All interactions must be productive and respectful for all. The objective of the group sessions is to learn about the columns system and how it can help you. If you think anything you are going to say might not be productive or keep a respectful tone, please make the necessary adjustments or do not share it in the group.
In building a supportive community, you must be kind to all group members, including me. Any aggressive interaction or conflict will result in a private communication from me outside of group and would, if not addressed appropriately, require removal from the group (or any related social media site if necessary). Err on the side of generosity & kind intent and this should never be a problem.
You must be sensitive to the struggles of other group members and the impact your words can have when you speak. Each sufferer is on their own journey and has their own specific doubts and needs in recovery. You can work to voice and counter your own doubt, without adding to doubt for others by making a concerted effort to phrase your question in a way that does not argue in support of doubts others may have.
Own your own doubt. Doubts and beliefs are to be understood solely as part of your individual, unique struggle with the material in the relationship between you and yourself. We will use science and logic against them, but it must always be recognized that doubts are self-contained and can only be addressed in interaction with yourself.
Membership sessions are not therapy sessions. The sessions are designed to allow for an exploration exclusively of cognitive information about the mind body process. I keep them very supportive and open, so there can be discussion of intense and deep emotional material and the discussions can even have a therapeutic effect. But more activated emotional experience in the moment should be explored in therapy.
As we explore the mind body field, we do so to settle doubts within the self, not to establish which system or practitioners are superior or correct. I respect each of my colleagues in the field and they all provide value to many sufferers. When discrepancies are mentioned, it is done to target specific doubts and lingering questions for group members, not to pit anyone against each other or devalue any perspective. We work to help you find your specific way of understanding each issue within the work.
To address stronger concerns or disagreements on my ideas, methods, or theory, you must bring these to me privately by email, so as not to disrupt the group or interfere with the recovery process of others. Trauma can often convince you that you are ‘simply asking a question’, when you may be coming across as overly aggressive. It is each group member’s responsibility to keep their own trauma activation from entering the group dynamic in a way that causes conflict or tension.
What happens when rules are broken: On the first occasion, I will communicate with you privately to offer suggestions for adjustments to allow you to function well in – and for – the group. Once a plan is agreed upon, you can return to the group. Such events may include other group members reporting what I perceive to be justifiable discomfort from the action in question. If a second rule infraction occurs, you will not be allowed to continue in the group. Using my best clinical judgment – with a commitment to stay above any personal feelings — I will be the final arbiter on any rules interpretations.