By Karine Munk Finser
The Kairos Institute at the Center for Anthroposophy, inaugurated in July 2022, presently offers trainings in
- Emergency Pedagogy
- Artistic Therapies
- Speech and Drama
Last summer, the Kairos Institute opened with the first module of a course on traumatology led by Bernd Ruf, founder of the Parzival School, a worldwide crisis intervention center in Karlsruhe, Germany. In a poignant moment during his presentation, Bernd posed these questions: How do I help free a child who has been affected by trauma? How do I help turn a crisis into an opportunity for growth to help this child walk its destiny path?
Biographical disruptions, illness, or simply misdiagnosis of trauma can lead to multiple expressions of soul imprisonment or soul sorrows that prevent the unfolding of life. The times in which we now live require us to recognize that, in the face of ever increasing inner and outer challenges, cultivating resilience and inner strength is essential. The future will depend not only on the health and wellbeing of the individual, however, but also on the way we are present for one another.
Bernd Ruf returns to our beautiful summertime campus in Wilton, New Hampshire for a further week-long module on traumatology from 2-7 July 2023. All are welcome to hear Bernd Ruf take up the themes of
- pre-birth trauma
- attachment and detachment disturbances
- sense disturbances
- trauma and rhythm disturbances
- heart rate variability
- trauma and sleep
and many other aspects related to the healthy development of children and adolescents. Both those who took the overview of trauma, Traumatology I, last summer and those who join us for Traumatology II will be able to develop capacities needed to understand the intricate aspects of trauma.
Waldorf Pedagogy
Bernd Ruf shows how the principles of Waldorf pedagogy can activate healing. We will experience how artistic therapies, movement, and rhythmical activities support healing processes. Afternoon sessions will be devoted to singing and a choice of artistic workshops in
- therapeutic painting
- storytelling
- eurythmy
- clowning
- music therapy
- animal therapy
First Spring Residency (April 2023)
In the words of Sylvia Borau, clay therapist from Bernd Ruf’s Parzival School, “I have never experienced an intensive where so much was accomplished, where so much art and therapy-oriented work was prepared and expressed, and where lectures and student presentations allowed for dynamic conversation and further sharing.”
At the end of our week together, the speech and drama students offered a performance of Goethe’s The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily, which had been theme for the entire residency. Each gesture and every spoken word found its way deeply into our hearts. At the closing ceremony that afternoon, a semi-circle of student art on the stage of the hall served as a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop and statement of artistic achievement.
Accepting New Students until Summer 2023
Kairos is now accepting new students interested in joining us in Wilton, New Hampshire, this summer and who are dedicated to continue training online in the fall through classes and studios with Michaela Gloeckler, Patrick Stolfo, Torin Finser, Orland Bishop, Charles Andrade, Gleice da Silva, Debbie Spitulnik, Christine Burke, Dietrich von Bonin, and Karine Munk Finser. (Some classes and studios are reserved for Speech/Art Therapy students only.) Online classes and studios will resume in the fall/winter of 2023-2024, leading to a further short residency in the spring of 2024. The summer residency for 2024 will meet in early July, with no online classes during that week. No further students will be accepted into this initial cycle of the program after the July 2023 summer residency. Click here for more information and to register.
