Processing and Healing History - Creating a New Beginning

Processing and Healing History

This is the second part of a cycle of WorldWork seminars, that started in Warsaw 2012 and is based on work in Palestine and Israel during the last 16 years held by the International Peace Group. Professionals like counsellors, psychotherapists, chaplains, social workers etc., and everybody interested is welcomed. Previous attendance or knowledge is not required.
Nations, like individuals and relationships, need help processing their history, particularly traumatic experiences. Living now doesn't mean history or trauma is gone, but instead tends to replay themselves and influence the present. Its ghosts and remnants are lived out in individuals and families. We might seek for detachment, but actually we are frozen in silence that stops us from interacting. Throughout Europe we see the rise of anti-Semitism, anti-immigrant, and anti-Muslim feelings. Xenophobia, the fear of those different than us, is increasing and an escalating sense of 'us' versus 'them' mentality.

Creating a New Beginning

The vision is to bring people together from different backgrounds and different countries to create relationship and an atmosphere of trust.
Many of us carry the memories of experiences of our parents and grandparents. The history has shaped the lives of many, but we still rarely talk about the feeling aspects within our family or in public. The way we cut ourselves off from feeling and the way we silence ourselves can be understood as part of the dynamic of our collective trauma.
Healing the collective and thus creating a real connection between us as human beings is the goal of the seminar. We work with unresolved history and its affects into our daily and personal live. We have an interest in working on tensions and conflict in order to make violence an obsolete method and exploring the power of non-violent methods of conflict facilitation. We focus on the unresolved healing that needs to be done, specifically in regards to the Holocaust. Therefore we give tools for dealing with strong emotions still present in the background that can't yet come out, and this repression helps to create a cycle of silence and depression.

Methods

Our work is based on WorldWork, which is the group aspect of Process oriented Psychology (POP) found by A. Mindell. POP is a holistic methodology working with individuals, relationships, and systems in very different areas. It attempts to find meaning in experiences without pathologizing and assumes that there is something meaningful behind everything. The central principle is, that if we follow what is happening with awareness, we can be facilitators with nature of what is trying to happen. Approaching dreamlike processes with openness and curiosity can lead to new insights, and create energetic shifts that are vital to our development.
We want to create space for all voices, positions and feelings to be present. We will focus on training skills in methods of POP to work with trauma, hot spots and unresolved tensions and conflicts. The participants get a chance to bring their personal experience in and work directly with these topics. The seminar will consist of theory introduction, group process, inner work, and dyad exercises.
Seminar language: English
During exercises German or Polish support is possible.

Facilitators

• Gary Reiss, PhD, Cert. Process Oriented Psychology Trainer, Process Work Institute Portland, USA. He provides conflict facilitation and organizational development around the world incl. Israel/Palestine and is the head of the International Peace Group. He is the author 'Beyond War and Peace in the Arab Israeli Conflict', 'Families that Dream Together' and seven other books. www.garyreiss.com
• Bogna Szymkiewicz, PhD; teaches at the University of Warsaw. Cert. Process Oriented Psychology teacher and co-founder of the Studium of Process Oriented Psychology and Psychotherapy, Warsaw, Poland. She is the author of a book about hurt feelings in relationships: 'Wounded states of consciousness' and co-author of 'Deeper into the soul' and teaches internationally. www.bogna.eu
• Kirsten Wassermann, reg. EuroPsy Psychologist Clincal and Health, Bonn, Germany, cand. Dipl. POP, RSPOP UK. She has written a book and articles about grief work and abortion and a dissertation about ethical dilemmas, death and experiences connected to German history in the field of abortion and teaches internationally. www.kirsten-wassermann.de

Times:

Start: 10 am, Ending: 4pm

Tuition:

Western countries 320 €, early bird until August 1st 290 €
Eastern Europe and Middle East 160 €, early bird until August 1st 130 €
If you can not pay the tuition according to your social economic status, please contact organizer.

Venue:

DJH Jugendherberge Bonn, Haager Weg 42, 53127 Bonn
http://rheinland.jugendherberge.de/Jugendherbergen/Bonn4
38/Portraet

Accomodation

There are single/ double rooms and dormitories at the venue. Please book on their website or www.booking.com.
Full boarding is possible.
Nearby is “Waldhäuschen” (www.waldhäuschen.de) and Dorint Hotel (www.hotel-bonn.dorint.com)
Transport
By plane to airport Cologne-Bonn, than bus SB60 to Bonn Train station approx. 25 min and then bus 600 or 602 to stop “Jugendherberge” directly at the venue.
By train: outside of the train station is the bus station. You take bus 600 or 602 to stop “Jugendherberge” directly at the venue, approx. 20 min.
By car: direction Venusberg – Ippendorf, car parking is provided at the venue

For further information and registration please email: kirsten.wassermann@netcologne.de