The Hero's Journey & The Generative Self:
The Realization of an Extraordinary Life

With Stephen Gilligan

What is the Heroe's Journey

The mythologist Joseph Campbell spoke of a great myth found in every culture across time: The person who is called on a ìheroís journeyî to transform their life and bring a healing gift back into the community. This myth has three stages: the innocence of the garden, the exile and trials of the desert, and the call to return into the community with a new self. Along the way, the hero must cross thresholds into a new territory outside of his or her comfort zone, find the proper guardians and face and transform inner ìdemonsî or ìshadows.î Campbellís notion of the heroís journey provides a powerful road map for navigating the challenges of personal growth and change, especially change at the level of identity. We will use this map as a guide for developing a Generative Self that is capable of deep inner happiness and significant external accomplishment.
Frequently, when we face life challenges (and inner ìdemonsî), we find ourselves initially overwhelmed and feeling more like victims than heroes. This program will provide you with the tools and resources that will help you face and confront life challenges with renewed confidence and passion.

The Heroe's Journey and The Generative Self

Major topics of the Hero's Journey workshop include:
--The three life paths: LIving in the Village, Exile in The Wasteland, and the Call of the Heroís Journey
--The basic steps in the Heroís Journey: The call; The refusal of the call; The appearance of a guide; Crossing the Threshold; Engaging Demons and Guides; Completing the Task; The return
--Strategies for clarifying where you are on the journey, and how to proceed in a generative way.
--How the work of Generative Self provides tools for the Heroís journey
--Tools for developing and maintaining Generative Self: Ericksonian hypnosis, Generative Self, and Generative Trance work.
-- Working with archetypic energies and archetypes of transformation.

Being in this program, you can expect both to develop many experiential shifts, and to acquire models of how such transformational change can be developed in other areas. Come prepared to enter a training community that is both safe and passionate. The training includes experiential demonstrations, training exercises, intense personal work, group trance work, and lecture/discussion. The interplay of cognitive and experiential learning is emphasized throughout.

About the workshop presenter.

Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D., is a licensed Psychologist practicing in Encinitas, CA. Stephen was one of the original NLP students in Santa Cruz from 1974-1977, during which time he also started extensive studying with his mentors Milton Erickson and Gregory Bateson. After receiving his doctorate in Psychology from Stanford, Stephen became known as one of the premier teachers and practitioners of Ericksonian hypnotherapy. His books include Therapeutic trances: The cooperation principle in Ericksonian psychotherapy, a classic in the field; The legacy of Erickson; The courage to love: Principles and practices of self-relations psychotherapy, and Walking in two worlds: The relational self in theory, practice, and community His work is especially known for its emphasis on reconnecting mindbody processes, emphasizing embodied relationality, and encouraging and supporting radical change.