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WALKING -IN- YOUR SHOES

WIYS® practice has been concentrated in psychotherapy, trauma reprocessing, creative arts, conflict resolution, life coaching, and self-psychology for over 25 years. Categories of focus include Family Systems, Interpersonal Relationships, Health, Disease and Recovery, Creativity, Business and Work, Ancestors, Archetypes, Project Planning, Life Goals and Transitions, Trauma and Healing.

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This website provides information about the Walking-In-Your-Shoes® (WIYS) body/mind process. The links will guide you to learning more about this powerful technique, including access to facilitators, training, groups, workshops and private practice.

The contents of the WIYS Institute site are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental or physical health condition.

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Welcome to the official website for the Walking-In-Your-Shoes® Institute

WALKING THEATRE WORKSHOP for Performance, Writing, and Developing Creative Projects w/actor-director Joseph Culp (Wednesdays 10am PST / 7pm EU)

What Issues Can Be Explored by using Walking-In-Your-Shoes®? 

What is Walking-In-Your-Shoes®?  Walking-In-Your-Shoes® (WIYS) is a phenomenological body/mind approach to self-healing, integration and inner growth.  Co-founded by psychologist John F. Cogswell Ph.D. and actor/filmmaker Joseph Culp during the late 1980s in Los Angeles, WIYS was developed in private groups and workshops over a 20-year period.  Often called the "alternative to Family Constellation work", this body-based transformational process is widely used by therapists, artists, life coaches, and healing practitioners throughout the world.  Walking-In-Your-Shoes® is a highly effective and illuminating way to have a family member, colleague, animal, illness, creative project, helpful archetype, or personal issue revealed in great depth, with safety and compassion.  How is Walking-In-Your-Shoes® done?  In group practice or private sessions, under the guidance of a trained WIYS facilitator, the Walker is able to tune in to the wisdom of the body and intuitively receive the inner experience, life themes and core issues of any person or subject.  In Walking-In-Your-Shoes®, the Walker engenders an experience of spontaneous empathy through movement, or “Walking”, and describes in detail, both physically and verbally, the insights received. These insights are often stunning, clarifying, transformative, and life-changing.  Why practice Walking-In-Your-Shoes®?  Walkers and clients using the WIYS process report many benefits such as an expanded sense of self, oneness, empowerment, deeper acceptance, and integration. It is a powerful way to receive insight into anything or anyone in your life as well as receive and share insight for others.  Walking-In-Your-Shoes® offers an opportunity to break out of our often limiting “self-concepts” and move into our deeper natures of love, compassion and “mirror-like” wisdom.  Walking-In-Your-Shoes® is a profound yet simple way to de-mystify and develop your intuitive ability. No previous intuitive training is needed to gain and give tremendous benefit with this process. 

•  Loved ones • Family systems • Ancestors • Disease and symptoms • Addiction • Healing trauma • Animals • Relationships • Business • Money • Success • Creative projects • Archetypes • Dreams • Life goals and decisions

Walking Theater Group - Every Monday Night 6:30-10:30 pm at Electric Lodge, Venice, CA. 

WIYS Training  WIYS certification requires intensive workshop training with a WIYS trainer. Training consists of four 3-day group intensives over a period of approximately twelve months, with practice hours in study groups or professional application in between trainings.  WIYS training is an in-depth education combining theoretical discussion and practical experience in Walking, facilitation and observation. Intensive experience in WIYS practice and facilitation creates a strong foundation in this very sensitive interpersonal process.  Additional one-to-one training hours are also available.  What WIYS Certification Means:  

Walking Theater Group - Tuesday Nights 7-10 PM at Electric Lodge, Venice, CA. Workshop Information  www.electriclodge.com Contact Us

Workshops & Practice Groups

Walking Theater Group - Tuesday Nights 7-10 PM at Electric Lodge, Venice, CA. www.electriclodge.com Contact Us

UPCOMING

Training for Trainers  Certified WIYS facilitators may take additional training hours to become certification trainers. WIYS Trainer certification means that the facilitator may train and certify WIYS facilitators that will then be recognized by the WIYS Institute.  WIYS Trainer certification requires two 2-day WIYS Trainer Workshops with a certified trainer.  For more information regarding available training contact us

•You have participated in an extended training period with a qualified WIYS trainer and have gained a solid foundation in the process. •You are officially recognized as a qualified facilitator by the WIYS Institutes in the U.S. and Europe. •You are granted legal permission to use the registered brand Walking-In-Your-Shoes® in all promotions and advertising for your groups, workshops or private practice. •You are authorized for legal use of the WIYS logo •You are permitted legal use of any official artwork or written material utilized by the WIYS Institute and official website.

2022 WIYS Workshop and Trainings are In-Person and Online The Walking-In-Your-Shoes® Institute (WIYS Institute) supports the training and practice of the WIYS process. We offer training workshops and study groups where one can experience the WIYS process under the guidance of trained facilitators.  The Institute offers WIYS training certification for people interested in becoming an official WIYS facilitator or WIYS trainer. Certification involves receiving training hours, usually in private training sessions or group training workshops with one of the Institute facilitators.  Once certified, a WIYS facilitator may use the Walking-In-Your-Shoes® (WIYS) logo and registered name for promoting a group, training workshop or practice. Certified facilitators will also be listed for referrals on the WIYS Institute website. WIYS Institute Membership: To become a member of the WIYS Institute, one must be a certified WIYS facilitator or currently be in training for certification.   • Membership “active” – use all services, currently $150. • Membership “passive” - no flyer, no listing, but all other services, currently $75 Institute benefits - What the membership provides: 

Walking-In-Your-Shoes® Institute  The Walking-In-Your-Shoes® Institute (WIYS Institute) supports the training and practice of the WIYS process. We offer training workshops and study groups where one can experience the WIYS process under the guidance of trained facilitators.  The Institute offers WIYS training certification for people interested in becoming an official WIYS facilitator or WIYS trainer. Certification involves receiving training hours, usually in private training sessions or group training workshops with one of the Institute facilitators.  Once certified, a WIYS facilitator may use the Walking-In-Your-Shoes® (WIYS) logo and registered name for promoting a group, training workshop or practice. Certified facilitators will also be listed for referrals on the WIYS Institute website. WIYS Institute Membership: To become a member of the WIYS Institute, one must be a certified WIYS facilitator or currently be in training for certification.   • Membership “active” – use all services, currently $150. • Membership “passive” - no flyer, no listing, but all other services, currently $75 Institute benefits - What the membership provides: 

EXPLANATION OF BENEFITS:  As a member of the WIYS Institute, you will show your clients and students that your work with Walking-In-Your-Shoes® is officially recognized and certified.  Your membership shows that you support a high quality of work in your WIYS practice. You establish trust in the community and can advertise your work with confidence. You also assert yourself as a presence in the WIYS community and can network with other qualified members for support and exchange of ideas and work.  You will receive a 10% discount on all Institute events, training courses, meetings, books, DVDs and any related materials, as well as for upcoming trainings with co-founder Joseph Culp.  As a member you will be listed in our WIYS database and receive all flyers and current information regarding WIYS events.    All members may create their own WIYS Institute member profile with photo, contact and links to your website for advertising your work to potential participants. The Institute promotes your events and seminars through current workshop and group listings. We support you and your potential clients.  We provide tips and advice for your work and can contact us anytime, if you need help or support. Email us or dial the telephone hotline in your country or state.  If you feel the call, you can support the WIYS Institute’s network and dissemination of Walking-In-Your-Shoes® information. You can contribute to the Institute’s work through participation on any level: sending flyer emails, hosting a hotline in your area, creating content, writing books, articles, video, graphics, blogs, newsletter, etc.  Members can help show that Walking-In-Your-Shoes® exists as a real alternative, either in the cooperation of the Institute, or by your support in your own field of interest or practice. You can offer courses, individual sessions, training, practice, or study groups under the umbrella of the Institute. Feel free to propose any projects or groups by contacting us.  To ask for member support: Send us a short note about you and your work or WIYS project and you get a free, personal flyer for advertising and distribution.  There are two levels of WIYS Institute membership:  ACTIVE: You are working actively with Walking-In-Your-Shoes® want to appear in the provider list, fully use all of the features and services of the Institute and get free flyers - Annual membership fee is $150.   PASSIVE: You are not active with Walking-In-Your-Shoes®, because you have a different focus in your work, and still want to support the Institute, get discounts, and keep up with current WIYS events - Annual membership fee is $75.00. 

• recognition of certificates • advertising for your groups and practice  • contact with other members  • 10% discount on items and workshops of the institute (like special workshops, books, DVDs)  • entry in official facilitator's list  • profile with photo, resume, book recommendation, link to homepage and online forms  • focus of activities  • tips, ideas, support  • telephone hotline in your state  • networking  • free online forum  • free personal flyer produced by the institute  • possible employment, work for the Institute 

Chris Assel (right) interviewing John Cogswell (left) in Santa Barbara, June 2009

Walking-In-Your-Shoes® History  Walking-In-Your-Shoes® was co-founded by John Cogswell, Ph.D. and actor/director Joseph Culp in Los Angeles during the late 1980s. In 1986 Culp and Cogswell began exploring the use of this “body/mind” approach to knowing. The core idea of Walking-In-Your-Shoes® had profound implications: By trusting the spontaneous, empathic “wisdom of the body”, one could state an intention to be another person and through movement and conscious attunement actually experience that person at a very deep level, without calling on any pre-existing knowledge or having known the person directly at all. The Walking experience could reveal accurate and relevant information about a person or subject not readily available to the conscious mind. This technique could be used by any person, and applied to any question or subject a client wished to explore. Seeing the possibilities for both psychotherapy and performing arts, Cogswell and Culp began an experimental research group comprised of some of Culp’s fellow actors. By 1990 Culp and Cogswell had formed a second group to study the effects of “Walking”, this time putting performers and therapists together for their reciprocal abilities; Performers were willing to use their bodies and emotions freely, while therapists had been trained to be observant of psychological effects and healing benefits.  Inspired by their findings, Culp formed the Walking Theatre Group in 1992 to work specifically with actors, writers and directors using the WIYS process. In a workshop format, members were trained to apply the method to their needs as performing artists; Actors could “Walk” characters, writers could “Walk” their own work, and directors could gain insight and facilitate their vision through the highly effective group process. By using the group and doing multiple “Walks” of people and characters, the members found deeper levels of humanity that could further inspire their individual work and any project as a whole. It was in this period that Culp refined Walking-In-Your-Shoes® for training by creating repeatable “guidelines”, “steps, and “questions” that would lead trainees into Walking with the most freedom, truth and benefit.     By the early 1990s, Culp and Cogswell along with several artists and therapists formed the Walking-In-Your-Shoes Group which promoted WIYS and facilitated training in experiential workshops and seminars for the public. In 1993, Cogswell published an article about WIYS in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, “Walking-In-Your-Shoes: Toward Integrating Sense of Self with Sense of Oneness.” The article described Cogswell’s path to discovering the process, his work with Joseph Culp, the study groups, client Walks, and his view that the process shared ideas found in spiritual traditions such as Tibetan Buddhism, where the notion of our essential “oneness” made a phenomenon like Walking possible.

In 1996, Joseph Culp directed fellow members of the Walking-In-Your-Shoes Group in a public presentation of WIYS called “Welcome to the Great Beyond”. Audience members volunteered to be Walked and had an opportunity to process the information live on stage: Culp stated, "The walker, like the shaman, uses him or herself to merge with the individual or group consciousness and works a kind of spontaneous empathic revelation." This touched a nerve in both the theater and therapy communities with regard to the traditional orientations of healing and entertainment, and further empowered WIYS as a force for therapeutic practice, creative arts, and community renewal. Over the next decade WIYS continued to be studied and practiced in various groups and workshops by a widening number of therapists, artists and spiritual practitioners. Alexandra Katehakis, MFT and Janet Lester PsyD. led the Full Moon Women’s Walking Group which empowered and supported women through WIYS. Lauren Culp, MFT, a member of one of the first therapy research groups, worked with John Cogswell in a therapist supervision group using WIYS to explore therapist/client issues. Joseph Culp continued his work with the Walking Theatre Group and to facilitate WIYS workshops and study groups. Eugenia Buerklin, MFT trained with Culp and Cogswell and conducted WIYS groups in Germany, Hawaii and New York. Alexandra Katehakis led a WIYS therapy group for several years, while doing supervision with Cogswell. In 2005, Cogswell and Katehakis presented WIYS at the Science and Consciousness Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Katehakis went on to found the Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles, and continues to utilize WIYS in the treatment of sex addiction.   In 2008, Christian Assel received WIYS training from Joseph Culp in Los Angeles. Based in Germany, Assel had a strong background as a Family Constellation facilitator and heard that WIYS shared certain principals in common; such as the use of the “knowing field”, and representatives that take on roles for clients who wish to gain more understanding about their family system. Excited by the direct, spontaneous body/mind approach of WIYS, Assel introduced the method to some of his groups in Germany, and it was met with great enthusiasm. Assel returned to the U.S. for more training with Culp, met and interviewed John Cogswell, and went on to write the first book on WIYS, “Walking-In-Your-Shoes: Walking is Understanding” in 2010. 

“Stating one’s intention to be another person and walking with that intention, one is able, through the spontaneous wisdom of the Body/Mind, to deeply and accurately experience that person.”  John F. Cogswell, Ph.D. (“Walking-In-Your-Shoes” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 1993)

Assel founded the WIYS Institut of Europe which promotes certified training and facilitator support throughout Europe. Since 2012, Joseph Culp has conducted training workshops throughout Europe, including Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and The Netherlands. There are currently numerous WIYS facilitators who utilize the technique in multiple fields, including psychotherapy, social work, creative arts, business and life coaching. WIYS continues to grow as a practical method for self-help, therapy, trauma work, creative arts, business, and healing worldwide. The first WIYS Global Conference was held in 2017 in Hannover, Germany.

The following list of facilitators and trainers are certified by the WIYS Institute of America.  UNITED STATES NORTHERN CALIFORNIA KATHY BURSCH (Facilitator - Corte Madera)   (415) 987-4353 WOLFGANG ETTENREICH, M.S. (Facilitator – Oakland)  (510) 681-8210 wolfgang@walking-in-your-shoes.us www.walking-in-your-shoes.us PETER DeVRIES  (Facilitator/Trainer – Mill Valley)  (415) 383-8634 wiyscoaching@gmail.comwww.constellationworks.com LLANI CORONA (Facilitator – Yuba City)  divinegypsy@comcast.net DEBORAH GATES (Facilitator – San Jose)  deborah.gates@yahoo.com SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA  LYNN BARRON (Facilitator - Los Angeles)  labarron@mac.com EUGENIA BUERKLIN, M.A., MFT (Facilitator - Los Angeles)  eugenia@lumin8.ussparkle320@aol.com ROUEL CAZANJIAN, M.A., LMFT, CMT, SEP (Facilitator – Los Angeles) rouelcazanjian.com JOSEPH CULP, WIYS Co-Founder (Facilitator/Trainer) Founder WIYS-Institute (310) 408-8023 info@josephculp.comwww.josephculp.comwww.walkingtheatregroup.com LAUREN CULP, LMFT (Facilitator – Los Angeles)  (310) 917-9169 Lauren@LaurenCulp.comwww.laurenculp.com NANCY GREENFIELD Ph.D, RCST (Facilitator – Los Angeles)  ngreenfieldphd@gmail.com ALEXANDRA KATEHAKIS, Ph.D, LMFT, CSAT (Facilitator - Los Angeles)  alex@centerforhealthysex.com SUSAN LYNCH (Facilitator - Venice, CA)  310-962-5946 susanlyn3@gmail.com ALISON MEZEY (Facilitator – Los Angeles)  alison@constellationarts.com LINDA O’HANLON (Facilitator – Sherman Oaks, CA)  818-472-6028 ohanlonl@pacbell.net SHANTI PIPER PROVOST (Facilitator - Santa Monica)Shantipiper@breathoflifestudios.com424-272-5932 Breathoflifestudios.com Santa Monica, CA  CANDICE REBOLLO (Facilitator – Los Angeles) rebollocandice@gmail.com SHAWN RANDALL (Facilitator – Los Angeles)  TorahAndShawn@aol.com DIANA VICKERS (Facilitator - Southern California/International)dvickers100@yahoo.com HAWAII LINDA ANDERSEN, MA Ed, LMT (Facilitator - Maui)Eyewitness Healing Maui, HI 808-280-4306 watercranials@gmail.com MINNESOTA PATRICIA BECK  (Facilitator - Minneapolis)patricia.beck@comcast.net612-483-6703 NEW YORK AUBREY LEVITT (Facilitator – New York , NY)  aubrey.levitt@gmail.com MINNESOTA MICHAEL McELWEE (Facilitator – Minneapolis) mmcelwee1@icloud.com FRANCE SASKIA MACHACZEK (Facilitator/Trainer) http://wiys.fr/          saskia@wiys.fr GERMANY CHRISTIAN A. ASSEL (Facilitator/Trainer - Hannover)     Founder WIYS Institut of Europe http://www.wiys-institut.com/                 English: www.WIYS.de    Tel. 0511-2110513   Mobil 0151-14465014                                        info@wiys-institut.org MARIANNE DIETZ-GREBE  (Facilitator/Trainer- Hannover) +49 15229549468  www.dietz-grebe.de SANDY McWHINNEY (Facilitato – Köln) alex@gb2g.com DR. SABINE OTT  (Facilitator/Trainer - Zornheim)  Fachärztin für Psychotherapeutische Medizin +49 06136 754684 dr.ott@psychotherapiepraxis-rheinhessen.de ANNELORE SARBACH (Facilitator/Trainer - Hamburg) annelore.sarbach@hamburg.de CLAUDIA SPICHER   (Facilitator/Trainer - Steyerberg)  Praxis für Kinesiologische Beratung +49 05764/ 94 17 13 www.kinesiologie-spicher.depraxis@kinesiologie-spicher.de KERSTIN TÖNJES (Facilitator/Trainer -  Hannover) Ostfriesenliese@gmx.de BETTINA WEIGEL (Facilitator/Trainer - Bietigheim-Bissingen) +49 07142 - 77 988 20 info@bettinaweigel.dewww.bettinaweigel.de THE NETHERLANDS LOELOE ANDRIOL (Facilitator/Trainer - Groningen) particolare@live.nl IDA BAAS (Facilitator/Trainer - Deventer)  +31 06-29545832 The Leadership Factory JBL Trainingen baas@theleadershipfactory.nlida@jblt.nl TEA BRILMAN   (Facilitator/Trainer - Groningen)  +31 (0)6 20950667 info@teabrilman.nlwww.teabrilman.nl BARBARA HOLLANDER (Facilitator - The Hague) Gestalttherapist Barboesjka Therapy & Coaching The Hague, The Netherlands 0031(0)6 19 16 25 38 info@barboesjka.nlwww.barboesjka.nl FRANCIEN BOSMA MOLL (Facilitator - Deventer) Coach WIYS www.fmtrainingencoaching.nl INGRID RADEMAKERS  (Facilitator/Trainer - Heemstede) Hunters & Makers Coaching +31 23 7920057 ingrid@huntersandmakers.com SIMONE SCHOOP   (Facilitator/Trainer - Groningen) Certified Systemic Coach/NLP Practitioner https://simoneschoop.nl/   schoop@planet.n    SANDRA TINGE  (Facilitator/Trainer - Groningen)  +31 612 593 159 sandra@santikicoaching.nlwww.santikicoaching.nl SWEDEN PAULI MARSEN (Facilitator - Stockholm) paulibigmedicine@gmail.comwww.welledge.se

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U.S. — 2019 Los Angeles May 24-26 2019August 9-11 2019Nov 15-17 2019 (Certification) FRANCE — 2019 April 5 - 7 Jun 14 - 16 August 23-25October 5-6 (Certification) www.wiys.fr THE NETHERLANDS — 2019 WIYS Certification Training Module 4  May 16-18 Module 5  July 4-6 (certification) DEUTSCHLAND - 2019 Stuttgart3 day empowerment & transformation workshopJuly 12-14.  Wundervoll Seminare Köln2 day workshopOctober 12-13

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United States - 2020 Los Angeles - WIYS Facilitator 5 module training Module 1: January 17-19   Introduction, Foundation & Practice Module 2: March 27-29   Core Beliefs, Archetypes & Missing Experience Module 3: June 5-7  Health & Well-Being, Trauma Processing Module 4: August 14-16   Creativity, Spirit & Transformation Module 5: November 20-22  WIYS Certification THE NETHERLANDS - 2020 Deventer - May 11-12   WIYS Trauma Master Class <="" font=""> DEUTSCHLAND - 2020 Frankfurt - July 17 - 19 Berlin 2020 WIYS Conference - September 18 - 20 NORWAY - 2020 Oslo March 12-13  -  WIYS Theatre Seminar Oslo March 14-15  -  WIYS “Clarity & Empowerment” Workshop

2022 WIYS Workshop and Trainings are In-Person and Online

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