Director Jon Schwartz Reflects on 2009 & Looking Ahead in 2010

I know it’s painfully cliché to write a year-end note with a “reflections on the year past/plans for the year ahead” theme. Well, sorry. Here I go!

I like what’s going on at The Center for Self Leadership and with the IFS model, and we accomplished a lot in 2009:

* We trained more students in Level 1 and 2 programs than in
any previous year.
* We began telecourses that allow people to learn about IFS
without traveling.
* We created new trainings in Europe and have witnessed the
early development of new IFS communities in other parts of
the world.
* We revamped our website to be more user friendly and
comprehensive.
* More people attended our annual IFS conference than ever
before.
* Dick’s stature continues to grow as evidenced by the
invitations he receives to give keynote addresses at
national and international conferences and by the popularity
of his publications.
* And, overall, IFS continues to rise in stature as a
psychotherapeutic approach while also enjoying greater
awareness among the lay public.

I am so grateful to our staff for all of the hard work they put forth every day, and I’m also grateful for the exceptional talent and wisdom of all of our Lead, Co-Lead, and Assistant trainers, as well as all of the Program Assistants. And I am grateful to all who, through their own courage and curiosity, have learned about themselves and one another through IFS.

We have a lot on our plate in 2010. This year we begin the IFS certification process for both therapists and practitioners, so be on the lookout for an upcoming e-blast with more information. We are also starting an Ethics Advisory Committee on January 1st. These are two big steps in assuring quality control and safety in the practice of IFS.

We’re also creating a “retreat-style” option for Level 1 training programs this year (details are coming very soon to our webpage and in an upcoming e-blast). The retreat-style Level 1 is made up of two 6-day sessions held in two beautiful locations, plus two teleconference sessions. The first 6-day session will take place in late June/early July near Asheville, North Carolina, and the second 6-day session will occur in mid-October near Portland, Maine. We’re very excited about this new format as it will open up the Level 1 training experience to those who find the six weekend format logistically difficult, while providing two idyllic settings in which to learn IFS. It will also enable participants to complete the training in four months rather than one year.

Finally, CSL will begin a strategic planning process this year. As an organization, we’re at a stage in our evolution where we need to revisit our vision and mission, goals and objectives, hopes and fears. We’ll use this process to chart a course that will prioritize and focus our efforts in a direction that is clear to all of us. This endeavor sounds simple enough, but in the IFS world there are so many possibilities and myriad directions in which we can travel. Fortunately, there is no shortage of truly brilliant minds and beautiful hearts in our community whose ideas and experiences will be instrumental in helping us to reach our goals.

I look forward to the hard work before us and the fun we will have doing it in the coming year, and I appreciate your participation, your support, and your love for this great message and the community that has grown around it.

Jon