Christiane Geiser

Country: Switzerland

Organization: Private practice

Short CV

Christiane Geiser has lived and worked in Zurich and Solduno/Ticino as a psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice for 40 years. She is the former director of a post-graduate training-institute (person-centered, experiential, body-oriented) in Zurich, where she still teaches. She is also a Certifying Coordinator of the International Focusing Institute (TIFI). She writes articles about person-centered/ experiential psychotherapy and training. Together with Donata Schoeller she has translated Gendlin`s “A Process Model” into German.

Workshop

Title: From birdsong to J. S. Bach, from Japanese Renku poetry to D. Bohm’s dialogue – What we can learn while listening to many voices

My life has always been primarily informed by what I hear. Therefore, the Congress theme has inspired me to revisit some areas that I am passionate about. All of them have to do with hearing, with listening and especially with the subject of polyphony in various forms.

Listening is not at all a passive activity. Real listening as transdisciplinary art, as craft, as skill is a radical way of being in contact to the world.

And what about responding to what we hear? Do we have an independent voice? Or do we follow the main voice? Or have we decided to stay silent?

Working in a person-centered and experiential field, we are accustomed to extending our listening and to helping our clients find his or her voice.

But what about dwelling in a world which is more and more overwhelming with a cacophony of voices that are often more noise than sound and do not find each other to form a soundscape, a dialogue, a togetherness in any way?

In this experiential workshop you will hear about and listen to examples of polyphony. While listening you will have a first inkling of HOW you normally listen.

Then you will have the opportunity to try out some versions of listening and talking in groups, using the principles of polyphonic composition to experience new ways to connect to yourself and others and the whole situation.

And maybe we can also find some inspiration as to how we could communicate better in the “changed world” we are inhabiting and forming at the same time?