Language: English
Level of audience: All

When we are changing we often need another to come alongside us to support, challenge or teach us in a way that accounts for both of us, and which has growing our autonomy/homonomy at its heart . I see this contracted process of journeying together as healthy symbiosis

Initially the concept of a healthy symbiosis appears challenging; Schiff’s original definition means some element of each person is discounted. However, Schiff also wrote about healthy symbiosis at different stages of child development stating that in healthy development:

“Symbiosis breaks down as children learn to think and take responsibility for their own perceptions, thoughts, feelings and behaviour”.

What I am suggesting is that healthy symbiosis can be mirrored with grown-ups – the challenge is to cocreate a relationship which positively rewrites archaic relational patterns.

I work as an organisational consultant, as a TA trainer and supervisor; and use these ideas to enable individuals to realise their potential and to change organisations by creating different relational opportunities.

This workshop will explore how we can invite healthy symbiosis by:

• accounting for learner’s and supporter’s needs,
• creating shared awareness of the challenges and risks associated with change
• building authentic open dialogue

And also, how, by accounting for context and community and inviting reciprocity, we can use the imbalance of power to feed homonomy and create a healthy community legacy.

I would love to cocreate a narrative of healthy symbiosis with you to strengthen our identity and legacy as TA practitioners around the world.