Testimonials

Voices from the Women’s Leadership Programme

Women’s Leadership Programme: “When I learned about the course it immediately resonated with me. I have learned quite a bit, where I have my blind spots and what I need to work on. I was very pleased also to have met the other fabulous women from all over the world. It was so interesting to learn what are their daily struggles in their divisions, but also what are the struggles and the doubts they carry about themselves. This has created a tremendous bond and understanding that you are not the only one. It was a valuable training and I would certainly recommend it for anyone who wants to work on him or herself and make their next step in their career.”

Gertie Arts, Colonel, Ministry of Defense, Netherlands

“The Women’s Leadership Programme is an absolutely unique programme for women leaders. It looks not at the traditional elements of leadership and management but really goes to the heart of who you are as an individual and as a leader. It is an extremely privileged and rare opportunity to really look into yourself as a leader and look at what drives you, look at the hidden elements of your character and entrenched behaviors and really try and see how you can bring out the very best elements in yourself. It is a wonderful opportunity and I would encourage you to participate in the training as well.”

Sarah Muscroft, UNOCHA Country Representative, Jordan

Women’s Leadership Programme: “It has been a really transforming and fascinating leadership programme. Particularly for me working in a multilateral agency, where you are trying to balance multiple levels, multiple perspectives, multiple situations and then added to that a very fast momentum and really new challenges coming from all directions. This leadership programme, has allowed me as a leader to really just take some time out and reflect much deeper into what are some of the intrinsic not only strengths but biases, perspectives that I need to look into and the course has provided really great tools and examples, really just the space to practice leadership and to lean into your inner strength. And to understand some of the perspectives one needs to bring into the forefront to really strengthen the leadership. It was a journey not only of transformation but of learning and understanding oneself as a leader. And I really want to recommend to especially those who work in multiple contexts and complex situations.”

Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Director

Women’s Leadership Programme: “This was a really unique experience to be with other women, who are my peers, from organizations all over the world. There is a great sense of relief that some of the challenges that you face as a woman in a leadership position are shared by others. This week has been a great opportunity to examine some of the biases and to get to know ourselves deeper and to learn what are our strengths and how can we continue to learn and also find ways to mentor others. Certainly I will go back to my own organization and find ways to employ many of the skills and knowledge I have learned here. I am grateful for this opportunity, thank you.”

Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director, Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, Canada

Here are some videos from out participants of the last courses. They are a minute or two each.

Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director | Romeo Dallair Child Soldier Initiative, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
April 23- 28, 2017, Peace Castle Schlaining, Austria

***

Gertie Arts, Colonel, Chief of Defense Procurement, Minstry of Defense, Netherlands|
April 23- 28, 2017, Peace Castle Schlaining, Austria

***

Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Regional Director | United Nations Population Fund
East and Southern Africa Regional Office | UNFPA;
February 5- 11, 2017, Peace Castle Schlaining

***

 

Sarah Muscroft|Head of Office | Country Office | Amman, Jordan
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
February 5- 11, 2017, Peace Castle Schlaining

***

 

Choice Okoro | Head of Strategic Communications Unit | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | Ethiopia;
February 5- 11, 2017, Peace Castle Schlaining

 

Voices from the Transformation Intensive

“I have just finished course Transformation Intensive with Anne and Johann in their wonderful house in Schmagerow. Even there were several very deep and strong emotional moments for me, I feel very safe all the time in very peaceful atmosphere. At the end a feel myself as really relaxed and liberated person, filled with new type of energy. I am looking forward to explore the changes in my real life.  ”
Martin Penicka, Czech Republic (7 day TI course in Germany, November 2017)

“Absolutely amazing!!!! Transformation Intensive delivers way beyond its objectives. For both professional and personal life the course liberates, empowers and brings back purpose and poise that seems to have been out of reach. Anne and her team have created a superior product that is truly life transforming.”
Stephan J. Flaetgen, New York ( 8 days TI course in Germany, April 2015)

***

“Der Kurs “Transformation des Bewusstseins” war für mich ein sehr schönes Erlebnis. Vor allem erleichterte er mein Leben ungemein. Er zeigte plötzlich die Möglichkeit, aus allen Problemen, die wir uns bezogen auf das Selbst nur ausdenken können, gestärkt und positiv hervorzugehen, ganz nach dem Motto „gain from harm”. So war Ich plötzlich in der Lage, jede Krise oder Problematik so zu analysieren, dass ich sie entsprechend umformen konnte, sodass sie kein Problem mehr für mich darstellte. Und ich habe jetzt die Möglichkeit, auf verschiedenartige Weise Probleme zu erkennen. Wobei ich hier eigentlich sagen müsste, dass Probleme nicht wirklich Probleme, sondern nur noch nicht entdeckte oder nicht erkannte Lösungen sind. Denn der Mensch ist sehr gut darin, wohl auch zum Schutz, jegliche Sachverhalte, die Emotionen betreffen, die etwas schmerzhafter sind, zu verdrängen. Doch wenn wir uns die Mühe machen, wird man Ende belohnt, die Blockade löst sich auf, und wir haben ein wunderbar befreites Gefühl, so dass wir von uns aus wieder Anlauf nehmen: „what’s next?”. Die Angst vor „Problemen” schwindet mehr und mehr, und wir können jetzt vertrauensvoll in die Zukunft gehen”. 
Alexander Caspari, Germany; (4 day TI Course, September 2014)

***

This weekend an in depth exploration into “pure agentic” way of being; setting basic assumptions and ‘deleting’ interfering assumptions in an elegant and effective process guided by two masters of this approach. I regard this mind set to be basically incompatible with a great many other mindsets, which doesn’t falsify it at all btw; all true but incompatible mind sets can easily exist in the diversity I call the polyverse, no synthesis into a ‘higher’ or ‘more encompassing’ mind set needed or even possible in any real sense. For the next couple of days though I’ll be mostly immersing myself in and exploring the “pure agentic” view or paradigm to see what its consequences are for the diversity that’s ‘me.’ One interesting consequence already being that it allows me to put ‘ultimate trust’ into my take on reality…”

Mushin Schilling, Germany,  (TI weekend in Switzerland, August 2014)

***

“Life is a miracle of abundance and love.

For some reason, we learn to live our lives holding on to this or that, building tensions and creating ideas etc. taking us further from the very true and loving source of life. We move on building layer upon layer of pain, conceptions and believes. In the midst of all this, sooner or later, we start to feel a stronger and stronger longing for authenticity, for LOVE, for simplicity so we start making things even more complicated. Haha. We try this and that, become inspired of this and that, we learn and unlearn and off course all this is super good – meaning there is no good or bad!

That very longing, which makes things more complicated taking us even further away from love paradoxically also brings us closer to the truth that we were always in love, all along. Becoming aware of one self, and by giving and caring about ourselves and others we heal as individuals and as a whole.

When I first took part of Anne´s Transformation and Leadership Program, I was in a state of longing, suffering and confusion. Together with them and the practises which they offered things became clearer and simpler, until I could see the love within and without. I don´t believe in facilitation neither the right to facilitate, but I do believe that when a person is truly longing for love and understanding, people along the way, reveal themselves for the sake of the process and the unfolding of ones very own choice of act.

So when you meet Anne and her team, don´t consider them as your facilitator that you have chosen to visit hoping to achieve this or that, see them as gifts that are coming to you through a very natural and complex, yet simple process, impossible to grasp caused by the very moment you consciously or unconsciously acted within yourself. 

If “you” happen to stumble upon love, while being present with Anne and the team, please honor their work and give them your gratitude and love, and when you leave, take your time, listen carefully to what´s emerging. Love and act, because it’s the very same thing – your essential self.”
Sharif Shawky,  Sweden, (9 day TI course in Germany, June 2014)

***

Change has to start within us and with our own behaviour. So for all those of us working on changing the “world”, we should look first at ourselves (it is the upper left quadrant that we can easily influence). The nine day course has helped me exactly to do this: look at my inner self and deliberately decide what I would like to change and how.

In a loving, caring and joyful atmosphere and with a loving, caring and joyful team of coaches I had the opportunity to look at deeply rooted life patterns and fears, to work with and on them and to deliberately decide to let them go. The days brought me a huge step forward to create what I want to create. In addition I found new friends from different parts of the world with whom I feel deeply connected.” Thanks a lot to Anne for accompanying me in this adventure!
Katja Firus, Rome (8 day TI Course, Switzerland, January 2014)

***

“It’s amazing how possible it is to live unaware of what is actually happening! But then again discovering ways to let the present shine is part of the fun! In the TI workshop I discovered the joy of acting out. Acting out enhances the physical expression of what is arising as a means to clear the energy of what is impeding the presence of what was intended. This process allows deep practice with subtle shifts in focus of attention and patterned behaviors. Anne is a master with these processes and guiding people to their own liberation. She has been practicing and teaching and leading workshops in this work for 15 years and is highly attuned to what we are asking ourselves to address. Anne’s capacity for being sensitive as well as her experience with the depth of the work means you will be extremely well cared for, be well instructed in the processes of, as well as activate lifelong positive changes.”
Katherine Konner, California, (9 day TI Course, Switzerland, January 2014)

 

%d bloggers like this: