Many of Our Frequently Asked Questions
Who has trained to conduct THJ?
- Grief workers
- Therapists in private practice
- Clergy
- Chaplains
- Addictions counselors
- Hospice social workers, chaplains, nurses, bereavement counselors, and administrators
- Geriatric care managers
- Medical social workers
- Volunteers with facilitation skills
- Peace workers
How much time does the training take?
We meet in a small-group, live-webinar format for three weekly sessions totaling eight hours. (The first and second sessions are three hours each, and the final session is two hours long.) Ahead of our first session, you’ll read through the Conductor’s Guidebook and during the three-week group training period you’ll conduct two practice sessions with friends and/or family members. You should plan on three to five hours of study and practice each of the three weeks.
How hard is it to learn to conduct THJ?
It’s not hard! The process is very engaging and you’ll learn a great deal about yourself along the way.
Between Sessions 1 and 2 you’ll have a chance to practice a “Half Journey,” and between Sessions 2 and 3, you’ll conduct a full Journey.
Between your two practices, the live webinar instruction, and having the Conductor’s Guidebook as a reference manual, you’ll have everything you need to be a successful THJ Conductor by the time you complete Session 3.
How much does it cost to become a licensed THJ Conductor?
Our Level 1 training package for individual practitioners includes three small-group live webinar sessions, goal-setting for and feedback on your practice sessions, a comprehensive Conductor’s Guidebook, and a complete physical and companion online set of our game materials. The training package currently costs $897 and enables you to charge for use of THE HUMAN JOURNEY® methodology as well as to present yourself, upon completion of certification requirements, as an Authorized THJ Conductor, with a logo you can use on your solo practitioner website. In just a few Journeys, you’ve already paid for your training!
With whom do I do my practice sessions during the training?
You’ll need at least five participants in all, two for one practice and three for the other. Most people work with family members and friends for their practice sessions.
Why do you use the term Conductor instead of facilitator?
THE HUMAN JOURNEY® is a guided experience with a reliable destination, like a train getting to its station. The wise person who takes them there is like a train conductor who knows the route and can handle all the things that can come up during “travel.” One of THJ’s friends noted the likeness to the compassionate people who served as “conductors” on the Underground Railroad. These brave souls provided safe harbor as fugitive slaves traveled their way to freedom. The role of the Conductor in THJ is in part about knowing the psychospiritual route ahead of the group and guiding them safely along it.
That combination of warmth and firmness can be found in others besides therapists! We’ve trained Conductors who are volunteers as well as people who work in geriatric care management, addiction counseling, social service agencies, administration, nursing, and spiritual counseling.
Those who have been teachers, consultants, facilitators, yoga teachers, or coaches would be likely to be “naturals,” but if you have the twin skills of “holding space” and “holding firm,” you’ll be successful as a THJ Conductor.
I'm not a therapist, but I'd still like to provide this experience for families or groups. Can I still train?
THE HUMAN JOURNEY® is designed to be conducted by people who can do two things: hold space warmly for small groups, and be firm in helping people stick to the ground rules of the experience.
That combination of warmth and firmness can be found in others besides therapists! We’ve trained Conductors who are volunteers as well as people who work in geriatric care management, addiction counseling, social service agencies, administration, nursing, and spiritual counseling.
Those who have been teachers, consultants, facilitators, yoga teachers, or coaches would be likely to be “naturals,” but if you have the twin skills of “holding space” and “holding firm,” you’ll be successful as a THJ Conductor.
How long does THE HUMAN JOURNEY® experience typically take?
It typically takes about two hours to complete THE HUMAN JOURNEY® experience with a group. Conductors are trained also to be able to provide value in a much shorter period of time, about 30-45 minutes, if that is all the group has.
Therapists who use THE HUMAN JOURNEY® in their practice will find the experience divides neatly into three sections that can be completed in three conventional hourlong sessions.
Therapists who use THE HUMAN JOURNEY® in their practice will find the experience divides neatly into three sections that can be completed in three conventional hourlong sessions.
Is THE HUMAN JOURNEY® just for hospice? I see a lot about hospice here.
Often, the patient is the one most invested in gathering others to take part. However, if the patient is not well enough to take part in the THJ Experience, we recommend playing in the patient’s presence. It can be a great comfort to hospice patients to feel and have confidence in the family’s enduring commitment to each other, even if he or she cannot actively participate. Indeed, what they experience during THJ® may be a kind of felt, rather than voiced, permission to make their own best decision.
If you're conducting THE HUMAN JOURNEY® in a hospice setting, is the patient supposed to play?
Absolutely!
Often, the patient is the one most invested in gathering others to take part. However, if the patient is not well enough to take part in the THJ Experience, we recommend playing in the patient’s presence. It can be a great comfort to hospice patients to feel and have confidence in the family’s enduring commitment to each other, even if he or she cannot actively participate. Indeed, what they experience during THJ may be a kind of felt, rather than voiced, permission to make their own best decision.
What if someone in the family or group doesn't want to participate?
No problem!
Our philosophy is that whoever wants to take part are the right people to do it. THE HUMAN JOURNEY® is invitational, meaning, it invites people to participate, and to continue participating, without any coercion. It has many “safeties” built in to make participating, for as long as each participant elects to, easy and without judgment.
Sometimes people want to start out just sitting on the sidelines, and that’s fine, too. It’s common for them to choose to jump in sometime along the way.
Is there a minimum age that's appropriate to play?
THE HUMAN JOURNEY® was designed with adult participants in mind. However, mature adolescents and very mature older children with good attention spans can also take part!
Keep in mind it’s fine for children (like adults!) to participate for part of the THJ Experience if they’d like.
