What is Encounter

Follow the links above with information about OFI-Encounter or go directly to my Encounter Program:  International

Encounter

The human heart yearns for contact – above all it yearns for genuine dialogue... Each of us secretly and desperately yearns to be ‘met’ – to be recognised in our uniqueness, our fullness and our vulnerability. Hycner & Jacobs

Open Floor Encounter (originally called Open Floor) created by Andrea Juhan, is an exhilarating group process that has evolved out of Gestalt Awareness Practice, psychodrama, somatic psychotherapy, Authentic Movement.

For its first 15 years, Open Floor Encounter was simply known as Open Floor taught with the 5Rhythms® being its supporting movement practice. Three years ago Open Floor was renamed and this unique process is now supported by Open Floor International School. 

Open Floor Encounter is a modern re-visioning of the 60’s Encounter groups.  It combines the edgy, pioneer spirit from those years with the sophistication and finesse of more recent psychological insights.  The carefully structured process is embedded in grounded movement practice, which supports students to connect with and express powerful feelings that emerge in the process.

Open Floor Encounter opens us to a profound opportunity to know ourselves and be known, to learn to stand in intensity and make clear choices. These are key aspects of mature development both psychologically and spiritually.  Artfully graceful, unpredictable and infinitely creative, Encounter calls forth both our compassion and innate wisdom.

 

Different Formats for Open Floor Encounter work

Encounter Fundamentals:  an introduction workshop. This can be a week long, a weekend or a series of one-day workshops.

Unfolding Encounters: a series of workshops, over time, with the same group members.

On-going Encounter groups:  groups are designed to focus more deeply on the interactions the group members have with each other over time. These groups called Undercurrents with Andrea, meeting for 5 modules, for 4-6 days, over 2.5 years.