Inspiring inner journeys for change in the world...

 

Attuning to What Lies Within: The Internal Family Systems
    Experience with Jan Mullen

Through discussion and exercises, we will explore key IFS concepts, and seek to understand how these relate to the ideas of our speaker, Tom Holmes. Participants also will engage with their own inner system and share their stories. IFS says that the nature of each person is to have a dynamic core Self, which is supported by a system of active subpersonalities. How this relates to spirituality, in particular Quaker thought, will be touched on. Activities are likely to include journaling, group sculpting and entering into the inner system.

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Jan Mullen, LCSW, is deeply rooted in the interweaving between spirituality and psychology.  She is a Quaker who feels that mystical experiences come from the embodiment of spirituality.  Jan has worked as a therapist in many settings and has been practicing IFS with others for 30 years, having taught workshops in many locations.

 

Creative Writing and Active Imagination: Expressions of the Self

      with Debra Thompson.

Active imagination is an exercise where we freely associate with inner images, during a relaxed and meditative state of being.  The expression of these images through creative writing is spontaneous, without judgment.  C.J. Jung believed that the soul speaks through images, and that “the integration of unconscious contents into consciousness, is the main endeavor of analytical psychology.” For Jung, this was a key element in the journey towards wholeness. If this sounds daunting, please don’t be intimidated. Our group is for anyone with an interest in this topic. No prior experience is expected.  Confidentiality will, however, be asked of the group, as members may choose to share their writing.

 

Debra Thompson, PhD, is a Jungian-oriented psychotherapist, who practices in Collegeville, PA.  She is a qualified administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality type assessment tool, based on the theory and development of Carl Jung.  Decades of research have shown the MBTI to be the most reliable and valid instrument for determining personality type preferences.  Debra holds advanced degrees in both Social Work and Family Therapy.  She is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Workers.

 

Family Constellation Workshop with Randy Goldberg

This is a method for recognizing family dynamics that can span generations. Understanding these dynamics helps us know how we came to see the world as we do. Constellation work is a step-by-step group process, developed by Bert Hellinger in Germany, that assists participants in creating “a living map,” within the group, so impactful family patterns and stressors can be visualized. Hellinger’s process is based on components of Gestalt therapy and other modalities, reminding us that there is power is knowing where we come from, where we belong and where we want to go.

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Randy Goldberg, LMT, is a graduate of the DC Hellinger Institute of advanced studies in Family Constellation with Heinz Stark of Germany. He is a former Yoga monk, craniosacral therapist, and a world-renowned astrologer (both Western and Vedic) interviewed by the Washington Post, NPR and CNN. He facilitates Family Constellation therapy for individuals and groups.

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“Your place in the family of things” -- Internal Family Systems meets  Forest Bathing with Jennifer Fendya

Forest Bathing, a translation of the Japanese Shinrin Yoku, is a sensory-oriented practice of being with ourselves and opening to the other-than-human world with respect and reciprocity. Research has shown this to promote health and well-being. Our group will meander the ecosystem of Pendle Hill, encountering its diversity of flora and fauna and applying C. G. Jung’s advice to “not bring any theoretical premises to bear upon them, but to wait and see what they would tell of their own accord.” Participants will explore on their own and in pairs. We will then gather to share these experiences, giving space for what emerges through dialogue, with an awareness of the lessons of Internal Family Systems.

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Jennifer Fendya, PhD, became a certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide in 2018 and has led numerous walks throughout the Northeast US. She recently made pilgrimage to the origin place of Shinrin Yoku in Japan to “take in the forest atmosphere” with an international group of guides committed to reconciling the human-Earth relationship. Jennifer is a licensed psychologist and Sandplay practitioner in Buffalo, NY; past program director, arts curator and president of Jung Center Buffalo; and a student/teacher of Miksang contemplative photography. A member of Climate Psychology Alliance, she also co-hosts a monthly listening circle through Commonweal’s Healing Circles Global offering support during these wild times of the polycrisis.

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Mimesis -- The Use of Mythology, Storytelling, and Play for Insight
     and Growth with John DiMino and Liza O’Hanlon DiMino.

Mimesis is a unique method derived from depth psychology and myth studies that allows for the exploration of an archetypal story in a supportive environment. The DiMinos invite participants to enter a story in stages to appreciate its depth and meanings: First by listening deeply; then through meditation; next through role play; and finally, through discussion. Each step reveals personal resonances as well as archetypal elements. Participants explore their personal relationship to the story and universal themes. 

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The DiMinos have led workshops in this group process for more than 35 years. Liza DiMino is a writer, editor and storyteller. John DiMino, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and the former director of counseling services at Temple University. He has used Mimesis in the training of professionals and graduate students in psychology and social work. He is also the author of the book Shadow Work and Sacred Space. John and Liza are co-directors of the Mimesis Center in the United States. They have been working on a book for those interested in learning to facilitate the Mimesis process. 

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Tai Chi: Learning to be More Fully Present in the Body

    with Beth Perry
This group is an introduction to a gentle form of exercise, which combines slow flowing movements with deep grounding in the body. Described as meditation in motion, Tai Chi is a counterintuitive way of moving that surrenders tension. We learn how to do less yet become more present and assured in our movement. One reward from Tai Chi is calm attention. Another is an enhanced sense of stability in walking and moving through our everyday activities. This is also a practice we can enjoy as we age, as it can improve balance and flexibility while reducing stress and anxiety. 

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Beth Perry is a longtime FCRP member. Beth began study of Cheng Man Ching’s Yang form of tai chi in the early 1980s. She is a student of the martial arts application of ‘push hands.’ Beth teaches tai chi in retirement homes, adult education schools, senior centers, and at Friends Center in Philadelphia. She has worked in Uganda and southern Sudan and has done famine relief and anti-apartheid work with the American Friends Service Committee and the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Beth is a member of Radnor, PA Friends meeting.

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You may also decline interest group participation.

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