Masculine and Feminine
September 19, 20, 21, 2003

Alexis Johnson, Ph.D.

Much of our understanding of early development is based on the mother-infant rhythm, but what about the masculine energies? What role does that energy, the yang, the boundary, the capacity to separate, have in gathering a self? Does it come only from an external father or can it come from archetypical energies or the inner masculine of the mother? Through lecture, personal sharing and family scenes, we will deepen our understanding of this universal polarity.

The Psychosomatic Ground of Transformation

January 9, 10, 11, 2004
Judith Schmidt, Ph.D.

From early infancy into old age we find and lose our sense of identity time and again. In order to bear the disorientation of traversing the gaps of the unknown and unknowable, we require a basic trust in an underlying ongoing cellular rhythm of life. What does recent research have to say about how basic psychosomatic trust and capacity for self regulation develop? How do we apply these learnings to those we work with who develop addictive attachments as substitutes for a sense of cohesive connection to self and other?

Crossroads and Threshholds
March 19, 20, 21 2004
Judith Schmidt, Ph.D.

A continuation of Hide and Seek. In this weekend we will explore what it means to journey into and through liminal spaces, facing our hopes and dreads as old forms of being falling away. We will come to appreciate the significance of doorways, bridges, deserts, and all kind of places of passage. Particular focus will be given to the place of dreams and imagination and the seeds of energetic vitality they bring to the creation of new beginnings.

Creating Bonds that Nourish
May 14,15,16, 2004
Alexis Johnson, Ph.D.

We are "hard-wired" to bond, first with a mother, then with family, then with certain others. Some rhythm of connection is our natural state. Yet, helping ourselves and our clients create intimate bonds is extremely difficult. There are theories that emphasize the merging side of relationship and those that focus on the individuation side. We will explore these dilemmas using both conceptual understanding and family scenes to understand and heal bonding issues.