Process notes
Process notes: from CFOR and Processwork UK 9 Day Facilitator Training Intensive in London ‘The World Inside Out’
Facilitated by Arlene and Jean-Claude Audergon, joined by Gill Emslie, assisted by Milan Bijelić and Eva Karia.
Organization and administration held by Tajana Vlaisavljević, Harriet Macey and Richard Palser.
A committed group of 100 + participants took part in CFOR and Processwork UK’s 9 Day Facilitator Training Intensive in London, ‘The World Inside Out’. It is a great and not easy thing to focus on learning facilitation skills and the spirit and attitude with which you facilitate, while working so deeply together on the upsetting and polarising issues of our lives and times – we are grateful for the profound moments of learning with one another. Here are some process notes…
Each day began with presentations to bring forward the underlying concepts, spirit and skills of Processwork and Worldwork facilitation, followed by Inner Work in the mornings, with demonstration works with individuals. Afternoons, we had large and small group process, with debrief and study. We also had opportunities for 2 panel discussions. Dianne, Joy and Asif from Brap spoke about their work in the school system. Susan and Ayoub spoke about their work in the Middle East, and Maxim spoke about the current tensions in Eastern Ukraine.
Here is a very brief synopsis of some of the group processes, knowing a few words can only touch on the experience.
One very emotional and transformative process was on the rise of fascism. We touched on the abuse of power amongst populist and fascist political leaders and in personal and family violence. And then as the process unfolded, we felt the well of pain in participants from Spain whose families suffered under Franco’s long rule and the subsequent code of silence – the agony of families and hearts torn apart.
In a process on Ireland – England, several people shared personal and family stories of the history and legacy of England’s oppression and violence in Ireland, the traumatic stories of families and communities over generations, the complexity, and the continued lack of awareness and accountability of the English who are still educated that this is the ‘Irish problem’. There was also a deep discussion on internalised oppression. As the ghost role of the oppressor was represented, there was an outpouring of outrage, and as well as pride in Irish culture and heart… ‘you have no idea the size of our hearts, you have no idea the patience we’ve shown’ and ‘you have no idea of the patience people show you all over the world.’
Another process was on white supremacy and dynamics of racism. First some people of colour requested to meet separately as a sub-group while this work was going on, so as to not always be in the position of having to educate white people or to repeatedly work with the frozenness, guilt and defensiveness in white people when topics of race arise – and to have a chance to talk at a deeper level with one another. The group continued working on white supremacy and the next day, as we worked as a whole group, there was a call to focus on being direct, and in relationship. The distancing, and ‘othering’ that is always seen and felt by people of colour was named. Several white people then came forward and acknowledged how they personally were living out and perpetuating white supremacy in their attitudes and in the way they perceived and related to people of colour.
We also had a deep process on bullying as a cross cutting theme. This touched on so many of us personally, and in our families, as well as the institutional abuse of power within the education system in Europe and in Africa pointing to the impact and legacy of colonial history.
And we had a process on Trans Rights, focusing on the pain and complexity of trans women not being seen as women or not being seen as safe by some radical feminist groups. We also touched on intersectional issues around race and gender identity. We discovered the ‘ghost role’ that is implicit within society, within so many of us, who is disinterested in perceiving the pain that is caused by thinking of gender as only binary.
A process on ‘isolation and community’ focused on the pain around social action groups not working together. One focus was on how social activism around climate change needs far more awareness around race and other issues of diversity and intersectionality. The process evolved into a focus on what is needed to actively get to know diverse communities instead of expecting communities that are marginalized to have to do all the work of coming into the dominant group.
Inner work:
We focused daily on inner work – we worked with several individuals, and there were opportunities for everyone to work alone and in pairs. The inner work focused on how we get activated emotionally, what it means to ‘burn wood’ and to get to know our affects, as a way to develop our sensitivity and gifts as facilitators. Inner work also brings awareness to our ‘edges’ of perception and internalised belief systems, related to systemic normalisation. Inner work practice supports awareness and contact with ourselves – growing awareness and accountability for our part in the world individually and collectively, as well as linking to the underlying ‘dreaming’ and sentient awareness which unites us and moves us most deeply – to the potential creativity when bringing awareness along into even the most difficult situations of our lives and world.
THE WORLD INSIDE OUT:
Your deepest nature, your skills, your truth, your dedication to making a difference – all are sorely needed from each of us in our world.
9 day Processwork and Worldwork Intensive
Facilitation Training with Arlene and Jean-Claude Audergon
January 30 – February 7 2020
We can think of nothing more important, and ultimately nothing more fun than the practice of staying close to and alongside your own awareness, whether you are alone in meditation or among people.
One of the most important things about Processwork and Worldwork is that its methods support people to grapple with the most difficult themes in their lives as individuals, in relationship, in organisations and community – and in working with the divisiveness and conflict within our wider society and world.
It may be a kind of truism, yet seems important to say. Your key to facilitating others is your own practice of awareness. You are your only chance! When in close contact with yourself, you have a chance to relate to and facilitate others. Without this awareness, it is easy to feel sunk, caught in polarisations, swimming or drowning in the troubles you had hoped to solve.
Awareness practice can mean discovering how you are linked to the wider field that is moving you – your personal and family history, our collective history, and an underlying ‘field’ that links us all, and is moving you and all of us in surprising ways.
9 Days
We will be 9 days together! Oh My! A chance for all of us to both ‘retreat’ from everyday life, to be able to focus on our inner awareness practice, and a chance to practice and study ‘worldwork’ facilitation in a large group setting, and to process the collective issues of our times.
Learning methods
We want to explore new ways of learning about this essential interplay of inner work and worldwork. Each of us is always at a growing edge. And collectively, as a society, we are at a growing edge to learn to facilitate rather than just be taken into the river of difficulties that we are in together.
We all learn in different ways and by way of different combinations of methods – reflecting on new ideas
and skills, modeling, making contact with an inner teacher, visual imagery, movement, dance and song, sensing and feeling, discussion and debate, jumping in, giving it a whirl, making errors, having a beginner’s mind and a curious and playful attitude, going slow, feeling nervous and observing. A difficult, but important part of learning about facilitation is to be able to engage in a conflict and at the same time learn to facilitate it.
Mornings: We will focus on Processwork and Worldwork concepts and skills including what the Mindells have been referring to as the ‘second training’ – your contact to your deepest nature and the underlying ‘processmind’ that moves you and brings you in touch with the attitudes that help you to facilitate, and bring a sense of life purpose and meaning. These patterns can be found through working with the early childhood dream and our most subtle body experiences.
Afternoons: We will focus on facilitating group process – and studying group process. This will include large and small group facilitation practice, and study of process structure with a range of learning methods.
Day by day, in morning and afternoon sessions, we’ll build upon skills and facilitation practice.
Themes will include:
- The facilitator’s inner life and body awareness
- Field:
- Perceiving in 3 dimensions (consensus reality, dreamland and essence); channels of perception (visual, auditory, proprioception and kinaesthetic)
- Staying in contact with sentient awareness while working with outer tensions and role polarisations
- Personal and collective trauma:
- Personal and collective healing
- Working with personal and collective shock
- Dynamics of trauma and privilege
- Healing the split of our traumatic world story
- Body awareness and healing trauma, with focus on sentience, proprioception and movement
- Transforming history, collective witnessing and accountability
- Working with system dynamics of privilege, power and structural discrimination:
- Complex rank dynamics: including social rank (gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, class, education, age, disability and more); psychological rank; and spiritual rank
- Asymmetrical polarisations – when the polarisation is not a 2-sided conflict (e.g. Genocide is not a conflict between two ‘sides’, nor is discrimination or abuse.)
- Working with gate-keepers, backlash and zigs and zags
- Systems with Awareness:
- Paradigm and methodology of Deep Democracy
- Systems and process dynamics (roles and identity)
- Limits and possibilities to systemic change
- Hot spots, cool spots, polarisation and transformation
- The ‘edge’ of the facilitator / the ‘edge’ of the culture and the ‘edge’ of the world or worldview
- The Facilitator’s Path / You Matter
- Process Mind and your ‘second training’
- Awareness of ‘Phases’ of conflict
- Case studies in transformation
Filming: To support study and documentation we film our interactions with a release form to sign.
Training: This is a training course, not a therapy setting. Training includes engaging personally and sometimes emotionally with difficult themes while learning to facilitate. Be sure that you have support systems in place if you may need them.
Who attends: In past Intensives, there’s been a diversity of participants attending for personal, professional and creative development, interested in the link between personal awareness and one’s contribution within a range of fields such as: conflict resolution, peace-building, social action, community building, diversity training and organisational development within international, government, voluntary, business, religious and spiritual organisations, counseling and therapy, education, movement, arts, performance and education.
CPD Certificate of Attendance and Continuing Professional Development credits available
- The Intensive stands alone as a 9-day course for personal and professional
- The Intensive can also be taken as part of CFOR’s Facilitation for Leaders modular training For more information contact admin@cfor.info
- The modular course stands alone or can serve as a pathway to the Processwork UK International
Diploma Program (UKCP or Worldwork track)
Registration:
Fee for the 9 day Intensive: £870 with £200 deposit
Fee Early / Early-bird: £720 with £200 deposit before July 1 2019
Fee Early-bird: £770 with £200 deposit before Sept. 15 2019
A limited number of partial work-study bursaries will be available for people coming from different economies or with financial hardship.
To register: Please email seminars@processworkuk.org letting us know your wish to attend.
We’ll ask you for contact details and let you know how to pay the deposit. Registration is upon receipt of your deposit. In recent years, the Intensive has filled to capacity. Please register early to reserve your place and to support ease of administration. You’ll receive a Welcome Pack before the Intensive.
Venue:
Pax Lodge is situated about five minutes from our offices in Belsize Park. We’ve been enjoying doing our Intensives at this lovely, secluded location among Northwest London bustle.
Accommodation:
Participants come from different parts of the UK and many countries. We would be happy to send you a list of local accommodation, and are glad when you share your ideas. Air BnB has been useful and you may also be able to stay at Pax Lodge with early booking directly with the venue. Let them know you are with our group and whether you would like a single room or to share with others.
Timing:
The first day begins with coffee, tea and registration. Please arrive between 9.30 and 9.40 for a 10 am start. The Intensive runs daily from 10 am to 6.30 pm with lunch and tea breaks. On the evening before our last day, we’ll have an evening ‘get-together’ with light dinner, hanging out and dancing. The last day ends at 4 pm.
Please download the brochure here.
ProcessworkUK www.processworkuk.org or the Research Society for Process-oriented Psychology UK (RSPOPUK) was established in 1988 to support research and training in Processwork, developed by Dr. Arnold Mindell. Processwork UK sponsors events, seminars and Intensive courses, 1-year training programmes and a 5- year International Diploma programme. There are two Processwork Diploma pathways: the Processwork Diploma in Worldwork and the UKCP accredited Diploma in Process Oriented Psychotherapy. Processwork UK is a lively and thriving learning community of formal and informal students and practitioners.
CFOR www.cfor.info is a NGO and registered Charity devoted to the role of personal and collective awareness and facilitated dialogue for processing history, conflict resolution, community recovery, transitional justice and violence prevention. It supports individuals, teams, communities and organisations to engage with the complex problems we face together and to find pathways forward. CFOR’s work is in the UK and Continental Europe, Rwanda, the Balkans and South Africa.
Arlene Audergon, PhD UKCP and Jean-Claude Audergon, MSc UKCP are co-founders of Processwork UK and CFOR, and teach Processwork internationally. Arlene is author of the book ‘The War Hotel: Psychological Dynamics in Violent Conflict’. Find articles, books and films from Jean-Claude and Arlene as well as their bios on www.processworkuk.org or www.cfor.info
