Workshop led by Certified Trainer, Michael Alan Kolb and Trainer Candidate, Rose Owen.
Transform your Life by Telling the Truth
The Radical Honesty workshop is for clearing up the past and creating nourishing and life-changing relationships by telling the truth.
So why practice Radical Honesty?
Lying has become part of everyday life. Being polite and avoiding conflict is drilled into how we socialise and function. We are very good at this: saying yes when we mean no, saying “I’m fine” when actually sad or angry, hiding things we are ashamed of, etc…
What if I were to tell you there is a much more enlivened and honest way to live?
We all know how to withdraw. In Radical Honesty, we teach how to come back into contact with ourselves and others in a nourishing and exciting way.
What happens at a Radical Honesty Workshop?
A Radical Honesty Weekend Workshop is a playground for us to experiment with telling the truth out loud. A playtime for adults so to speak, but not in a sexual way you dirty bastard.*
For the majority of the workshop we get to know each other. In detail. Mostly we sit in a big circle whilst one person shares what's important to them and others pay attention and share what arises for them as they listen. This kind of group work originated from Gestalt group therapy, where part of the Radical Honesty Institute roots stem from.
We also facilitate a bunch of exercises that we like to call games because we don't want to take ourselves so seriously. The exercises are designed to provide insight into our human experience. We expect strong emotions to surface and a hell of a lot of crying and laughing.
Another hallmark which makes Radical Honesty workshops unique is how we facilitate the process of expressing anger, triggers and judgements. It takes a day or so to get a grip on how the process works, but once understood, folks tend to be less afraid of having uncomfortable conversations as we teach that everything can be processed in contact with people. It's magic. It's scary. It's unusual. Very radical in a traditional sense. And very, very healing for those who don't know what to do with tension, silence and discomfort.
Radical Honesty principles are taught in a purposeful, planned, experiential sequence throughout the weekend to support you in telling the truth and sticking with whatever comes up. We want you to leave the weekend with a new set of communication skills, freedom from obsessive thinking and a newfound playfulness with your own identity.
You can read more about what a Weekend Workshop includes here.
*We love to talk about taboo subjects such as sexuality and attraction in our workshops, we also have very clear sexual conduct rules you can read about here.
How We Teach
The Weekend Workshop includes a variety of activities to support you in telling the truth, hearing the truth, and getting over the shit in your life.
Tools we will use include:
Agreements: In order to create a safe container to practice telling the truth, we will go through a list of comprehensive agreements that help us to be honest about everything. Yes, everything.
Language: We coach changes in language formulations to a more clear and direct wording in order to fully orient in an experience and overcome emotions.
Awareness: We use a variety of exercises to increase our awareness and differentiate between our imagination and what we notice.
Body-Awareness: In order to “lose our mind and come back to our senses” we teach various meditations and continuously focus attention back to the body's sensory experience.
Connection: Telling the truth while staying in contact with people and allowing us to expand our tolerance for uncomfortable sensations help us to feel connected. One core aspect of trauma is isolation, we can deeply heal in groups or relationships where we show ourselves honestly and experience connection.
Price
Early Bird £300 until March 3rd 2023
Regular price £350 thereafter.
There are discounts available for:
- Scottish residents (10%)
- BIPOC/Trans/Disabled (20%)
Please email honestyaberdeen@gmail.com for discount codes or if you want to send a direct bank transfer and avoid Eventbrite fees.
Price Includes
Radical Honesty Workshop
Access to the ongoing online and in person support groups with Honesty Aberdeen and Radical Honesty UK
Price does not include
Accommodation. We can recommend several guest houses in the Footdee village or city centre.
Food and Beverages. Bring your own lunch or eat out at delicious food trucks by Aberdeen Beach with vegan and vegetarian options.
Continuous Support
After the workshop, you will receive continuous support from the Honesty Aberdeen community. You can join an ongoing community and get access to the network of Radical Honesty graduates: a fantastic resource for co-hearted living amongst friends.
After your first workshop, you can attend advanced group meetings and longer workshops, in order to expand your circle of honest friends and continue personal growth within an honest community.
This workshop is for newbies and experienced Radical Honesty practitioners alike. We will cover the foundational Radical Honesty distinctions and get some experiential practice in applying those distinctions in our lives from moment to moment.
Even if you've already participated in a multiple Radical Honesty events, our workshops are designed to be experiential, placing the bulk of the focus on deepening your practice, more than learning new ideas.
Location:
Footdee Community Hall
New Pier Road
Aberdeen
AB11 5DP
United Kingdom
Schedule:
Friday May 26th: 7pm - 10pm
Saturday May 27th: 10am - 7pm
Sunday May 28th: 10am - 5pm
Group size:
8 - 16 participants + 2 RH Trainers
Accessibility:
The entrance and the venue are on the ground floor and are wheelchair accessible. The garden has a step. The bathroom is on the first floor. We are happy to assist you up and down the steps.
Refund Policy:
No refunds.
We get it, life happens. If cancelation notice is given at least 30 days before the workshop, your registration is transferrable to a friend or to a future Radical Honesty event with Mak or Rose. Transfer credits expire 1 year from the start date of the workshop you register for.
In Their Own Words
Have a peek at the experience of these participants from the 8-Day Intensive in Costa Rica:
About the Trainers
Michael Alan Kolb (aka Mak) has a B.A. in Psychology, is a Senior Radical Honesty Trainer and is the Director of the Radical Honesty Institute. He is committed to helping people develop the skills needed to live life out loud, to mend and build (and sometimes end) meaningful relationships, and to ground themselves in experiential reality. He is particularly interested in the problems of existentialism, couples work and non-traditional relationships, and dealing creatively with anger and conflict. He lives and works in Costa Rica where he is co-founder of Cascada Elysiana Eco-Lodge & Retreat Center.
“It is difficult to transition into adulthood in a world full of adolescents. This practice of Radical Honesty has been the most important work I've done in my personal journey of growing up and I'm hungry to surround myself with others who want to embark on this journey with me. There's a whole lot of road left for us to travel.” -Mak
Rose Owen is Radical Honesty trainer candidate with a B.S in Medical Science and currently studying developmental and attachment trauma (NARM). She is curious about how unhappiness and stress manifest itself physiologically in the body. Having suffered psychosomatic illnesses herself, she attributes her healing towards building healthy relationships as well as taking more care for her own body. Radical Honesty has played a big part in creating the life she lives now, in the Footdee fishing village with her daughter, partner and pets. You will see her pottering around the village and she regularly hosts sharing circles and meet-up groups in her wee Honesty Shed.
“Sharing stories and expressing emotions in a group setting meets our deep core need to be seen and validated. I believe we, as a species, lie more than we need to and being more honest about what we think, feel and do is a solution to many of the troubles in this world, including mental health.” - Rose
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