International Voice Dialogue Conference

Bergen aan Zee, The Netherlands , July 1 – 6, 2007

INTRODUCTION

The theme of next year’s conference is Transitions. Transition: the act of passing from one state or place to the next, a passage that connects a topic to one that follows, a musical passage moving from one key to another, an event that results in a transformation.

In 2007 we will celebrate Hal’s 80th and Sidra’s 70th birthday and the fact that Hal and Sidra Stone introduced Voice Dialogue in The Netherlands 25 years ago. Jerien Koolbergen and Robert Stamboliev were present at this first workshop (with 7 participants) and were deeply touched by the work. They took the initiative to organize the Voice Dialogue work in The Netherlands. Together with a small group of dedicated people they began to give workshops and organize trainings with the Stones.

A transition took place in 1988, when Robert founded the Institute for Transformational Psychology, the ITP. He continued to work with Jerien and new trainers like Marian van Riemsdijk, Margreet Renkers and Maria Daniels. The ITP developed professional training programs in Holland as well as in other European countries, and the work began to spread. Many of the European trainers attended these programs. ITP continued to invite the Stones to teach their developing work. These conferences took place in different European countries. Although there was always a large staff, the main teaching during these conferences was done by Hal and Sidra with Robert as the organizer and coordinator.

This coming conference also marks a transition and will be the first of its kind. While honoring the past, it is aimed at laying a solid foundation for the future. Hal and Sidra Stone will present two of the four morning teaching sessions. The actual content will be determined by what their inspiration is at the time. Hal and Sidra will be available at various times throughout the whole conference for informal exchanges. But they will also take a step back as far as responsibility for the overall process is concerned. Maria Daniels and Robert Stamboliev will teach during the other mornings.

A new generation of teachers has emerged, some of whom have created their own centres. Leaders from this new group will do an important part of the teaching and facilitate people’s transformational processes. We are happy to welcome them here.
Next to the ITP staff we so far have a confirmation from Franca Errani from Italy, Ana Barner from Germany/Australia, Judith Stone, Martha-Lou Cohen, and Miriam Dyak from the US. We are presently communicating with other trainers to join the staff. Their number will be related to the number of participants. New names will be added and announced, please check our website regularly for updates on trainers and programs.

FOR WHOM

This conference is designed for people who are interested in the latest developments in the Psychology of Selves and meeting others who are working within this framework. They are expected to have a working knowledge and experience of the Voice Dialogue process. This means that they must be able to facilitate someone in this process.
Please contact the ITP office if you have questions about your level of competence.

VENUE

The training will be held in ‘Huize Glory’, situated amidst dunes and forests in the beautiful coastal area of Northwest Holland, within walking distance of the North Sea beach. The training is non-residential, but a limited number of rooms are available at Huize Glory. There are many hotels, boarding-houses, and several camping-grounds in the area.

THE PROGRAM

Underlying focus
As is always the case, our primary focus is on the personal development of each participant. Everything that we have planned for the training has this goal in mind.
To create intimacy and facilitate the sharing of dreams and exchanges among participants, morning sharing groups will be organized. A trainer will lead these groups.

Training
The body of knowledge, as developed over the years, will be presented, and training will be offered. This covers the Aware Ego process, Bonding Patterns and Partnering Relationships, The Architecture of Dreams, Deepening of Voice Dialogue Skills and Energetics.

Focus on Transitions
Next to the above, special focus will be on Transitions. This will be explored from different angles and using different techniques. Next to Voice Dialogue, there will be training in Voice Drama, Vision Work, Voice Dance, Body Dialogue, Artwork and Rituals.
You are asked to reflect on transitions in your own life and at the conference you will have the opportunity to deeply explore a present transition.

Presentations
The Voice Dialogue work and the Psychology of Selves have already moved out into the world and are being used in many ways and in a variety of settings. This year’s training is, in part, a celebration of the worldwide impact of the work that we have all been doing.
We are allowing for time during the afternoon sessions for people to present their work, and to give those participants who are interested a chance to hear these presentations and to network. We expect these to include the fields of coaching, therapy, psychiatry, creativity, art, science and business.
We would like to encourage you to contact Robert before March 1st if you are interested in presenting your work to the group.

An important transition is the incorporation of Voice Dialogue in the academic world. Voice Dialogue and The Psychology of Selves is the basis of a two years’ Masters program at the University of Siena. This will be presented at the conference.
New scientific research has been done by Dottore Alberto Caddeo and Professor Sergio Serrano of the University of Milano. They investigated the bioenergetic reality of the inner selves. The results of their research will also be presented.

THE SCHEDULE

On the first day we will start in the afternoon, have dinner together and enjoy a social evening.

The following days will start with the sharing groups of around 8 participants led by a trainer. After that there will be a teaching session each morning that lasts until lunch.

The afternoons consist of (1) Voice Dialogue sessions by staff and facilitating under supervision, (2) teaching sessions by trainers and (3) presentations.

The last day will end with a lunch.

We look forward to seeing many of you in the summer. In the meantime, our best wishes to you all!

Robert Stamboliev
Maria Daniels

We conclude with a personal note from Hal and Sidra Stone:

As we approach our 70th and 80th birthdays we feel that we have reached an important milestone in our lives. This is truly a time of transition for us. We are moving from the role of leaders to the role of active members of a richly complex and excitingly varied worldwide "Voice Dialogue Community". We have no plans to retire from our work in the world; instead, we see ourselves as moving into the role of senior advisors.

We use the word "community" deliberately because we see this as a worldwide community of amazing individuals. We have travelled the world over and, wherever we have taught, we have met wonderful people. It is our hope that this meeting will enable you to meet one another. The people we have met on our travels are individuals - they are what have been termed "cultural creatives" - they are not the kinds of people who can easily be categorized or who fit into an ongoing collective. Most of them are not people who wish to be defined - or limited by - a hierarchical system. And so it is that we think of you as coming together in a "community" rather than in an "association".

We are looking forward eagerly to celebrating this next step in our lives with all of you! As we read the program for this summer conference and see the presentations that are being offered, we feel a deep sense of contentment. The work we've begun has spread around the planet and each of you has contributed something to its growth and its influence. Some of you have made dramatic and creative contributions and some of your contributions have been more subdued. But we know that our/your work has affected others in many ways. And - for all of us - sometimes we will know of our impact on others and on the world around us, sometimes we can infer the impact we've had, and sometimes this impact will never be known directly.

We applaud you all, the new generation of teachers and healers. We look forward to seeing you this summer, and we wish you Godspeed on your journeys!

Hal and Sidra