But it's not for the timid.

What is "The Grand Adventure"? It is a support group for individuals who have a spirit of adventure, who want to grow and expand their personal horizons. It is designed for people with a passionate commitment to create healthy relationships within healthy lives.

And while it is a support group, it is not a group for those who like to stay close to the shore...those who would cling to the familiar rather than explore new heights of personal growth. The purpose of "The Grand" is to offer each participant the opportunity to benefit from intensive personal work in a supportive group context.

Enjoying a network of individuals who share your passion for emotional growth and forward movement in life is a rich treasure. However, it can be hard to find, and The Grand can help. Whether your concerns involve emotional injuries rooted in the past, recurring patterns of ineffective behavior, or unfulfilled longings in the here-and-now, this group will help you:

• Discover the wounds and issues immediately obstructing the quality of your life

• Increase your self-awareness and your ability to reach out to the larger world to meet your needs, experiencing these skills as a measure of healthy functioning

• Risk working more deeply in an atmosphere of trust and mutual support

• Develop more authentic and vital communication skills within important relationships

• Expand your capacity for generosity and compassion for yourself and others

This group is particularly helpful for adult children of dysfunctional families, human relations professionals, and those on a path of personal betterment. Both individuals and couples are welcome. The only requirement for membership is to have at least one meaningful goal that you will attempt to accomplish utilizing the group.

This experiential and instructive group blends individual and group Gestalt work, spiritual practice, and bodywork.

The group is led by David Bissette, a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience in psychotherapy. However, it is not a professional psychotherapy group. David is involved in the group as a participant, and no fees are involved. Nevertheless, it is expected that the material addressed within the group will be held in the highest confidentiality by group members.

This group grew out of David's involve­ment as a participant in a similar workshop during the summers of 2006 and 2007. The workshops were held at Esalen in Big Sur on the California coast and were led by Mariah Fenton Gladis, a well-known Gestalt therapist.

As a result of these experiences David started the current group in the Washington, DC area in October, 2007. Members drive from as far as Annapolis, MD to participate. It is an experiment to see what can happen on an ongoing basis when applying principles of Gestalt therapy and group process while being led by a member of the group.

It is currently planned that the qroup will meet for ongoing quarterly series. The meeting schedule and times are listed below, but they may change over time to meet the needs of the group as things get sorted out.

• At the present time meetings are from 7:15 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at David's home in Alexandria, VA. The first 15 minutes are devoted to arriving and greeting one another, and the meeting "convenes" at 7:30.

• The first three meetings of each quarter will be held weekly, followed by meetings every other week. This involves about seven meetings per quarter with a week or two at the end to have dinner out as a group if we wish.

• One Gestalt tenet is that a physically relaxed and energized body allows for greater emotional contact with oneself. As a result, meetings sometimes start with a few physical stretching exercises. At each meeting we include some type of interactive exercise that may involve working in dyads with other group members to share goals, hopes, or past experiences. At times the exercises might involve modest massage or individual meditation.

• One of the unique aspects of this work is that we explore personal challenges through role play and dialog. You may ask group members to volunteer to play important people from your present or past. At times you will have the opportunity to role play an event that should have happened for you, but never did. These "exact moments of healing" can be wide ranging, and can include a parent asking you for your forgiveness, a spouse expressing love and appreciation, being rescued from an experience that never should have happened, or a moment of compassion or affirmation of yourself that you have never been able to accomplish by yourself.

Is this a grand adventure? You bet. It's also the stuff that life is made of. Moments in a group like this can be highly emotional, yet still feel "safe." Realness makes the difference. It can be nurturing, supportive, and very healing. The overall emphasis is on the goodness and sufficiency of life, while dealing honestly with the difficulties and deprivations that we experience in our lives. It can be intensely rewarding and a lot of fun.

If you think this group might be for you, then let's talk further.

For more information email David Bissette by CLICKING HERE or call him at 703-705-6161. You can also view David's professional pages at HealthyMind.com and NeurofeedbackToday.com.

The following links will allow you to:

• View this page as a PDF file
• View the current schedule

© 2008 David Bissette