WHAT AM I HUNGRY FOR?*

This class description is in the process of being revised. Please make sure you're on my mailing list and you will be notified when this class is open for registration.

Please see description on class schedule page for WAIHF 2016 dates.

NEW! The new format of the class will make it possible for the times of the 2016 WAIHF class to be European-friendly.

Mentored by
Jocelyn Jacks Kahn
Certified Focusing Trainer and Guide

A 4-month mentored Focusing group (via an excellent videoconference service)  providing you with the time, space and support to allow the struggle with food, weight and body image to finally shift and transform

Can you relate?

It seems that no matter how little or how much we eat, so many of us tend to find ourselves in a never-ending sense of struggle around food, weight and body image.

Maybe you've just read (and fully agree with!) the latest article explaining why diets don't work... and immediately find yourself thumbing through the same magazine searching for that article on the latest miracle diet...

Or maybe you’re one of the rare women who has actually been at her goal weight for quite some time now – and yet find yourself just as anxious about what to eat and what not to eat as you were when you first determined that this time you were going to keep the weight off.

I know that I have been in a place where I’ve found myself shoving sweets into my mouth until I felt tired and ill – and then having some more.

If any of these stories feels like yours, please read on to find out more about “What Are You Hungry For?” – the course that I'm offering around transforming our relationship with food, weight and body image.

Why is it SO hard?

What makes it so difficult for us to simply eat when we’re hungry?

You most likely have a very accurate idea of how your personal struggles with food, weight and body image came to be.

And it’s just as likely that there’s something more here.

We tend to think of our struggles around weight and body image as our shameful personal problems.

And yet, a recent study reveals that little girls as young as 3 years old have internalized our culture’s pervasive and negative pressures around weight and body image.

This negative atmosphere is what we breathe in every day. Is it any wonder that it’s so difficult for us to find our way out of the struggle around food, weight and body image?

I joined the pilot version of this class hoping to get insight and resolve with food issues. I did get this, but I also got an appreciation of how deep and pervasive issues are. It almost seems incredible to think how things drop and release when root issues are lit. I particularly enjoyed learning more about how to Focus with issues like these and witnessing body wisdom operate.

The most important thing I got from the class was compassion for myself and others.

Food and body issues are not surface issues.

I am amazed at the insights and revelations that occurred because of this class. I think this is a healing class, especially for women with wounding.

  ~Sherri Cook, Butler, NJ

But there’s an even deeper problem here

We operate within a fundamental cultural misunderstanding of the nature of the Body and of Life itself.

We grow up perceiving – and being perceived as – objects in a world of objects. We grow up believing that if only all of these objects can be manipulated in the right way, we can be happy.

And so the game begins – the endless manipulation of our own bodies to get the nourishment we hunger for from Life – a game that is doomed to failure from the start.

But there is a solution to this no-win game.

We need to transform our way of being in the Body – of being in Life. 

Overview of this course...

This course offers resources that are particularly well-suited to these tough challenges.

These resources include:

  • Inner Relationship Focusing, which has a lot to say about what these particularly stuck and gnarly issues need in order to resolve;
  • Wholebody Focusing, which brings in tremendous healing around our relationship with our bodies ;
  • On-the-spot self-regulating methods from various personal growth traditions, including Focusing, for times when "stuff" around these issues may unexpectedly pop up in our everyday lives outside of class and our Focusing partnerships.

I felt totally safe in the pilot version of this course to explore some pretty tough issues for me with Jocelyn as my teacher.

I enjoyed the group of women and how willing everyone was to be open and honest and sharing. I love how nothing was “off the table.”

I learned to trust myself more and to validate my sense of knowing that often guides me. I feel that this class was a part of a much larger spiritual journey. I am so grateful and am excited about this moving forward.

  ~Alyssa Locascio, Fair Lawn, NJ

We will be Focusing with a number of key aspects of these issues over the 16 weeks of this course

A key to transforming our difficult issues is bringing them into our present-moment experiencing.

"Just be present" or "Just be here now" is advice that is offered frequently and glibly nowadays.

But there's a huge problem that can keep us from going there.

For many of us, the present moment does not feel like a safe place to be. We will be using the resources of Grounded Presence and Presence Language (among others) to help shift into a place of fundamental safety.

From this place of fundamental safety, we will be exploring our capacity to receive the nourishment of the present moment - a necessary starting place before we can truly receive the nourishment we are seeking from life itself - as well as from food! 

Receiving the Nourishment that Is Already Here

  • Receiving the good in our lives that is already here, right now.
  • Moving from our story about what's happening into Focusing with it (that is, allowing ourselves to receive the experience of how we are carrying this story in our body right now).

Weight

  • Physical set point.
  • Emotional set point - When a part of me is committed to carrying a certain amount of weight for its own good reasons.

Body Image

  • Making space for something in me that doesn't like what it sees in the mirror.
  • Bringing awareness to the cultural image I've swallowed.
  • Allowing all of this to be here and making space for something more to come.


The “Body”

  • Cultural/commercial sense of the nature of the self (disconnected "units," inherently lacking) v. actual nature of the self.
  • Being with ALL of this - cultural aspects reflected in inner points of view AND with a sense of the larger Self beyond and enveloping all of this.
  • Letting go of the need to control the body and learning to respect it as having its own consciousness that has gained a lot of wisdom from carrying your issues all your life.

And...

  • Allowing your profound Focusing shifts to bridge into everyday behavior. Sometimes this seems to happen automatically and sometimes it doesn't - we will be exploring reasons why.

These can be tough issues, and the class structure provides you with a lot of support...

The What Am I Hungry For? 16-week program includes:

  • A monthly 30-minute individual guided session with Jocelyn (included in your course fee). Note: The first month's guided session happens prior to the actual start-date of the course.
  • As-needed email contact with Jocelyn.
  • Small group size: This class is limited to a maximum of eight people.
  • Recordings of the classes to return to as you like.
  • Weekly between-class partnerships for the duration of the course.
  • A discussion forum.  Jocelyn will be checking in several days each week to answer any questions or concerns that come up for you – and of course, you will be developing bonds within the group as you respond to each other's questions and comments on their experiences.

And the Price?

Although I have done an in-person pilot version of this course, this is the first time I am offering an online version.

When I offer a course for the first time, I like to give participants a price break, both to encourage and reward those who are willing to sign up. 

As a further reward to you for not waiting until the last minute to sign up, I am offering an Early Registration Fee of only $756 for 16 weeks of space, time and support around these rich and challenging issues that hold so much bound-up life potential. ($100 less than the already low regular Registration Fee.)

An important part of the course is a pre-class Focusing session with me, and I would prefer not to have to schedule them all at once the week before the course starts!

The deadline for the early registration fee of $756 is Saturday, February 7 (extended 3 days from the original deadline).

As of Sunday, February 8, the regular Registration Fee of $856 applies.

I went into Jocelyn’s pilot class on food, weight and body image open for whatever I needed to learn to control my eating. I got so much more than I ever expected. 

I never knew my issues went so deep.  I met an amazing group of women and I learned how to use the tool of Focusing more in-depth than before.

I particularly enjoyed the immense sense of a safe place to open up, as well as the organized and thoughtful plan Jocelyn had for each class and her willingness to change it up and go with the flow of what came up if need be.

The most important things I learned were to value myself more; I learned to forgive myself for getting to this weight in the first place.  I learned to watch what I consume in other ways than food.  I also realized I had been settling for a group of friends that did not meet my needs or share my deepest values. I'm glad to see that there are others like me out there, and I'm not willing to settle any more. 

This class has changed my life in so many ways that go so far beyond what I eat.  I'm so grateful to have found this class.

  ~Anne Piombino, Oakland, NJ

What I am wanting for you at the end of the 16 weeks...

It is my intention that by the time the course wraps up:

  • You will have a deeper, fuller and more trusting relationship with your body.
  • You will have the ability to relate to food as satisfying nourishment rather than as an unconscious stand-in for unmet needs.
  • You’ll have a community you can call on for Focusing partnership.
  • When these and other gnarly issues of your life arise, instead of entering into a state of war with yourself, you will have the ability to be with them in a transformative way.
  • And  I hope that at some point you find yourself wondering what all that struggle was about, as you discover an unexpected ease in living in a way that feels good in your body.

Do keep in mind - this course will not suit everyone...

My guess is that your needs will most likely NOT be met by this program if …

  • You have no prior Focusing experience. We will be building on Focusing basics.
  • You cannot do the weekly partnerships. (1) The weekly partnerships are where the work is solidified; and (2) this class is oriented around a community of Focusers supporting each other in their journeys.
  • You're needing a quick fix. Quick fixes tend to assume a "technical" problem – that is, a problem that simply requires a new strategy or information. This class assumes that you are here because your sense of struggle around food, weight and body image have  not responded to new strategies and information. This is the sort of problem that requires you to grow into a whole new and bigger way of being in your life.
  • You are not comfortable working in groups. If this is the case, you might want to contact me (jocelynkahn@gmail.com) about working together individually.
  • You have experienced prolonged and severe trauma. At times working with feeling more deeply in the body can stir up feelings of severe trauma that requires the ongoing  one-to-one help of a psychotherapist. If in doubt, please discuss with me (and of course discuss with your therapist if you are currently undergoing a course of psychotherapy).

On the other hand...

My guess is that this program most likely WILL fulfill your hopes and dreams for it if:

  • You already have some basic skills in Focusing partnership.
  • You have tried numerous solutions to your challenges around food, weight and/or body image and found no real relief over time.
  • You may be in the middle of learning how to make sustainable, long-term changes to your way of eating and other lifestyle changes and finding it a continual struggle.
  • You are clear that these are big issues and willing to give them the time and space they deserve.
  • You enjoy working in the context of a small group.
  • You find Focusing partnerships valuable.
  • You are willing and able to take responsibility for getting any extra support you may need outside of class (e.g., from a psychotherapist).

About Your Course Mentor

Since 1991, I've helped people release stress and reconnect with their inner wholeness.

I began this endeavor through my work as a practitioner and instructor in energy work modalities such as shiatsu and Quantum-Touch. I came to see that what touched me most deeply about doing this work was seeing the light come on in clients as they experienced a physical feeling of being connected in the midst of their challenges to something that was much deeper and bigger than they had suspected.

As soon as I encountered Inner Relationship Focusing, I realized that this was an entire pathway devoted to helping people get a physically felt sense of this larger connection! There was no turning back. I was certified as a Focusing trainer in 2010 and have taught numerous Inner Relationship and Wholebody Focusing classes since then.

For more about Jocelyn, click this link.

What about guarantees and refunds?

Guarantees. I can guarantee you that a tremendous amount of care and attention has gone into structuring this class, and that I will give you my very best. What I cannot promise you is a specific outcome.

If you have more-than-reasonable unease about some aspect of the program, that may be a message from your body/intuition. Do be sure to discuss any concerns you may have with me, and also please listen to your own inner sense of rightness if that does not put your concerns to rest.

Refunds. Your first individual guided session with me will be held prior to the start of the class. If at that time you (or I) have the sense that this class is not one that you will benefit from, you will receive a full refund, minus the $50 fee for our session.

After the first class (February 18, 2015), there are no refunds except in case of emergencies. Please note that this applies to automatic monthly installment payments as well as payments in full.

In a nutshell...

Dates. The class runs for 16 consecutive weeks:
Wednesdays, February 18 through June 3, 2015

Time. 6:30-9:00 pm (New York Time)
Time Zone Converter: For other areas, please click here for a time zone converter.

Course Intention. Within the context of a small group of Focusers, we will have the opportunity to avail ourselves of the time, space and support to shift and transform our relationship to food, weight and body image.

Prerequisite. I assume that you already have some basic familiarity with Focusing partnership. Please contact me (jocelynkahn@gmail.com) if you're not sure you have sufficient familiarity with the basics of Focusing partnership.

Fee.  The Early Registration Fee is $756 for:

  • A 30-minute guided session with Jocelyn each month (Note: Your first guided session is held prior to the start of the weekly group meetings);
  • As-needed email support from  Jocelyn;
  • 16 weekly group meetings going deeply into these issues and developing Focusing skills specific to addressing them;
  • 16 weekly peer partnerships;
  • Recordings of all classes; and
  • An ongoing community discussion group.

As of Sunday, February 8, the regular Registration Fee of $856 applies.

Do you still have questions?

I will be happy to discuss any of your questions or concerns with you.

Please contact me at jocelynkahn@gmail.com. (I'm always very happy to chat over the phone or Skype as well, but email is the surest way to get in touch initially.)

Would You Like to Register?

STEP 1

The first step of registering for this course is to complete this Registration Form:

STEP 2

Payment Options

Step 2 is paying for your course.

  • The Early Registration Fee is $756.00 (must be received by Saturday, February 7, to qualify). As of Sunday, February 8, the regular Registration Fee of $856 applies. 
  • You can pay in one of three ways:

You can pay the Early Registration Fee of $756 in full via PayPal or your credit card through the PayPal button below.

(And note that you do not need a PayPal account to use your credit card on the PayPal site.)

Please click the PayPal button below if this is how you would prefer to pay.

Note: As of February 8, the regular Registration Fee of $856 applies.

You can pay in four separate monthly payments through the PayPal button below.

Each Early Registration Fee monthly payment is $189). Beginning 30 days after your first payment, each month for three more months a $189 payment will automatically be deducted from your account.

Please click the PayPal button below to make the first of your four payments if this is how you would prefer to pay.

Note: As of February 8, the monthly payment schedule will be based on the regular Registration Fee - four payments of $214.

You can pay in full with a check. (You cannot use a check for installment payments.)

If this is how you would prefer to pay, please make out a check payable to me in the amount of $756 for the Early Registration Fee and put it in the mail to get to me by February 7, 2015. You should mail your check to the following address:

Jocelyn Jacks Kahn
149 Royal Avenue, Apt 8
Hawthorne, NJ 07506

If I receive your check on February 8 or later, the regular Registration Fee is in effect and an additional $100 is due and payable before the start of the course. (The payment plan arrangement would reflect this, each of the four payments increasing to $214 ). 

I am excited to have you join me
for four months of time and space to delve into the life at the heart of the profound issues of food, weight and body image...

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On January 7, 2015, I presented "A Free Taste of What Am I Hungry For?" Would you like to listen to an excerpt?

If you would, please click here...
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