Innovation for These Times | Hoffman Institute Foundation

These past 12 months have given many of us the opportunity to experience growth and change. So much of the world as we knew it, or as we saw it, has been transformed. At Hoffman we have worked to keep innovating our courses and to provide support and care to those who need it. For many of us teachers it has meant more time coaching, being in conversation, and adapting how we teach healing and transformation both in format and style.

Innovation for These Times

This past spring and summer, in the spirit of adapting our offerings, our friends at MyIntent.org invited us to contribute and lead sessions on a platform they had created and called the “Conversation Lab.” Many of our teachers led hour-long sessions on topics familiar to Hoffman grads and in a more conversational setting.

The feedback we got consistently from those who attended was that of gratitude. There was an appreciation for how much growth participants achieved from those sessions. That collaboration, at a time when community and conversation were taking on different meanings for so many, was an inspiring time for us at Hoffman. We continue to benefit from those learnings and experiences.

The Power of Community

What has stood out for so many of us at Hoffman is how powerful our community is, and how much that strength contributes to the healing and growth we’ve witnessed. Seeing the way so many grads came together – reconnecting with Hoffman classmates, attending graduate groups, seeking out Hoffman Transformation Circles, asking how they can support us – has been a reminder of the value of connection, particularly in a time where it has been so physically limited.

Looking at the shifts that the past year has created, the phenomenon of post-traumatic growth is an “experience of individuals whose development, at least in some areas, has surpassed what was present before the struggle with crises occurred. The individual has not only survived, but has experienced changes that are viewed as important, and that go beyond the status quo” (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 2004).

Keys to Growth

One of the keys to being able to foster that growth is through the genuine acceptance of others, in community and connection, who through compassionate listening and vulnerable sharing help to make meaning of the struggles that have existed.

Our upcoming Hoffman Virtual Conference (April 1–3rd) is another opportunity for us to support growth and community for ALL who are transformation curious (not just those who have done prior work with Hoffman). The conference will offer an array of opportunities for anyone who wants to explore the many topics that will be covered by keynote speakers, and during fireside chats, panel discussions and experiential workshops.

This conference is an opportunity for attendees to experience the Hoffman community in a different way. Nearly every speaker at the conference is a graduate of the Hoffman Process, and they are just a small representation of the many Hoffman graduates who are doing interesting and incredible work out in the world, and incorporating integrity, love, compassion, and spirit as they do it.

Whether you would like to participate in the whole conference, or just attend a session or two, we welcome you to join us, and would be grateful if you shared with others.

For more information and to register, click here.

Matt Brannagan is Hoffman Institute’s Director of Faculty, as well as a Hoffman teacher and coach.