Bob and Marlene Neufeld coaching
What therapeutic methods do we
incorporate?
- We are
skilled at facilitating your discovery of the source of your
patterns, healing the past and moving into the present and creating
your desired future, in contrast to traditional coaching which does
not look at the source of problems. Our clients have told us that
our methods allow them to "go deep"; in fact, they are
sometimes surprised by how quickly they are able to get to the root
of issues and allow healing to take place. We have both completed an
intensive two-year Conscious Relationship Coach & Consultant
apprenticeship with Drs. Gay & Kathlyn Hendricks
http://hendricks.com
and are continuing an ongoing mentorship relationship with them.
- We've completed a year-long training
in Exceptional Marriage Mentoring
http://exceptionalmarriage.com
a process developed by Marcia and Brian Gleason, MSW's. This
program is "based on the conviction that the committed
relationship is the perfect environment for the development of human
potential. Sadly, many couples choose to settle into control
patterns that choke off the lifeblood of passion and intimacy.
Control patterns are styles of interacting that are motivated by
protection of the status quo rather than by growth. Couples who
remain embedded in control patterns fail to open their eyes to
possibility. EMM is a process that stimulates the relationship to
break out of the prisons of self preservation."
- Marlene has completed an externship
with Dr. Sue Johnson in Emotionally Focused Couples
Therapy http://www.eft.ca/home.htm.
Research has shown that "emotionally fulfilling relationships
are integral components of mental and physical health, and that
emotionally focused interventions have the power to establish and
re-create supportive bonds amount individuals." We emphasize
emotions and "believe that all people can maximize their
potential given a nurturing social environment, which we endeavor to
foster in our work with clients."
- We are students of the Hakomi
Experiential Method (see http://www.hakomi.ca)
which invites participants into an exploration of growth and healing
through discovery of how they are organizing their experiences,
their thoughts, their bodies, their beliefs, their self-image and
world view. The Hakomi method is based on the following principles:
- unity: everything is interconnected
- organicity: healing happens from the
inside out
- mindfulness: a focus on paying
attention to present experience
- non-violence: working with what wants
to happen and staying in a state of loving presence
- mind/body holism: or working at the
interface of body and mind.
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WHAT TO
EXPECT AS A CLIENT
Our Two-on-Two body-centered couples coaching/psychotherapy method is
different from traditional marriage counseling in a number of ways. We
use a unique experiential approach, which incorporates movement, breath,
and awareness of physical sensations. Our clients learn skills and
techniques that facilitate lasting personal change in a fast and easy
way.
What is body-centered coaching/psychotherapy?
Each session is customized to meet your individual goals and needs and
the goals and needs of you as a couple.
- We use the signals your body gives
(such as body sensations, changes in your breathing, foot tapping,
etc.) to explore underlying issues. We by-pass the mind-chatter to
get underneath the content of conflicts to what is really going on.
You will learn to pay attention to your own body signals.
- We do not interpret what your body is
saying or give you the answers. We focus on assisting you in
accessing your truth to find the most effective answer for you.
- We incorporate movement, conscious
breathing and other tools that assist people to make shifts toward
vitality.
- Learning is deeper than an
intellectual understanding and therefore lasts longer. It accesses a
wider part of the brain as well as the whole body.
- If you want to create lasting changes
in your relationships and life, new ways of 'being' must be
experienced in a state of acceptance, 'play' and experimentation.
- We may use props or set up experiments
in which you try out various approaches, scenarios and
possibilities. Our goal is to create experiences that allow you
broader, more creative, more playful choices in your relationships.
- Once you have experienced shifts in
your body, they are much easier to access again; e.g. we don't just
talk about self-love, we guide you to experience it; once you have
experienced a relationship dance based on each partner taking full
healthy responsibility, it is easier to recreate in your daily life.
- Body-centered and experiential methods
allow you to achieve awareness of your feelings, thoughts, beliefs,
motives and behaviors without getting caught in the content.
- Our work is not about fixing "broken"
people. We encourage you to let go of seeing yourself and others as
improvement projects. We believe that people already have all the
resources they need inside themselves. Our job is to provide
experiences so you can access your full creative potential.
Our client told us, "Talk therapy assisted me to a certain extent,
but I found it lacking… ...[now] I feel much more hopeful and
positive, and am more present for myself, others and life." I.H.
Our
background:
Marlene has a background in Early Childhood Education, a Masters of
Social Work and over 36 years of experience working with children and
adults. Bob has a Masters of Education and 36 years of experience
teaching children and adults.
We have been married since 1970 and use all the skills we teach. These
skills have transformed our relationship. We have experienced many
issues similar to the ones you may be experiencing and commit to having
our life experience be of service to you.
We have over 13 years experience in helping couples create closer, loving
relationships. Together we are geniuses at facilitating rapid
transformation. We commit to using our life experience and tools to be
of service to you.
Bob and Marlene Neufeld
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