You will be assessed in your exams on 13 key principles we have been studying. We would like to pass you as “adequate” in all of them or at least the majority – you don’t have to be perfect as long as we see you are on a developmental track. There are two criteria which can result in an immediate fail though. We want you to pass and are prepared to fail you if need be to maintain a high EFC standard.
– Ethics
– Embodiment!
– Clear aims
– Awareness, range and choice
– 8 tools
– Listening and rapport
– Individual adaptation
– Cultural adaptation
– Operational language
– Rhythm
– Testing
– Application
– Tikkun olam
Ethics
– Rather than list rules in depth, what is most important to consider is a general service orientation and “do no harm” imperative. “Is it kind?” is the key question. Specifics include care in “dual relationships” (e.g. trading services), not having sexual relations with students, consent for any exercise especially touch (always by choice) and confidentiality. See Paul Linden’s code of conduct for Being In Movement for more detail as EFC also uses this.
– In the exams it should be clear the client/s are being served and no harm done
– This is one of the essential pass fail elements of the exam
Embodiment!
– Who you are (long term) and how you are (short term state) are more important than techniques for an embodied trainer. We must embody what we teach to be credible and because people learn from you, not from what you say. Awareness and acceptance are key as ever.
– In the exams we would like to see it demonstrated that you have practiced to some depth what you are teaching and can manage your state (though you can be human and be nervous!)
Clear aims
– What is the purpose of any exercise? What is you intention? Know what you are doing and convey this. Also, helping others clarify their own aims, e.g. the classic: “So what do you want to get out of tonights coaching call?”. This brings both clarity and motivation.
– In the exams we would like to hear you state, or draw out from participants, a clear aim
Awareness, range and choice
– The meta-model we use at Integration Training is that by building awareness of what someone is doing habitually, and increasing their range of new options, they have more freedom and will be more effective.
– In the exams we would like to see this model used implicitly or explicitly
8 tools
– A skilled embodied facilitator uses a range of the 8 tools (awareness, intention, acceptance etc). This is important as people will respond better to some than others. If we use centring as an example visualisations are great for some, while others get better results working with posture or breathing. Awareness is always the starting place and acceptance and intention usually follow (AAI form).
– In the exams we would like to see a range of tools used (though you don’t need to cram in all eight).
Listening and rapport
– Embodied training is always relational and replies on listening though empathy, touch, micro-mirroring, intuition and conscious body reading is an embodied trainer’s foundation. We can only facilitate effectively if we are in connection and appreciate who and how participants are in the moment. In this way effective embodied training is an emergent relational meditation – Ie. pay attention, shit happens.
– In the exams we would like to see you listen to participants one way or another and take them into account (not just “do your thing”)
Individual adaptation
– Embodiment is a highly individual matter and every person must be treated differently for embodied work to be effective. Pacing and calibration (what’s too much or to little?) are two important examples of factors that change, and we have explored how different types (e.g. four elements) need different things. Relating techniques to people’s current lives and worldviews is also skilful. For example when working in the tech sector I refer to “the embodied operating system”.
– In the exams we would like to see you treat people differently according to their types and needs
Cultural adaptation
– While the body is beautifully universal, cultural factors mean embodiment needs to be taught quite differently in different countries, companies and even departments. This may mean changing how you manage time, the level of touch, how authoritarian you are being and the language you use for example.
– In the exam we would like to see an appreciation of cultural context
Rhythm
– The one constant is change, nothing stays the same. There are cycles (e.g. the seasons model) and trainers need a good sense of rhythm and timing to know how to design and flow with beginnings, middles and ends. The constant of impermanence means that each moment is alive and different from the last so must be responded to dynamically and that shit happens – a centring technique may stop working for a client for example. Effective embodied facilitators appreciate change and rhythm.
– In the exams we would like to see an appreciation of flow, rhythm and impermanence.
Operational instructions
– What distinguishes effective embodied trainers from ineffective ones is often the clarity of instruction and making what is taught “operational” – involving a clear doable method. See the “How to teach embodiment” guide for more on this.
– In the exams we would like to see clear doable instructions not confused with metaphor or results.
– This is the other essential pass fail elements of the exam
Testing
– Theories and assumptions are tested in high quality embodied work. Embodied practice is an empirical enquiry not a belief system. This also helps get client buy-in and “ownership”, avoids cynicism and helps with continuous learning.
– In the exam we would like to see participants and facilitator testing and exploring
Application
– Practical application in the rest of life makes embodied training useful and not irrelevant! EFC stresses this element and business demands this.
– In the exam we would like to see the link to life and “real-world” application
Tikkun olam
– We teach embodied work to make the world a better place. This work is about service and love. We are concerned not just with running successful businesses but also in reducing intra-personal, interpersonal and environmental violence. Tikkun orim is a Hebrew term meaning “heal the world” which sums up that this is a heart-felt spiritual quest and not just a set of techniques.
– In the exam we would like to see reference to this, although don’t crow-bar it in if the session doesn’t give opportunity. Over the course we would love to see this in your motivation and choice of practice clients
You do not have to be perfect to pass, only to demonstrate that you are safe to teach, have some basic competence and that you are on a learning path. This would mean that we feel comfortable with you working in the world and stating that you are an EFC trained trainer. There is also an element of continuous assessment from module 4 so so should yo get very various and blow it on the day this won’t necessarily result in a fail. Good luck, and by luck I mean practice.
– Mark, Francis and Elizabeth