his active life as well; he is very athletic and has traveled the states to teach both old and young how to keep a healthy lifestyle and exercise effectively without hurting themselves.
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What was most interesting to me during Leor’s speech was that he was a victim of racism as a young adult and he did not let that mold him or harden his heart. As a LMHC student, that taught me that individuals that may come seeking my expertise may be suffering thought what Leo did. It is how he handled that situation that truly taught me how to properly assist people like him. Leo has turned some of his worst experiences into educational tools. This is something I would encourage my clients to do when counseling them.
Leo is an ordained minister and he is very good at it because no matter how good or bad his circumstances in life may be he is always able to reference his experiences and put a positive twist to it. He mentioned also that when your life is at its worst and you are confident it is the end; don’t write your own ending, every end has a new beginning. This was very insightful especially when working with depressed individuals. This takes away the hopelessness that we often feel when we are at a low point in our lives.
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The presentation was very enlightening and it opened my eyes to a whole other side of positivity and how as a counselor we could bring that into our sessions without being too overbearing. This is a subtle yet encouraging way to uplift our clients.
By Masha Arius
Born in Canton, China and raised in rural Arkansas during the Great Depression, Leon Fong, was no stranger to racism, bigotry, and poverty. His life’s journey, spanning more than 85 years is a fascinating testimonial to how mind. body, and spirit. A 10th degree black belt, actor/director in 17 films and author of a dozen books, and an ordained Methodist minister who recently retired from active pastoral ministry. Leo is a regular guest of the Counseling Program at LIU Hudson at Rockland.
