GROUP – A Collective for Thinking, Feeling, Curiosity, and Play
I am starting a group in NYC for those interested in trying to achieve a collective experience of deeply engaged thinking-feeling. With our present-moment feelings as our guides, GROUP will seek to explore questions like: Who are we? What we are? What is important and why? The intention will be to foster collective inquiry, curiosity, presence and connection. This curiosity will guide an investigation of our own present-moment feelings and how they are related to others. Out of this feeling-investigation we will move into more conceptual play as well: playing with concepts, beliefs, ideas, judgements, hypotheses, reasons, underlying assumptions (but our feelings will always be wrapped around this more philosophical play, always there as signposts, ready to focus on to tell us what is happening). We will also incorporate a playful reflexivity that looks at what and how we are doing. And we will try out experimental-artistic structures for this exploration — game pieces, conversation scores, performance art, movement exercises, etc.
This work is inspired by group therapy, psychodrama, gestalt therapy, drama therapy, circling, and authentic relating practices. Most importantly, this group is not therapy. What this means is that our direct aim is not healing (even though this may come about as a by-product). This also means that while I am a facilitator, I am not a trained therapist. There will be additional work (explained more fully on our first session) that must be done as individuals and as a group in knowing and holding our limits and boundaries.
Logistics / Cost
GROUP meetings will occur weekly, 2 hours each session, for a core group of 5-12 members. GROUP will operate on 4-5 week cycles. At the beginning of each cycle, members will make a written commitment to show-up and be together for the duration of the cycle. After each cycle members can renew their commitment for the following cycle, and new members can join as well.
The first cycle will be from Jan 27 - Feb 24
The second cycle will be from March 2 - April 3
The third cycle will be from April 20 - May 15
Cost is $30 a session. Low-income rates are available upon request. GROUP will meet evenings (approximately 7-9pm); however the exact weekday, and the exact location within NYC are not yet determined. Members who are interested in signing up will be asked what location and day of the week works best.
INTERESTED? Please fill out this form.
Bio
Aaron Finbloom is a philosopher, performance artist, pedagogue and co-founder of The School of Making Thinking (SMT). His work involves designing performative “conversation pieces” for transformative inquiry that aesthetically expand the scope of philosophical, academic and psychotherapeutic pedagogies. Finbloom has presented these works internationally at venues which include: The Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Gallery 151 (New York), Maschinenhaus Kulturbrauerei (Berlin), UNAM (Mexico City), and MainLine Theatre (Montreal). Finbloom has received training in (and facilitated groups in) Circling, Authentic Relating and Psychodrama. He has been in psychotherapy continuously for 10+ years, and he has participated in therapeutic methodologies including Group Relations Conferences, Gestalt Therapy, Drama Therapy and Developmental Transformations. He holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities & Fine Arts from Concordia University (Montreal) and is currently teaching Philosophy at the City College of New York.
I am starting a group in NYC for those interested in trying to achieve a collective experience of deeply engaged thinking-feeling. With our present-moment feelings as our guides, GROUP will seek to explore questions like: Who are we? What we are? What is important and why? The intention will be to foster collective inquiry, curiosity, presence and connection. This curiosity will guide an investigation of our own present-moment feelings and how they are related to others. Out of this feeling-investigation we will move into more conceptual play as well: playing with concepts, beliefs, ideas, judgements, hypotheses, reasons, underlying assumptions (but our feelings will always be wrapped around this more philosophical play, always there as signposts, ready to focus on to tell us what is happening). We will also incorporate a playful reflexivity that looks at what and how we are doing. And we will try out experimental-artistic structures for this exploration — game pieces, conversation scores, performance art, movement exercises, etc.
This work is inspired by group therapy, psychodrama, gestalt therapy, drama therapy, circling, and authentic relating practices. Most importantly, this group is not therapy. What this means is that our direct aim is not healing (even though this may come about as a by-product). This also means that while I am a facilitator, I am not a trained therapist. There will be additional work (explained more fully on our first session) that must be done as individuals and as a group in knowing and holding our limits and boundaries.
Logistics / Cost
GROUP meetings will occur weekly, 2 hours each session, for a core group of 5-12 members. GROUP will operate on 4-5 week cycles. At the beginning of each cycle, members will make a written commitment to show-up and be together for the duration of the cycle. After each cycle members can renew their commitment for the following cycle, and new members can join as well.
The first cycle will be from Jan 27 - Feb 24
The second cycle will be from March 2 - April 3
The third cycle will be from April 20 - May 15
Cost is $30 a session. Low-income rates are available upon request. GROUP will meet evenings (approximately 7-9pm); however the exact weekday, and the exact location within NYC are not yet determined. Members who are interested in signing up will be asked what location and day of the week works best.
INTERESTED? Please fill out this form.
Bio
Aaron Finbloom is a philosopher, performance artist, pedagogue and co-founder of The School of Making Thinking (SMT). His work involves designing performative “conversation pieces” for transformative inquiry that aesthetically expand the scope of philosophical, academic and psychotherapeutic pedagogies. Finbloom has presented these works internationally at venues which include: The Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Gallery 151 (New York), Maschinenhaus Kulturbrauerei (Berlin), UNAM (Mexico City), and MainLine Theatre (Montreal). Finbloom has received training in (and facilitated groups in) Circling, Authentic Relating and Psychodrama. He has been in psychotherapy continuously for 10+ years, and he has participated in therapeutic methodologies including Group Relations Conferences, Gestalt Therapy, Drama Therapy and Developmental Transformations. He holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities & Fine Arts from Concordia University (Montreal) and is currently teaching Philosophy at the City College of New York.