Recently, I’ve felt a strong calling to more clearly and deeply acknowledge and appreciate the main lineages of learning that I have received from people and their paradigms over the past three decades.
I express my deep gratitude to all the people below, who have taught me and shared their profound knowledge, wisdom and experience.
Joan and Roger Evans, Founders of The Institute of Psychosynthesis, London – where I first learnt about Love and Will, subpersonalities and the relationship between the ego and the Soul. I trained with them from 1992-1998.
Psychosynthesis was created by Roberto Assagioli, an Italian psychiatrist who was deeply influential in the development of humanistic and transpersonal psychology, and who was originally going to call Psychosynthesis ‘Biopsychosynthesis’.
In 1974, he talked about the relationship between psychoanalysis and Psychosynthesis as follows: “In one of his letters Freud said, “I am interested only in the basement of the human being.” Psychosynthesis is interested in the whole building. We try to build an elevator which will allow a person access to every level of his personality. After all, a building with only a basement is very limited. We want to open up the terrace where you can sun-bathe or look at the stars. Our concern is the synthesis of all areas of the personality. That means psychosynthesis is holistic, global and inclusive.”
If you enjoy the psychospiritual elements of my work, the journey of the Soul, and the working with parts, I invite you to explore Psychosynthesis.
Aletha Solter, Ph.D., Founder of The Aware Parenting Institute – where I learnt all about Aware Parenting, the three causes of behaviour, limits and control patterns. Aletha Solter’s first book, The Aware Baby, was first published in 1984. I became an Aware Parenting Instructor in 2005.
If you enjoy the feelings and emotional elements of parenting aspect of my work, I invite you to look into Aware Parenting.
Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D., Founder of The Center for Nonviolent Communication – where I learnt about needs as a cause for feelings, the difference between feelings and thoughts, giving empathy, the domination culture and the true cause of guilt. I participated in many trainings and workshops with Marshall Rosenberg and Certified NVC trainers from 2003-2006.
Whilst doing his PhD in clinical psychology, Marshall Rosenberg met the man who became his mentor, Carl Rogers, from whom he is said to have learnt the importance of empathic listening and the integration of values, thoughts, feelings and spoken words.
If you enjoy the language and needs and empathy aspect of my work, and anything to go with guilt and self-compassion, I invite you to look into NVC.
Philip Golabuk, Founder of The Field Project – where I learnt a lot about consciousness-as-cause and the power of our yeses and no’s. I use a term that is his – “children as messengers” and my Willingness Practice was influenced by his ‘The Decisive Question’. I trained with The Field Project from 2005-2010.
If you enjoy the Conversations with Life, knowing what we want, and children as messengers aspects of my work, I invite you to find out more about The Field Project.
I have also been influenced by the work of so many other people over the past 33 years, since I first started my psychology degree in 1987. Although I am not naming them specifically here, I am deeply grateful for their work and honour and appreciate the influence it has had on me and my work.
Much love
xoxox