An opportunity to learn from a master integral psychotherapist and groupleader: (1) unique and exceptionally effective psychotherapeutic, spiritual, and bodywork/energywork skills; and (2) how to creatively and effectively integrate these in counseling work.

Intuitive Integral Psychotherapy Practicum & Apprenticeship Program

2008/2009 in the USA

(Five Modules: 3 or 4 in Boulder, Colorado, and the rest in Santa Barbara or Maui)

with

ROBERT AUGUSTUS MASTERS, Ph.D

(assisted by DIANE BARDWELL MASTERS)

The purpose of this training is to deepen the capacity of participants to effectively counsel others through a dynamic, intuitively structured approach that creatively and effectively integrates body, mind, emotion, and spirit.

To this end, the training will blend deep work on oneself and equally deep work with others, in personal, social, and spiritual contexts.  

You’ll learn to not rely upon nor necessarily impose structure, but rather to let it naturally arise from your relationship and interaction with those you are counseling. Working this way weans us from the security — the eventually deadening security — of operating from behind a preset methodology or structure, leaving us in a position that requires an appropriately creative response from us. Such creativity keeps us fresh, open, and alert. 

Throughout the training we will be working with body, mind, emotion, and spirit. Love, integrity, and presence will be the cornerstones of our practice.

The Practicum is not just for therapists who want to learn a more intuitive, integral, and bodywork-including approach to their practice, nor just for those who are wanting to work in the counseling field, but also for those who want to participate with kindred spirits in a year of exceptionally deep and transformative personal work, during which they will learn skills that will serve them in every area of their life.

Graduates of previous practicums have not only found themselves at home with new skills (sufficient enough to begin working as an integrally-oriented counselor), but have also done work of such depth — and not just a few times, but many times — during the practicum that they invariably emerge more grounded, open, intuitive, and confident about both themselves and their ability to effectively guide others.

Much of the depth and quality of the work done has to do with being with a group of individuals who are all deeply committed to their own healing and awakening. In such an environment, there is not only more than enough safety and trust, but also a rare intimacy, generated by sharing such deep work both as a participant and as a counselor-to-be.

The training will take place over 5 four-day  modules in 2008 and 2009. The dates are not set yet, but will likely begin mid-September 2008. We will set all the dates once we have 12 committed participants. 

Tuition is CAD$6800. A nonrefundable deposit of CAD$1000 is required. Half of the tuition is due at the start of the first module; the rest is due by the start of the third module (unless other arrangements have been made with us). Lodging and meals will be extra (the fee will depend upon where each module is held).

The training is a prerequisite for further trainings with Robert, such as the Bodywork/Energy-Work Practicum and Working-with-Groups Practicum.

ROBERT, a critically acclaimed author (of 7 books), teacher of spiritual deepening, and highly experienced psychotherapist (and trainer of psychotherapists) with a doctorate in Psychology, has innovatively integrated mind, body, emotion, and spirituality in his work for the past 30 years. For more information on his work and writings (and to subscribe to his free newsletter), visit www.RobertMasters.com. 

DIANE, Robert’s wife and spiritual partner, assists him in his groups and trainings, contributing deeply to the work being done. She is an intuitive healer and Reiki master, as well as a songwriter and professional singer, with a special talent for accessing and transmitting heartfelt spirituality through her music. See www.DianeBardwell.net.

For more information or to register, contact info@robertmasters.com 

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I am seeking meaningful work.

bio: http://aqalicious.gaia.com/

I spend most of my "forum time" these days on The Integral Pod: http://pods.gaia.com/ii/

"You've never seen everything." - Bruce Cockburn

Arthur: Wow! I mean, wow!

The Practicum is not just for therapists who want to learn a more intuitive, integral, and bodywork-including approach to their practice, nor just for those who are wanting to work in the counseling field, but also for those who want to participate with kindred spirits in a year of exceptionally deep and transformative personal work, during which they will learn skills that will serve them in every area of their life.

Tuition is CAD$6800. A nonrefundable deposit of CAD$1000 is required. Half of the tuition is due at the start of the first module; the rest is due by the start of the third module (unless other arrangements have been made with us). Lodging and meals will be extra (the fee will depend upon where each module is held).

It seems to me that the Practicum is ... also for those who want to participate with RICH kindred spirits, eh? Not just kindred spirits.

Can anyone convince me that I will get $6800 worth of mastery if I mortgage my house to attend this?

What exactly is Mr. Masters doing that justifies opening the doors of the Practicum only to the rich elite?

I love capitalism. It's a great system. And so is the freedom of speech that permits us to shout "greed" and "elitism" when we see it.

Making $81,000 teaching 12 students over the course of 20 days is definitely my idea of brilliant business skills.

Is he at all concerned that the knowledge and mastery he has attained could benefit all of us, rich and poor, and that us poor people could also apply his teachings to making the world a better place?

To put things in perspective, Robert's fees - for individual therapy sessions, workshops, etc. - compare very favorably with many of the offerings by Integral Institute and people associated with it (e.g. David Deida), particularly considering Robert's practice of keeping the workshops small so that everyone can get a lot of personal attention.

The practicums are primarily designed for professional therapists who wish to improve their practice by studying with a highly respected integral therapist, who brings an abundance of skill, intuition, and depth - earned over many years working in the spiritual and therapeutic trenches - to what he does.  If non-therapists have the means and inclination, they may also be interested in doing this work.

I have known Robert to be flexible and to offer workshop positions in return for work of some kind, for those who have difficulty affording it but are highly motivated to do work with him.  There have also been cases where someone has arranged a workshop and was able to provide facilities for free - with the workshop then being offered at a lower rate than usual to participants.  (This happened in Boston a while back, for example.)

Robert cares deeply about the people he works with, and he does very deep, transformative therapy. 

Unless my life circumstances change, there is no way I can personally afford to do a practicum like this, much as I'd like to; nevertheless, I am delighted that Robert is training other people to do his kind of work, and pleased to let people know that it is available. 

Is he at all concerned that the knowledge and mastery he has attained could benefit all of us, rich and poor, and that us poor people could also apply his teachings to making the world a better place?

In addition to workshops and therapy sessions, Robert has a number of brilliant books published, has a lot of free material on his website that is completely free (check out the essays section), a dialog on Integral Naked, more dialogs on Falling Fruit (free to listen to) and elsewhere on the web, and lately has been offering free or by donation introductory evenings with Q&A sessions; he also gave very generously of his time a couple of years ago to engage in an extended Q&A in the Integral Naked forum, which was hugely popular.

cheers,
Arthur

---

I am seeking meaningful work.

bio: http://aqalicious.gaia.com/

I spend most of my "forum time" these days on The Integral Pod: http://pods.gaia.com/ii/

"You've never seen everything." - Bruce Cockburn

Arthur:

$81 grand for 20 days of classes is over the top. I don't care who else does it.

I suspect that 75% of the people in the Integral community would not have the money for that kind of class.

Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and Hui-neng were not concerned about keeping the "riffraff" out. Is that what this is really about?

If he has knowledge and mastery that can benefit us all and make the world a better place, I'd respect him more if a single mother of 3 could attend it as easily as the guy who made $80 million on an IPO ten years ago.

If the free articles on his website or of any value, then they provide materials about his teachings. Which means that $81 grand for 20 days of the same or related thing, even with some massage thrown in, is a high crime!

I know all about the weird contradiction wherein the more you pay the more you pay attention. If the materials are so valuable, their value will be apparent even to an unemployed bus driver who pays a reasonable amount to attend.

Am wondering how thrilled he will be when I email him and let him know that me and my 11 friends are looking to attend if we can do some work on the side.

Sorry, I know larceny when I see it.

Mr. Masters is trying to create a Stanford-priced practicum which generally excludes all but the rich. Not everyone is Tiger Woods applying for a full ride scholarship. He may be operating under the notion that to really change society you have to create a core of privileged initiates who can then spread the message. I personally feel that the inherent value of the message creates its own propagation.

 

Thanks for sharing, Schalk. 

cheers,
Arthur

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I am seeking meaningful work.

bio: http://aqalicious.gaia.com/

I spend most of my "forum time" these days on The Integral Pod: http://pods.gaia.com/ii/

"You've never seen everything." - Bruce Cockburn

Arthur:

Inasmuch as you imported the advertising into the community forum, am hoping you will share as well.

So, uh, what is going on here? Is there a way to talk about it that is useful?

Are there any moral rules governing the teaching of important truths to fellow human beings? Perhaps in relation to equal access to important, life-altering knowledge?

Are you suggesting that there is nothing that can be shared in a community forum about the logic behind earning $81K for a 20 day practicum?

Most people work a five day week, which comes out to roughly a 20 day work month. So, $81K times 12 months is over $900,000.00 a year, right?

I doubt that any of Mr. Masters' teachers, the ones who shared the wisdom with him, made a million dollars a year on it. I know inflation is a factor, but, wow.

As you can probably sense, I am not a big fan of elitism in the dispensation of truth. This reminds me of the little Gurdjieff circles in Paris with the daughters of the princes in attendance.  

I have an abiding sense that if a person has genuine knowledge and wisdom that can benefit humanity, they would be relatively unconcerned about getting exceedingly rich on it.

Can you tell me anything that would help to persuade me that what he is doing is morally justified? I am a reasonable person, help me out here.

 

 

 

Hey there Schalk

I see that, for whatever reason, you are extremely activated around this issue.  What might be interesting is to try to determine for yourself why that may be.  There seems to be some sort of shadow issue hiding somewhere in regards to the relationship between money and spirituality, as though you believe they should be held to be mutually exclusive at all times.

This is not to say that i do not agree with you that this is an extremely expensive seminar experience, which i for one would never be able to attend.  But Arthur is quite right in saying that you could make these accusations toward an entire litany of guests we've had on Integral Naked, including David Deida, Tony Robbins, and even Deepak Chopra.  Hell, our own past seminars have been pretty pricey.  So i don't think R.A.M. deserves the full brunt of your criticisms, especially since he has certainly made a great deal of his teachings available at extremely low costs, even free.

Personally, i am glad there are highly-priced seminars like this available to the upper-class, many of whom would likely ONLY attend a seminar at this price level, due to an inherent sense of prestige or legitimacy that price point potentially carries with it.  You can argue the validity of that point all you want, or whether or not questions of prestige should even be a factor in spiritual teachings, but i for one am grateful that the Dharma is not confined to any specific container, in terms of class, ethnicity, cultural context, etc., and continues to have as many different avenues of approach as possible.

I also think that you should be somewhat sensitive when making ad hominem criticisms against spiritual teachers like R.A.M. (or anyone, really)--especially when you consider the fact that some people in the community may have an intimate relationship with that teacher, and may not be able to address or even receive your deeper intentions, having been personally offended by insulting language. 

For example, i think the deeper question here is "What is a healthy relationship between Spirituality and Money?"--which is markedly different than "Why is your teacher such a slimy charlatan?"  The first question will likely be met with grace and enthusiasm, the second with silence.

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__________________________

Corey W. deVos (dj rekluse)
Brand Manager, Integral Naked
Audio Manager, Integral Institute
Managing Editor, KenWilber.com
__________________________

Hey Schalk

Although i do not have time to go very much depth into the points you raise here (at least not today) i just wanted to post something to let you know you've been heard.  And while i essentially agree with all of your points, that does not go to say that i now disagree with their antitheses.  I think there is a space in which we can graciously hold both arguments--and hopefully find a way to deal with issues of prestige (a markedly orange value, if you think about it) without confusing it for the often exlusionary "country club" mentality (a pretty solid amber value).  Green, of course, doesn't think God should dirty His/Her hands by touching money at all.  Mentioning this does NOT mean i am pigeonhole-ing you as "green," as i do not think that is ever an appropriate communication tactic.  It's kind of like Ken's old saying - "If you are green, you are anti-war--but if you are anti-war, that doesn't mean you are green."  But i will say that an integral approach tries to honor ALL of these approaches, recognizing the fact that while essentially the same STATE experiences are being taught by a multitude of different teachers, the major STAGES of consciousness they are teaching to (and from) are incredibly varied, requiring completely different approaches up and down the spiral.  It is not as easy as saying the STATES being taught should be enough to override the STAGES that contain them.  So, there is a very good chance that if you want to transmit these STATES to orange, you need to include some appearance of prestige, which could very well mean charging up the ass for your seminar.  I don't know if this is R.A.M.'s explicit intention, but it is almost certainly Tony Robbins'--and, truth be told, if i had to try to transmit powerful states of experience to a predominantly orange crowd, i would demand more money as well, as i can't imagine a more painful experience ^_^

Finally, i want to address my own comments about the possibility of you looking at potential shadow issues around this topic.  It was not said from an accusatory space.  All i saw was intense activation around an issue, which almost ALWAYS indicates some sort of disowned self running amok.  I would have said it to anyone, regardless of whether their contributions could be perceived as positive or negative.  Any sort of activation--from intense denial to intense enthusiasm--is a sign that something, somewhere, could use a little "3-2-1"ing.  Sometimes, however, you go through the 3-2-1 Shadow work, and at the end the other person is still just an asshole, pure and simple.  But you can only know that once you've done the work.

And, i am hoping that you recognize that i was not using the old "hey you should probably 3-2-1 that" as a way of sidestepping the issue, which i agree is an often tempting way--for those people whose intelligence drastically outpaces their wisdom--to completely dismiss someone else's opinion.  Same with labelling a person this color or that.  Which is why, after writing that first paragraph, i also attempted to move closer to the heart of the discussion--which has less to do with R.A.M. as a person or teacher, and more with the relationship of money and spirituality, up and down the developmental spectrum.

Anyway, back to this crazy Integral Naked/Integral Life Portal thing......

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__________________________

Corey W. deVos (dj rekluse)
Brand Manager, Integral Naked
Audio Manager, Integral Institute
Managing Editor, KenWilber.com
__________________________

Thanks Cory:

I appreciate your sincerity and willingness to engage.

You said: "So, there is a very good chance that if you want to transmit these STATES to orange, you need to include some appearance of prestige, which could very well mean charging up the ass for your seminar."

Yes, that is very true. We can't be ignorant and insist on the same voice and packaging of a message to every audience. We will simply be ineffective.

By the way, I believe he also purports to be teaching about STAGES, though the experience of each person in the practicum may be most understandable from the perspective of their individual STATES during the class.

You know, I gave the example of the Gongfu teacher. What struck me about him, and I guess about most teachers that I find to be highly competent and legitimate, is that the very act of presenting and teaching the material is in a very real sense a living demonstration of the truth or core of the thing they are teaching! The very environment and manner of transmission itself contains the truth of the message.

For this guy Kenny, he is wearing simple sweat pants and accepting every single member of humanity that approaches him and the only condition is that they join in and try to "dance" with him. That sort of says that everyone can benefit from this.

So, I see a high-priced seminar and my instincts tell that many people are participating in it to find more effective ways to bolster their predilection to accumulate power or prestige. The act of excluding people does not resonate with a message that is supposed to be inclusive.

By the way, I know that the word "inclusive" has been hijacked and tortured by mean green to connote flatland pluralism. I am using it in the sense of the truths being the birthright and being applicable to all of humanity.

You are right, orange is very awake to the prestige game. But we must remember - you can be dirt poor and be orange!  

You said: "Finally, i want to address my own comments about the possibility of you looking at potential shadow issues around this topic.  It was not said from an accusatory space.  All i saw was intense activation around an issue, which almost ALWAYS indicates some sort of disowned self running amok."

I like your phrase "intense activation" - it can pleasant or painful, but it is still, in a certain sense, imbalanced.

That said, I have seen and met a number of people who have a "number of irons" in the fire. They can be genuinely trying to help people and at the same time trying to accumulate an enormous amount of money, and maybe get laid, or gain prestige, or just be jazzed about their system and how hot it is.

I have a sense that there may be some kind of duty, the higher or more inclusive the topic of your lesson or teaching is, to voluntarily renounce certain things, even if you are not attached to them, just for the same of ensuring that there is externally-perceived integration between your actual stage of consciousness and the message or teaching that you purport to put across.

Like I said, the more material or specific your message, the less problem I have with your charging whatever the market will bear. If you fix pipes, charge me to the hilt. If I don't like it, I'll find another guy who fixes pipes. But if you are purporting to teach integral truths, I think there may be a duty to stay right out in the middle of humanity.

People can do what they want, of course. And I will call it bullshit, all the same.

By the way, there is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Masters is legit. You can tell by the materials he offers and his writings available to the public that he is legit.

I am really interested, however, in exploring with anyone who has an interest the whole phenemonon of packaging truth and wisdom and essential knowledge in a way that only people with money can access it.

So the next question might be, but isn't he in a sense offering the teachings through other means and techniques to people with more humble income? He does have reasonably priced 2 day seminars that most anyone can afford. But if this is the case, then isn't he essentially ripping off the people who pay $6,800 to get the same message?

To my mind, maybe the most interesting and touchy topic in America today is class and privilege. We have broken down many barriers to a great extent, but everywhere I look class and privilege and insinuations of insider access are functioning at full force. And the higher up the spiral we go, the more they smell rotten.

What assumptions do we make about ourselves and God that allow us to buy into ideas of prestige and class and privilege? I think this is amazingly fertile territory if we are willing to go into it.

 

 

Hi Schalk.

I get that you're pissed off about how much the practicum costs, i'm pissed off about it too. In fact my initial impulse about it, was to take the same perspective as you have. Additionally, I felt included to examine my own reasons for being pissed off about it, and those reasons were:

1) I really want to go to this, and I can't afford to, and
2) A lot of the people who I feel need this kind of thing the MOST will never be able to afford such a thing, certainly not out of pocket, and you know the health insurance company sure as shit wouldn't pay for it.

So that's the basis for why the price pisses me off. That aside, I wanted to introduce a couple perspectives that have not yet been honored.

1. From a purely logical perspecitve, it seems, no particular person is more or less deserving of such a thing. I mean think about it - in the statements I made above (about why the price pisses me off) it was I who was making a judgement about who needs this work the most. In my mind, people who were rich enough to afford it should actually be subordinated to the people who couldn't. But I mean, shit. Step in line, right? In reality practically everyone on the planet *should* be there, *needs* to be there, but there is simply not enough teachers for everyone to get helped. So I mean, logically, from this perspective, what difference does it make how much or how little he charges? He could charge 20K a head and get 12 people in there, or it could be free, and get 12 people in there. Either way, 12 people get served. Anything beyond that is a really subjective judgement call on your part about who is more or less deserving - and i'm not sure if its truly possible to make that kind of call without the help of your ego. Might even make you into a hypocrite. See what i'm getting at? It's a real hairy sphyncter we're trying to pry open here...

2. I ate rice and ramen for a month, put my bank account into overdraft, and walked to work every day (and i'm still behind on all my bills) just to save up the $500-something to attend Robert's 2-day breakthrough group in Boulder. And you know what - it fucking rocked my world. I have a been a pretty fucked up kid, if you've read some of my posts on here, and over the years i've done a lot of different therapies, seen a lot of different people, and to be honest I thought they were all pretty much idiots. There are so many incompetent "professionals" out there, its been really hard to find someone who can facilitate the kind of work that makes a lasting difference for everyone involved. So I was impressed by what happened over the weekend, and inspired to do the Practicum. I don't care if it's a bunch of wealthy, stingy, greedy assholes that attend - I really want to be there. So i'm using my ecenomic stimulator check ($600) plus another 400 out of pocket, to pay the deposit ($1000) , and then I have no idea how i'll pay the rest but I'll find some way to do it. I'll take out a freakin loan from the local mafia. Whatever. If not, then i'm down $1000. Does that sound crazy of me? Well, apparently you've never been to one of his workshops. I'm going to make it happen and i'm going to be there, event if i'm sleeping on a friends couch by that time cause I lost my appartment.

Additionally I might point out, that at the end of the Boulder group I asked Robert something along the lines of "So where can I get a scholarship for your next event" and the reply was that there is none. So I was not aware of any of this stuff about working it off or whatever, and that kind of pisses me off too. But haha, i'm not gonna let it stop me.

And one day maybe i'll do the kind of work he does. Who knows maybe i'll even do it 20 times better than he does, and I won't charge a single fucking penny for it, ever, seriously... But you could have thousands of Roberts all working for free around the clock, sacraficing their family and their health to the work, dropping dead on the spot due to overexhaustion... and the line of people at the door is never gonna shrink. and your not gonna save the world. So I mean, its not my place to judge him or anyone else, because you see, that kind of behavior is part of the whole problem. When you blame someone for something... anything... you are essentially relinquishing your own power and sense of influence over the direction of your life. Anyways - i'm not saying that thats what you are explicitely doing... but what your saying just sort of has that smell to it. Know what I mean?

Anyways thats my rant. Hope its relevant. Thanks for listening. I'm game for more conversation if thats what you want. Schalk, I respect the fact that you will stand up and argue about this, because you see an injustice being done. I think thats honorable and it requires some courage to scream into the disturbing (AND COWARDLY) silence that surrounds the issue. I hope that i've introduced some other perspectives to this that might be useful to you, because while the perspective you're taking is valid, I dont think that its very useful in helping you get what you want most deeply.

Regards,

Egg

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Something does not become real by talking ABOUT it, it becomes real by being it; only then does that possibility exist in physical reality. So live your life as a being of integrity; your words and actions as one.

I am really interested, however, in exploring with anyone who has an interest the whole phenemonon of packaging truth and wisdom and essential knowledge in a way that only people with money can access it.

Hi Schalk, in my first post I neglected to comment on this point.

Truth and wisdom can not be bought or sold. If anyone claims to be selling truth and wisdom, you should probably just turn the other direction and run. We don't actually need therapists, spiritual teachers, or any kind of knowledge specialists - not really. You could learn just as much from facing and examining your own pain, than any of these characters could ever teach. In fact, IMO, virtually all the "knowledge, wisdom, and truth" that comes out of their mouths is worthless as such, because all true wisdom will arise within you. They may point at whats already there, they may slap you on the back of the head and tell you to stop being a jackass, they may inspire you to stop resisting pain and just let your natural growth continue along its own trajectory - but ultimately you're still doing all the work.

But like I said, if anyone claims to be selling truth and wisdom, well, I wouldn't be jealous of the people who bit the hook.

Is there anyone specific in mind, that this exploration is directed at? Aside from some really wacky cults and shit, i'm not really aware of anyone who claims to sell truth and wisdom, esp. not in the integral community :P If there is let me know though, so I can slap them on the back of their head and call them a stupid jackass!

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Something does not become real by talking ABOUT it, it becomes real by being it; only then does that possibility exist in physical reality. So live your life as a being of integrity; your words and actions as one.

Robert's 2-day breakthrough group in Boulder. ...fucking rocked my world. I have a been a pretty fucked up kid, if you've read some of my posts on here, and over the years i've done a lot of different therapies, seen a lot of different people, and to be honest I thought they were all pretty much idiots. There are so many incompetent "professionals" out there, its been really hard to find someone who can facilitate the kind of work that makes a lasting difference for everyone involved. So I was impressed by what happened over the weekend, and inspired to do the Practicum.

Hi Egg

I've heard many such glowing reports from people who've attended Robert's workshops.  Pretty potent stuff, eh?

I'm curious as to why, in your present financial circumstances, you are are planning to do the practicum instead of a series of individual workshops over time?

Presumably it would be easier to manage a series of workshops and you could end up doing the same amount of work (possibly over a greater span of time), without having to resort to mafia loans. 

Striking a balance between biosurvival security and the pursuit of healing/growth/awakening has been a very challenging area for me personally, so your "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" approach interests me.

spiral out,
Arthur

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I am seeking meaningful work.

bio: http://aqalicious.gaia.com/

I spend most of my "forum time" these days on The Integral Pod: http://pods.gaia.com/ii/

"You've never seen everything." - Bruce Cockburn

Hi Arthur,

Yes I was very impressed by Roberts workshop. And while I might not always express it - this is coming from a highly analytical, intuitive, and devastatingly judgemental mind. I am extremely critical of the multitude of self-help rackets out there, and I think most of these professionals, although they mean well, are relatively useless, soft, trendy, domesticated simpletons.

Why the Practicum?

• Robert could die in a car accident tomorrow, and so could I for that matter, so why wait or try to be more strategic than is necessary?
• While I do want to do deep work myself, I also want to learn how to help facilitate it for other people. I have believed, in my head, that this is something i'd be very good at, and now I want to put it to the test, and find out how full of shit I really am.
• I'll be able to do this work on a continued basis with myself alone, and with other people who can't afford it, for free.
  
• With a long-term program like this, there will be a kind of continuity of consciouness that develops and strengthens over time (this is my assumption). I have found that continuity of consciousness very difficult to maintain between random and scattered workshops (this is my experience).
• I don't trust myself to stick to such a long term plan without losing direction. But if i've put down that much money, and i'm ac