“There is such a powerful eloquence in silence. True genius is knowing when to say nothing, to allow the experience, the moment itself, to carry the message, to say what needs to be said. Words are less important, less effective than feeling. When you can sit in perfect silence with someone, you truly know how to communicate.”
Richard Wagamese, Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations
Facilitation
Denise is a gifted speaker and facilitator who connects with audiences small and large.
Denise speaks from the heart and is available to address a variety of topics. Her approach to facilitation creates safety and trust, which naturally encourages a greater level of willingness and participation, and ultimately leads to increased understanding, communication and effectiveness.
Denise has addressed groups of up to 200+ people on the topics of parenting, lateral violence, community engagement, and is passionate about sharing her own journey and experiences as a way of teaching. If you are interested in engaging Denise to speak at your event, she will gladly spend time consulting with you to identify a topic and content that meets the needs of your audience.
Denise also has specialized training is process psychology and has many years of experience facilitating group processes where the content is either sensitive or a conflict exists. If you are interested in engaging Denise’s services to facilitate a group process, she will be happy to discuss the process with over the phone to identify needs and a potential plan of action.
What is Processwork?
Processwork was originally developed by Jungian author and analyst Arnold Mindell as a therapeutic modality. Over the last thirty years of application and research, Processwork is now more commonly described as an “awareness practice,” as its methods are applied in a wide range of situations, as a form of inner work and leadership development, as a facilitation method for organizational and group work, conflict situations, and large public forums, as a therapy method for individuals, couples, and families, and as a method for working with comatose and remote states of consciousness.
The Process Work Institute continues the tradition of Processwork training and research begun in 1982 with the founding of the Research Society for Process-oriented Psychology in Zurich, Switzerland by Arnold Mindell and his associates. In 1989, the Process Work Center of Portland, later renamed the Process Work Institute, was incorporated in Oregon as a center for training and research in Process Work. It received authorization from the State of Oregon to offer a Master of Arts degree in Process Work, in January, 1992. A second Master of Arts degree program in Conflict Facilitation and Organizational Change began in 2004. For more information see The Process Work Institute
Team Building
Teams today are comprised of diverse groups of people of all ages. More often than not, people are experiencing high levels of conflict due to contrasting values systems.
Research shows that high levels of positivity among team members directly effect not only productivity but our health too. It is possible to work together effectively regardless of how different we are. So, how do we create greater levels of understanding and build the capacity to improve and maintain the health of the team?
Teams have an emotional life that needs regular tending to in order to be sustainable. Denise specializes in working with the unique dynamics existent in teams comprised of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people, and is able to create effective working relationships characterized by understanding, open communication and trust. Her approach creates cultural safety and understanding amongst those with contrasting worldviews.
Denise specializes in team building and team interventions. Whether you are looking for culturally sensitive approaches to increase positivity, creativity and problem solving, or are in need of an intervention for a team that is in crisis—she offers effective solutions.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is a natural and perpetual part of being in relationship. Conflict has the potential to lead us to creative solutions that we would not otherwise be able to access. Conflict is a signal that something is not working and needs to change. It’s simply a matter of having conflict more skilfully.
Denise focuses on building your capacity to handle conflict more effectively while minimizing the negative effects on the team or relationship. She uses a gentle approach to create alignment among people who are experiencing conflict, whether the conflict exists within a partnership or a team.
Leading “Our Way”
An Indigenous Facilitation Training Paradigm
Facilitating processes in our communities requires sensitivity, adaptability, confidence and the capacity to respond to a spectrum of dynamics unique to Indigenous peoples who have experienced trans-generational trauma. A strong sense of one’s own self and an understanding of the complex issues facing our people is essential for leading processes in which people feel safe enough to experience healing and transformation.
The impacts of colonization and residential school have resulted in a host of social challenges some refer to as ‘Lateral Violence,’ and encompass harmful behaviours ranging from mild to severe. Medical, learning and behaviour theory approaches alone are not enough to get to the root of the problems. Only processes rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and being that incorporate the rituals and rites of passage specific to a given community will be effective for that community of people. Therefore, a universal model of facilitation that incorporates the best of indigenous and western knowledges is needed.
Leading “Our Way” is designed to prepare facilitators to effectively lead processes in their own and other communities and has been is designed for those who want to facilitate processes and discussions that will lead to learning, healing and transformation.
