The Southeast Institute for Group and Family Therapy announces the Josephine Bowens Lewis Memorial Scholarship. An anonymous donor seeded the fund with $5,000 to honor the life-touching work Jo did as a therapist. He chose to donate the money to the Southeast Institute because, as he said, “this was her home. It’s where she grew into a therapist who would go on to enhance thousands of lives.”

 

Jo first came to the Southeast Institute in 1973 to attend a month-long training program. Shortly after, she was invited to join the faculty, which she did. While here, she trained in transactional analysis and became a Certified Transactional Analyst and then a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst. She obtained a Master’s degree in psychotherapy and social change through a joint degree program with Southeast Institute and Lone Mountain College in San Francisco. After earning her Psy.D. from Wright State University, she moved with her future husband to Atlanta where they cofounded and directed the Center for Cooperative Change.

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In addition to her work in Atlanta, Jo and Southeast Institute President and Director Vann Joines continued to offer training around the world and to conduct couples weekends twice a year. Jo was also a senior consultant for VISIONS, Inc., offering training on multiculturalism. She served as an editor of The Women’s Journal, on the USA TA Association council, and as an ITAA board member.

The Jo Lewis Memorial Scholarship is designed to offer financial assistance to African-American therapists who want to train at the Southeast Institute for Group and Family Therapy.

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“I know that Jo would be honored to be remembered in this way,” Vann said.

The Southeast Institute has matched the original $5,000 donation and hopes that others will contribute to the fund. Our hope is that it will grow and continue to honor Jo’s memory and contribution to the field of psychotherapy as well as the lives of people around the world.

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If you are interested in learning more about it, contact Adam Joines at (919) 929-1171.