HAKOMI® Institute of Europe

Bergheimerstr. 69a

D – 69115 Heidelberg, Germany

Contact: Marion Kuhlmann

Tel: +49 6221-16 65 60

Fax: +49 6221-16 66 09

E-Mail: HakomiEur@aol.com

Homepage: http://www.hakomi.de

 

School history

The HAKOMI method was developed in the 70s by Ron Kurtz and his team in the USA. The HAKOMI® Institute of Europe was founded in 1982 by Halko Weiss and since then has trained more than 700 students, mostly in Germany and Switzerland. Recently they have started offering a training in Austria as well, and there are plans for trainings in Russia and France.

 

Basic theory and concepts

The HAKOMI method (HAKOMI Experiential body-psychotherapy - previously also named HAKOMI Integrative Psychology) is a body and process-oriented method of psychotherapy, grounded in psychodynamic psychotherapy and oriented towards self-leadership. Roots of HAKOMI can be found in psychoanalysis and the body-oriented traditions: W. Reich, D. Boadella, J. Pierrakos, A. Lowen, A. Pesso. Even though significant modifications have been made, the basic concept of the unconscious remains, as well as the concept of therapeutic relationship (transference and counter-transference) and some fundamental assumptions of object relations theory. More roots can be found in the theory of complex adaptive systems, a systemic and holistic view, brought forward by I. Prigogine, E. Jantsch, K.Wilber, G. Bateson and D. Bohm. Also important is the body-therapy tradition of M. Feldenkrais as well as gestalt therapy and Ericsonian therapy.

 

As a central focus, all our concepts relate to the following Five Principles:

Unity, Organicity, Mind-Body-Holism, Mindfulness and Non-violence. Relating to these principles influences the therapist’s attitude, the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic process in a significant way. The clients are assisted to explore, examine and transform deeply held beliefs about themselves, about their lives and their relationship to others. These beliefs are embedded within “core-material” that is predominantly unconscious and in most cases connected with memories, highly charged emotions, body-experience, mental patterns and other levels of self-organisation. This core-material has to be processed to explore, take in and establish new levels of individually appropriate beliefs, carried by new experiences made in therapy.

 

Some of the principles, like mindfulness and non-violence, can be tracked back to the philosophia perennis and the wisdom of Eastern spiritual teachings.  These are integrated as practical, not ideological elements.

 

Creating a healing relationship is a basic ingredient of the HAKOMI METHOD: meeting the client from an open, authentic, respectful, curious and mindful attitude, and with a set of explorative techniques, a safe space develops, where the client can turn inward, “cooperation of the unconscious” unfolds, and self-organization can be studied, re-examined and transformed.

 

Training description

The HAKOMI Training is offered as a three-year-curriculum, followed by an independent certification phase. 

People who want to be trained have to pass two introduction workshops first, before they can apply to the HAKOMI® Institute. In these workshops trainers and interested people can get to know each other and find out if training is appropriate. The requirement for acceptance into the training is that they are already working in the therapeutic field, are allowed to do so, can use the HAKOMI METHOD in their therapeutic work and can practice it there while they are in training. We also expect them to have had experience as a client and be open to further work on themselves.

We have several parts of general theory in the training. We teach the spirit of therapeutic work: principles, paradigms, ethics, attitudes, etc. We teach theoretical maps of the therapeutic process and the therapeutic relationship, such as states of consciousness, the sensitivity cycle, interpersonal systems, character theory, strategies of transformation, etc. and wide variety of techniques – such as contact, tracking, deepening, going for meaning, options at the barrier, probes, taking over, integrating etc. -, that support the therapeutic work. A significant part of general theory is psychodynamic theory  (defence mechanisms, object relation theory, diagnostic categories, developmental theory, transference and counter-transference, etc.).

 

About half of the training is experiential practice. Students learn by practicing every step of psychotherapy, from developing and exploring an appropriate attitude and establishing meaningful contact, up to integrating and ending the therapy session. They also learn about the theoretical background and the practical work with touch. This practice is monitored and accompanied by constant supervision.

 

State of recognition

The HAKOMI® Institute of Europe was accredited as a Body Psychotherapy Training Institute by the Forum of the EABP in Sepetmber 1999 and is in the process of applying to the EAP for the accreditation of the Hakomi method.

 

                   Trainers

Carl Edelbauer, Uta Günther, Helga Holzapfel, Ulrich Holzapfel, Cora Rohlf-Grimm,

Halko Weiss

Karin Apfel, Ha-Jo Diehl, Anne Fischer, Nicole Gäbler, Christian Gottwald, 

Heike Schulmeister, Dagmar Wernicke, Patricia Wurll

 

EABP Members

Uta Günther, Helga Holzapfel, Ulrich Holzapfel, Halko Weiss, Karin Apfel, Nicole Gäbler, Heike Schulmeister, Dagmar Wernicke, Patricia Wurll

 

Literature - publication - research

Kurtz, Ron, Prestera, Hector: The Body Reveals.

Kurtz, Ron, Body-Centered Psychotherapy – The Hakomi Method.

Johanson, Greg, Kurtz, Ron: Grace Unfolding.

 

 

                     

 

 

Hakomi Teaching Staff, from left to right:

Patricia Wurll, Ulrich Holzapfel, Anne Fischer, Christian Gottwald, Cora Rohlf-Grimm, Halko Weiss, Dagmar Wernicke, Carl Edelbauer, Uta Günther, Helga Holzapfel, Ha-Jo Diehl.   

Absent on picture: Heike Schulmeister, Karin Apfel, Nicole Gäbler.