A Workshop for Men Who Want to Act from Strength
Charles Darwin’s survival of the fittest is often understood as the survival of the strongest - yet what he meant was that survival of a species depends not on sheer force, but on the ability to be aware of and adapt to the environment - to the wilderness.
This is the broader definition of strength we will use in this workshop for men: We will explore what it means to be a man who is confident, assertive and adaptable, and not afraid of standing in and acting from his strength.
We will use a mix of exercises and explorations from the world of Psychology to explore how to:
1. Overcome the obstacles in the way.
2. Understand the boundaries of any man's strength - what he can and cannot shape in life and relationships.
3. Adapt to cues from the environment: Knowing when to be solid as a rock and when to be fluid like water.
4. Better communicate with members of the tribe: Tools for relationships.
By the end of this exploration, you will discover a broader definition of strength based not on brute force but on assertiveness, confidence and adaptability.
You will be able to start acting from your own strength in a way that is attractive and assertive without being overpowering.
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
when + where
Saturday March 24 -14:00 - 17:30 @ Lausanne Therapy Space in central Lausanne - 18 rue du Grand-Pont, 1003 Lausanne
cost
60 CHF
a little about us
Aernout has worked with the theme of modern day masculinity since 2001, originally as a writer / journalist. He published the book Spots of a Leopard in 2009 based on his encounters with men in Africa about what it means to be a man today.
Subsequently trained as a counsellor / psychologist, Aernout works one-on-one with men in his private practise near Nyon.
Aernout was born in Zambia, raised in the Netherlands and has lived in numerous African countries between 1997 and 2016. In July 2016 he moved to Geneva with his wife, Käbi.
Hiba studied psychology in Lausanne, and worked for eight years in the international corporate world. Following a six-month travel sabbatical, she realised she wanted to return to her original passion: Psychology.
Hiba refined her psychological training by focusing on acceptance and compassion in the therapy room, offering her clients a set of skills and tools to help them better navigate their lives.
She works in private practise with both men and women in Geneva and Lausanne.
why a mixed gender facilitation?
We met last year as part of the same peer supervision group and both expressed an interest in working with men in a group format.
We share an interest in the topic of what it means to be a man in the age of #metoo, where men are asked to be vulnerable and show sensitivity, yet still expected to be strong.
We decided to hold this workshop as a man / woman team in order to share different perspectives - both a lived experience of being a man and that of a woman experiencing this from the other side.
Hiba says of Aernout:
Aernout brings a wealth of life experience, of deep questioning and insight on what it means to be a man. Even though he works in a field that is typically considered feminine, and shows incredible empathy and sensitivity, he also embodies strength and masculinity. I feel honoured to work with him in creating this experience!
Aernout says of Hiba:
“Hiba brings great experience, warmth, humour and power of presence to any engagement I’ve witnessed her in. She has tremendous insight into some of the challenges modern men face: How to be authentic, how to be real, how to be strong without being aggressive. I’m looking forward to facilitating this workshop with her, because she works hard to help others shine in their own right.”