Unlocking the Mystery of the Family Emotional History
The goal of this conference is to highlight the importance of exploring family research as a means to better understand one’s family and one’s part in it. The invited researcher, Ryan Woods, leads a nationally recognized organization, AmericanAncestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society, the oldest genealogical organization in the US. From his rich experience in traditional genealogical research, he will present on how people are motivated and impacted by genealogical research and on his observations of patterns and legacies in published family histories. His broad research perspective will interface with presenters who will describe research of their own families from the perspective of Bowen family systems theory. Participants will come away with an appreciation of how family research broadens one’s understanding of family emotional process and how Bowen theory illuminates one’s understanding of family history.
Guest Speaker
Ryan J. Woods is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AmericanAncestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society―America’s founding genealogical organization. Established in 1845, it is the nation’s leading comprehensive resource for family history research. Ryan has played a vital role in developing services and experiences to meet twenty-first-century research and information access requirements. He was the lead creator of AmericanAncestors.org, the organization’s award-winning website and the most-used genealogical society website in the world. A dedicated researcher, Ryan’s interests include the history of genealogy as a discipline and its applications in education and social studies, including the use of historical biographies to teach character and ethics.
Mr. Woods will be speaking on the following topics at the Spring Conference:
The Origins, Motivations, and Influence of Genealogy: An Examination of the Development of Family History as Pastime and Profession.
Generational Impact: A Survey of Observations, Patterns, and Legacies in Published Family Histories
The conference day provides a maximum of 10.5 hours of Category I continuing education credit for social workers and for counselors.