Upcoming EHI Winter Workshop

[This post was updated to include full continuing education info]

We invite you to join us on Dec 7th, 2019!

An Existential-Humanistic Institute Workshop:
Envisioning Eldership

Embracing a Joyous View of Aging and Living - An Existential, Process-Oriented Approach

A Day-Long Workshop Developed & Facilitated by EHI Core Instructor:
Dr. Nader Shabahangi, MFT, RCFE

Date: Saturday, December 7th, 2019

Time: 10:15am – 4:30pm/Checkin at 10:00am

Location: The Center SF, 548 Filmore St., San Francisco, CA 94117 

Cost: Regular Ticket - $155
Student and/or Elder Ticket- $135

A few scholarships are available for this workshop. Reach out to Michelle at info@ehinstute.org for details.

Ticket Refund Policy: Full refund minus a $15 admin fee if withdrawn by November 14th; a 50% refund if withdrawn Nov 15th - 26th. No refund available after Nov 27th, 2019.

Continuing Education*: 5 CEs are available for $30. Please contact our admin assistant, Michelle at info@ehinstitute.org to be put on the continuing education list.

Online Registration now through TicketSpice. No account needed, no spam advertising & no convenience fees!

Register Here

Save the date to join us for this day of dynamic engagement with Nader Shabahangi, PhD, MFT, RCFE. 

Integrating existential-humanistic and process-oriented philosophy and methodology with the latest research in gerontology, this workshop will help participants understand the concept and practice of eldership and invite them to reflect on their own beliefs about adulthood and aging.

Participants will explore possibilities for developing new identity constructions and frameworks for conceptualizing aging, as well as meaning and purpose in old age. This new perspective can support not only psychotherapists but also any any person who is interested in more effectively working with elders and themselves. This approach and learning also contributes to the health and well-being of individuals and communities in general.

More than ever, we crave a new definition of aging that borrows from the great thinkers, artists, philosophers and wisdom traditions throughout history. Blending existential, process-oriented psychotherapeutic insights and centuries of philosophical wisdom with modern pragmatism learned from being a CEO of eldercare communities in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a quarter of a century, this workshop seeks a thoughtful map on aging, not a "To Do" list that illuminates yet another reason to fail.

Eldership isn't a state, but a process. It's not something to be achieved, but practiced in our own unique journey!

Therapeutic Professionals and General Public Invited!

This workshop is intended to engage the general public and enrich the work of therapeutic professionals. We invite those interested in envisioning a new paradigm of eldership from an existential process-oriented approach and those who work with elders, nurses, care partners, psychologists, therapists, social workers, counselors, all are welcome!

Abstract:

Drawing upon the philosophical roots, literature, and practices of humanistic psychology and philosophy, as well as the latest research in gerontology, this presentation will focus on the creation of positive frameworks of aging, thereby supporting participants in improving therapeutic rapport with older adult clients, in helping clients move towards a meaning-based understanding of the aging process and in understanding and utilizing principles of eldership in clinical practice. Participants will be invited to explore their personal identities, reflecting on their own beliefs on aging, adulthood and elderhood in order to develop new identity constructions as well as adaptive frameworks for conceptualizing aging, meaning and purpose in old age. This new perspective can potentially nourish personal well-being, enlarge the context of psychotherapy practice and contribute to the health of clients' and clinicians' inner and outer world.

Learning objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to list at least 3 reasons for the need to work therapeutically from an eldership perspective.
2. Attendees will be able to explain at least 3 ways in which humanistic principles inform the concept of "eldership".
3. Attendees will be able to summarize the central concept of four-phase conflict resolution and how it is informed by an attitude of eldership.
4. Attendees will be able to identify 3 ways in which eldership's inherent focus on a sustainable way of living improves social and psychological health.

Workshop Outline

• Explanation of the principle goals of eldership, particularly in regard to psychotherapy. (30 minutes)
• Exploration from a historical perspective of the ways in which the humanistic movement dovetails with the emergence of a new eldership concept.(30 minutes)
• Dialogue and discussion designed to facilitate the development of an explicit eldership view of a human being's life. (60 minutes)
• Small group and dyad exploration of the concept of "eldership" as relevant to both personal health and well-being, and to psychotherapy practice. (120 minutes)
• Large group discussion regarding the psychological and societal health implications of eldership and a nonhierarchical, systemic view of humans in relationship with other forms of planetary life. (60 minutes)

Video Short

This video short is from a presentation Nader gave at a Center for Elders' Independence dinner. Here he is discussing a number-free idea of Eldership, becoming elders at any age.

Related Videos

See shorts from some of Nader's previous presentations and workshops here on his Video Library page.

More Workshop Info

Accessibility: It is the policy of EHI to make every reasonable effort to provide qualified attendees with disabilities with the opportunity to take full advantage of its programs and events. Contact us to discuss learning arrangements with our team.

Break: 12:45 - 2pm for lunch on our own. Lunch is not included.

*Continuing Education Information

This Workshop will confer 5 CE hours to those who elect to participate. If you would be interested in requesting continuing education credit please email the admin assistant, Michelle at info@ehinstitute.org to be put on the continuing education list. CEs fee is $30. Attendees who meet the following requirements will receive CE credit: a) the attendee will attend the workshop in full, b) the attendee will pay the CE fee, c) the attendee will pass the post-test with a score of 70% or higher. All continuing education participants will receive the full course description at the workshop and is available upon request, please email Michelle at info@ehinstitute.org to receive a copy.

APA Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. APA Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Disclosures:

The presenter of this course has authored and contributed to the publication of books in the fields of aging and existential-humanistic therapy. The statements below list out the instructors' publications that will be referenced in the course and the instructors' relationship regarding financial benefit from the sale of the individual publications.

Nader Shabahangi is co-author of Deeper Into the Soul, published by the Elders Academy Press and will benefit financially from the sale of this book.

Nader Shabahangi is the editor of, Faces of Aging, Elders Today, Gems of Wisdom, and Encounters of the Real Kind(I,II,III), published by Elders Academy Press and will benefit financially from the sale of this book.

Our Presenter: Nader Shabahangi, PhD, MFT, RCFE

Dr Shabahangi, MFT, RCFE, received his doctorate from Stanford University and is a licensed psychotherapist. His multicultural background has made him an advocate for different marginalized groups of society throughout his adult life. In the 1980's he worked with abused children and teenagers and led anticipatory bereavement groups for Coming Home Hospice. In 1992 he founded the non-profit organization Pacific Institute with the purpose of training psychotherapists in a multicultural, humanistic approach to counseling and to provide affordable therapy services to the many diverse groups living in San Francisco.

In 1994, noticing the often inhumane treatment of the elderly living in institutions, he started to develop an innovative Gerontological Wellness Program in order to provide emotional support and mental health care services for the elderly. In 1997, together with his two brothers, Nader opened a residential care home for the elderly in San Francisco called Hayes Valley Care, where he could, along with the Pacific Institute Internship team, implement the Gerontological Wellness Program.

Our Co-Host: The Center SF

The Center SF is not just an event venue, but a supportive community for personal, spiritual and social transformation. We host a range of events that align with our mission and vision to aid in individual and collective growth such as workshops, trainings, live performances and community gatherings.

Questions?

Please visit our registration page to contact us.

Register Here

Early Bird Registration for Dec 7th Workshop: Envisioning Eldership

A Day-Long E-H Workshop 

Developed & Facilitated by EHI Core Instructor: Dr. Nader Shabahangi, MFT, RCFE

Date: Saturday, Dec 7th, 2019

Time: 10:15am - 4:30pm /Sign in at 10:00am

Location: The Center SF, 548 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94117

Cost: Professional & General Ticket - $140 Early Bird/$155.00 After Nov 18th;
Student and/or Elder Ticket- $120 Early Bird/$135.00 After Nov 18th

Early Bird Registration

Envisioning Eldership

Embracing a Joyous View of Aging and Living - An Existential, Process-Oriented Approach

More than ever, we crave a new definition of aging that borrows from the great thinkers, artists, philosophers and wisdom traditions throughout history. Blending existential, process-oriented psychotherapeutic insights and centuries of philosophical wisdom with modern pragmatism learned from being a CEO of eldercare communities in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a quarter of a century, this workshop seeks a thoughtful map on aging, not a "To Do" list that illuminates yet another reason to fail.

This workshop uses a process-oriented approach to outline an attitude towards life that embraces our collected years of life experience and expresses a deep appreciation for its richness and complexity. An attitude that elevates us above the beleaguered worlds of "good and bad" and "likes and dislikes" to welcome our world and the people inside it just as we are. It introduces us to Eldership as a way of being and the practice of living life.

Eldership isn't a state, but a process. It's not something to be achieved, but practiced. We don't educate others how to be elders, but instead open the space with guidance for their own unique journey.

More Workshop Info

Accessibility: It is the policy of EHI to make every reasonable effort to provide qualified attendees with disabilities with the opportunity to take full advantage of its programs and events. Contact us to discuss learning arrangements with our team.

Break: 12:45 - 2pm for lunch on our own. Lunch is not included.

Applying for CE sponsorship for 5 CE hours. If you would be interested in requesting continuing education credit if it becomes available, please let us know by checking the box when registering or email the admin assistant, Michelle at info@ehinstitute.org to be put on the CE list. CEs will be an extra fee, appx $30.

Our Presenter: Nader Shabahangi, PhD, RCFE

Nader R. Shabahangi, Ph.D., RCFE, received his doctorate from Stanford University and is a licensed psychotherapist. His multicultural background has made him an advocate for different marginalized groups of society throughout his adult life. In the 1980's he worked with abused children and teenagers and led anticipatory bereavement groups for Coming Home Hospice. In 1992 he founded the non-profit organization Pacific Institute with the purpose of training psychotherapists in a multicultural, humanistic approach to counseling and to provide affordable therapy services to the many diverse groups living in San Francisco.

In 1994, noticing the often inhumane treatment of the elderly living in institutions, he started to develop an innovative Gerontological Wellness Program in order to provide emotional support and mental health care services for the elderly. In 1997, together with his two brothers, Nader opened a residential care home for the elderly in San Francisco called Hayes Valley Care, where he could, along with the Pacific Institute Internship team, implement the Gerontological Wellness Program.

Hosted by: Existential-Humanistic Institute, Inc

EHI offers trainings, workshops and education in Existential-Humanistic approaches to psychotherapy. Formed in 1997 as a program under the auspices of the Pacific Institute, a non-profit organization in San Francisco, EHI continues to offer experiential training retreats, certificate programs, workshops, consultation groups, theory courses and community gatherings in the Bay Area with the goal of supporting existentially and humanistically informed psychologies and psychotherapies: approaches that focus on and nurture subjective experiential reflection of life’s deepest joys and predicaments.

Thank you for a Successful (and Fun!) Dancing with Dragons Workshop

EHI would like to give thanks to all who made this workshop such a great success!

Dancing with Dragons: Working with Couple's Core WoundsAn E-H Couples Therapy WorkshopEHI Affiliate Instructors: Christine Armstrong, LMFT & Louis Dangles, LMFTOct 5th, 2019 Berkeley, CA

A shout out to the attendees of the Dancing with Dragons Workshop held this last weekend: Thank you, thank you, for really getting into the spirit and positively contributing to the overall success in "practicing" such challenging work.

Special thanks go to the presenters and developers of this Existential-Humanistic Couple's Therapy workshop: Christine Armstrong, MFT and Louis Dangles, MFT!! They make this look fun!

Thank you to Heart Source Center in Berkeley for their assistance in setting up the space for us.

And finally a thank you to the team at EHI for working to make this a success for the participants and presenters.

Join us on Dec 7th for our next workshop:

The Existential-Humanistic Institute Presents:

Envisioning Eldership

Embracing a Joyous Long View of Life and Living - An Existential, Process-Oriented Approach

Developed & Facilitated by EHI Core Instructor: Nader Shabahangi, MFT RCFE

Date: Saturday, December 7th, 2019

Time: 10:15am – 4:30pm/Checkin at 10:00am

Location: The Center SF, 548 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94117 

Cost: Regular Ticket - $140 Early Bird/$155 after Nov 18th
Student and/or Elder Ticket- $120.00 Early bird/$135 after Nov 18th
A couple of scholarship tickets are available, please reach out to Michelle for more details at info@ehinstitute.org.

Online Registration now through TicketSpice. No account needed, no spam advertising & no convenience fees!

Early Bird Registration

Seeking Existential Therapists who Work with Elders - Research Participation

EHI would like to share a recent call for research participants. 

Malibu Bert, a masters student at the Australian Academy of Applied Psychology, is conducting a "research project on existential therapists' experiences when working with older people aged sixty-five and over. I am particularly curious about the phenomena of ageing juxtaposed with a myriad of existential crises."

"I am particularly curious about the phenomena of ageing juxtaposed with a myriad of existential crises."

~Malibu Bert, BCouns ACAP PACFA

Exploring the experiences of existential therapists when working with clients aged sixty-five and over.

The purpose of this research study is to examine existential therapist’s experiences of applying existential therapy to clients aged sixty-five and over.

Are you?

• ·      Currently working as an experienced, existential therapist?
  
• ·      Have you used existential therapy for a minimum of two years with at least ten clients, and five of whom is aged over sixty-five?
  
• ·      Interested in the project and prepared to commit to a semi-structured 60 minute telephone, Skype or Zoom session interview?

If you meet the above participation criteria and would like to receive some more information about this research study, please contact the researcher: malibu.bert@my.acap.edu.au

Save the Date! December Workshop: Envisioning Eldership

SAVE THE DATE! Dec 7th, 2019
The Existential-Humanistic Institute Presents:
Envisioning Eldership

Embracing the Long View of Life and Living - An Existential, Process-Oriented Approach

A Day-Long Workshop Developed & Facilitated by EHI Core Instructor:
Dr. Nader Shabahangi, MFT, RCFE

Date: Saturday, Dec 7th, 2019

Time: Day-Long; Start/End TBA

Location: SF Bay Area – exact location TBD

Registration: To Open in October

Cost: $160.00 Early-bird/$175.00 regular fee;
Student and/or Elder: $140.00 Early-bird/$155.00 regular fee

Who For? We invite both lay persons and therapists alike to join us! Interested in an Existential-Humanistic approach to aging and eldership? Join us for this day long workshop where we explore Eldership using a Processwork Approach.

Limited Spaces Available

Save the date to join Nader and EHI for this day of dynamic engagement. 
This workshop outlines an attitude towards life that embraces our collected years of life experience and expresses a deep appreciation for its richness and complexity. An attitude that elevates us above the beleaguered worlds of "good and bad" and "likes and dislikes" to welcome our world and the people inside it just as we are. It introduces us to Eldership as a way of being and the practice of living life.
More than ever, we crave a new definition of aging that borrows from the great thinkers, artists, philosophers and wisdom traditions throughout history. Blending existential, process-oriented psychotherapeutic insights and centuries of philosophical wisdom with modern pragmatism learned from being a CEO of eldercare communities in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a quarter of a century, this workshop seeks a thoughtful map on aging, not a "To Do" list that illuminates yet another reason to fail.
Eldership isn't a state, but a process. It's not something to be achieved, but practiced. We don't educate others how to be elders, but instead open the space for their own unique journey.

Nader Shabahangi, PhD, RCFE

Nader R. Shabahangi, Ph.D., RCFE, received his doctorate from Stanford University and is a licensed psychotherapist. His multicultural background has made him an advocate for different marginalized groups of society throughout his adult life. In the 1980's he worked with abused children and teenagers and led anticipatory bereavement groups for Coming Home Hospice. In 1992 he founded the non-profit organization Pacific Institute with the purpose of training psychotherapists in a multicultural, humanistic approach to counseling and to provide affordable therapy services to the many diverse groups living in San Francisco.
In 1994, noticing the often inhumane treatment of the elderly living in institutions, he started to develop an innovative Gerontological Wellness Program in order to provide emotional support and mental health care services for the elderly. In 1997, together with his two brothers, Nader opened a residential care home for the elderly in San Francisco called Hayes Valley Care, where he could, along with the Pacific Institute Internship team, implement the Gerontological Wellness Program.

Oct 5th Workshop: Dancing with Dragons - An E-H Approach to Couples Therapy

EHI Fall Workshop

[this post was updated to include Continuing Education info]

Register Today
Continuing Education Available*

The Existential-Humanistic Institute Presents:

Dancing with Dragons

Working with Couples' Core Wounds & the Tempering of Relationship - An Existential-Humanistic Approach to Couples Therapy

Developed & Facilitated by EHI Affiliate Instructors: Christine Armstrong, MFT & Louis Dangles, MFT

Date: Saturday, October 5, 2019

Time: 9:15am – 4:45pm

Location: Heart Source Center at 1600 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 125, Berkeley, CA 94702 

Cost: Regular Fee - $175.00 after Aug 30th
Student and/or Elder - $155.00 after August 30th

Ticket Update: 8 spaces available as of Sept 19th. Due to the nature of the programming a limited number of tickets are available for this workshop.

Ticket Refund Policy: Full refund minus a $15 admin fee if withdrawn by September 4th; a 50% refund if withdrawn by September 20th. No refund available after September 20th, 2019.

*Continuing Education:
APA Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. APA Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The fees above do not include cost for CEs. Anticipated CE Fee: appx $30. Participation info is emailed to you.

Accessibility: It is the policy of EHI to make every reasonable effort to provide qualified attendees with disabilities with the opportunity to take full advantage of its programs and events.

Contact us to discuss learning arrangements with our team. Email Michelle and Troy at conf@ehinstitute.org or call Michelle at 415-689-1475.

 

Join Us on October 5th!

Workshop Registration Form »  

Join Christine & Louis, EHI, and existential therapists for this experiential workshop and day of dynamic engagement. 

This workshop is intended for clinicians who are interested in the dynamic, challenging territory of couples' therapy. Along with helping clinicians more effectively navigate that territory, the workshop will also offer insights into our own journeys of intimacy. We begin with the human dilemma that we cannot open to love without opening to where we have been wounded in love. We all have dragons: their job is to protect the gold; in the most fundamental sense, the continued existence of our essential self.

We will explore the following themes utilizing didactic elements and case material reinforced by experiential exercises and demonstrations:

• The necessity that intimate partners must encounter each other’s core wounds.
• The inevitability of the experience of betrayal and the archetypal relationship between, trust, betrayal, and forgiveness.
• Collaborative approaches to the essential task of repair.
• Intimacy as a container for deep healing and ground for individuation.
• The morning sessions will focus on the relationship between core wounds and the dragons that guard them. Then we will examine examples of the dynamic dance that evolves between partners. The afternoon sessions will focus on the dynamics of trust, betrayal, and forgiveness. Themes will include the five dangers of betrayal and the four tasks of repair. We will offer reflections on the role of responsibility, accountability, and sovereignty in forging intimacy.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least one (1) way that core wounds shape a person’s self-protective behavioral style (‘Dragon’).
2. Demonstrate at least one (1) way to “Read between the lines”- recognize how present complaints can point to formative core wounds.
3. Name at least one (1) way that self-protective behavior patterns create a mutually reinforcing self-fulfilling prophecy (‘Dance’).
4. Explain at least one (1) way how the ‘dance’ can point to healing opportunities between partners.
5. Demonstrate at least two (2) interventions to shift the self-fulfilling adversarial cycle to a collaborative conversation between partners.
6. Identify at least one (1) way how their personal dragon informs their counter-transference responses to clients.
7. Demonstrate at least one (1) way to identify how present time interactions with intimate partners trigger core wounds.
8. List the five (5) dangers of betrayal.
9. State the four (4) tasks of repair.
10. Identify at least one (1) way how the dangers of betrayal block repair (moving beyond victim-perpetrator polarity).
11. Specify at least one (1) way how shame can interfere with the experience of appropriate regret/remorse.
12. Describe at least two (2) interventions that support the emotional risks required for effective repair.

Christine Armstrong, MFT & Louis Dangles, MFT

Christine Armstrong, MFT (CA Lic #7529)
Christine established her private practice in 1976. Her work focuses on depth psychotherapy and she combines an Existential-Humanistic approach with a psychodynamic perspective. She and her husband of 35 years, Lou Dangles, have been doing couples and group work together for the past 20 years. She has trained extensively with Dr. Jim Bugental and Dr. Irv Yalom. More recently her training has included Ariadne Beck’s “group-as-a-whole” model with Jim Fishman. She is currently in private practice in San Anselmo, where she works with couples, individuals, and groups.

Louis Dangles, MFT (CA Lic #8207)
Louis established his private practice in 1976. His work focuses on depth psychotherapy and he combines an Existential-Humanistic approach with archetypal and psychodynamic perspectives. He has trained extensively with Dr. Jim Bugental and Dr. Irv Yalom. More recently his training has included Dr. Ariadne Beck’s “group- as-a-whole” model with Jim Fishman. He is currently in private practice in San Anselmo, where he works with couples, individuals, and groups.

Register Here! »