The most important capacity for a therapist is unconditional presence—the ability to remain open and freely inquire into the depth of human experience, without bias, agenda, or manipulation of any kind. This quality of presence allows a precise tracking of the experiential process, enabling it to unfold naturally in the direction of freedom, truth, and deeper being. This program is a cross between a meditation retreat and a professional training. To cultivate unconditional presence, we draw on three kinds of practice: meditation rooted in mindfulness and awareness, psychospiritual exercises, and embodiment work. These three practices create a powerful synergy that helps us to more fully inhabit ourself, our body, and the flow of our felt experiencing, and thus be more present with others. The first two days of this program are devoted mainly to meditation, which cultivates a deeper sense of grounding, openness, and presence that can then extend into psychological work. Previous meditation experience is not necessary—just a willingness to engage fully in this practice. For 23 years, John Welwood has offered this ongoing training, which evolves in new and unforeseen directions each year, based on his current research interests. It provides an opportunity to slow down, go beyond conceptual mind, meet your experience freshly, and be present with yourself in surprising new ways.
Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be better able to:
- Describe the relationship between meditation and psychotherapy
- Discuss how the practice of mindfulness can be applied to working with clients in therapy.
- Practice the art of unconditional presence—learning to fully allow and open to whatever felt experience presents itself, without judgment or reactivity.
- Identify a concrete bodily felt sense as the basis for therapeutic inquiry.
- Employ a process of inquiry with clients that starts from their felt experience and leads to deeper, subconscious truths underlying their thoughts, feelings, and behavior
- Integrate major insights of Buddhist and Western psychology into a broad framework of psycho-spiritual development
This workshop begins with a special orientation for new participants Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Required reading: Welwood, Toward a Psychology of Awakening. Open by application only and requires a $10 nonrefundable application fee (payable to Omega). Previous participants can register directly with Omega. New participants should email a letter describing why you want to attend, as well as your therapy and meditation experience. For more information, call Omega at 877.944.2002. John Welwood, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and pioneer in integrating psychological and spiritual work. He is the author of Journey of the Heart; Love and Awakening; Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships; and Toward a Psychology of Awakening. johnwelwood.com |
