Dear Interviewer:

• Violence in our homes, schools, and streets continues to rise. Recent studies have shown that the pace of modern life is causing people to become more isolated and have fewer deep, meaningful ties with others.
• The decline of concern for social norms has led to a culture of rudeness
• Natural tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina have underscored the drastic need for outreach and a safety net of relationships.
• Technology has created a form of false intimacy that leads to fraud, sexual abuse and other problems.

In his nearly four decades as a psychotherapist specializing in group dynamics, Marv Thomas, MSW, has isolated the primary source of social ills like the ones listed above. The decline of personal community is the culprit. In the course of his work and studies, Thomas discovered that most people who came to him didn't need therapy, but "to connect with a strong personal circle of supportive people." The distance--real and perceived--we put between ourselves and others is the chief reason why so many people seek answers through acts of violence and groups that advocate violence.

Only a few decades ago, most Americans lived and died within a short distance of their birthplace. They spent their lives in the midst of a deep and varied personal community that emphasized closeness and shared interests. In the decades since, however, families and, indeed, our society have grown more fragmented. While this era's many technological advancements once held great promise to bring us closer together, it seems paradoxical that these technologies are actually increasing peoples' distance from one another. But that's precisely what's happening to Americans in the early 21st century.

To combat this phenomenon, Thomas has developed the concept of the "Personal Village," a safe zone we make by forming connections to a dynamic circle of positive and supportive relationships. In his books, PERSONAL VILLAGE: How to Have People in Your Life by Choice, Not by Chance (Milestone Books, $16.95, paperback) and THE PERSONAL VILLAGE WORKBOOK (Lakeridge Press, $12.95, paperback) he explains the phenomena of human interaction that can help people take control of their social environment. A highly experienced public speaker, Marv Thomas is expertly qualified to discuss how group dynamics and individual relationships are shaping current events, and the influence they will have on our futures. Thomas is the quintessential "good interview": timely, engaging, informative, upbeat; a man with a message your audience is sure to tune in to. I'll contact you soon to arrange an interview.

Best regards,
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