LATEST EDITORIAL
BY GORDON NEUFELD
Since this is our first newsletter of the season and thus my first greeting to our newsletter readers, I think a New Year's Greeting would still be appropriate. At least indulge me in this, because I want to use this traditional greeting as a launching place for some reflection and as a segue to our upcoming Vancouver conference theme,
Press Pause and Play: is this the answer?
When we wish others a Happy New Year, where do we think this happiness will come from for them - less sorrow and suffering? better success in their work? more fulfillment in their relationships? less negativity in their thinking? increased emotional health and well-being? greater accomplishments? more meaning in their life? all of the above?
Let me turn this question around to ourselves. What do we think the answer would be to greater sense of satisfaction and enjoyment this year? Most of us have a vague sense that something is missing in our lives and if this 'missing' could be lessened or eliminated, then somehow things would be better. These core assumptions often exist in the IF ONLYs that rattle around in our minds. IF ONLY I had more money, more time, more leisure, more success, more family, more opportunity, more education, more recognition, more talent, more skill. IF ONLY I had less misfortune, less frustration, less distraction, less obligations, less alarm, less debt, or even less family.
These core assumptions heavily influence our decisions and infuse our interactions and our parenting. Of course, industry attempts to exploit these IF ONLYs, presenting their products as the answers to what is missing.
Could it be that there is something more elementary, more essential, perhaps even more elusive, to the sense of well-being that we seek? I believe there is. At this point I wish I could refer you to the book I have written on the subject. But alas, I will have to skip that part for now and offer you instead a few paragraphs, followed up by a conference keynote.
See below for details on the Vancouver conference.
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VANCOUVER CONFERENCE REMINDERS
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FRIDAY, MARCH 1 & SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2019
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Registration is in full swing for our Eleventh Annual Vancouver Neufeld Conference, taking place on
Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd, 2019 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond, BC.
We are thrilled by the number of registrations we have received to date, Sessions are already filling up ... so please do not delay if you are considering joining us and haven't yet gotten to registering. The conference sold out for the last several years, to the disappointment of many. And we don't want you to miss it!
Press Pause and Play
will be the key theme of this year's conference. On Saturday, Dr. Neufeld will deliver an opening and closing address on this theme, and a variety of workshop sessions will offer a deeper look from various perspectives.
TIME-SENSITIVE REMINDERS
Early-bird registration discounts are in effect for
one more week
; the conference cost is $155 if you register between now and January 25th. (The cost increases to $185 on January 26th.)
Additionally, if you are planning to stay at the conference hotel, the deadline to receive the discounted attendee rate is 5 pm PST on February 5th and our remaining rooms are booking fast. See below for more details.
For more information about the conference schedule, presenter line-up, and variety of sessions, visit our
conference website.
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DR. DEBORAH MACNAMARA: FRIDAY EVENING PUBLIC ADDRESS
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2019 | 7-9 PM
The family meal is on the decline despite decades of research as to its benefit to children’s overall health and well-being. What has contributed to its demise and should we care? Is there a way to harness the ‘magic of the table’ when parents shuttle kids to scheduled activities and work extended hours outside the home? How do we deal with food battles, picky eating, and power struggles that make eating together misery? Using developmental and relational science, Deborah will reveal the surprising secrets behind the family meal which have been camouflaged as a result of our preoccupation with what is on the plate.
If you are unable to attend the conference, you may still attend this event for $25 by registering
HERE
.
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CONFERENCE HOTEL INFORMATION
RICHMOND, BC
We are returning to the spacious Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond, British Columbia, just five minutes from the Vancouver International Airport and only a 15-minute drive from downtown Vancouver. The hotel offers free shuttle transportation to and from the airport and is close to major shopping malls and entertainment.
Rooms are just $160 for single or double occupancy and include overnight parking and in-room WIFI. To reserve your room, call the hotel directly and mention you are attending the Neufeld Institute Conference.
You may also
book your room online
through our group's dedicated reservation tool, where the discounted conference rate will automatically be in effect as long as there's availability.
Reservations must be made prior to 5 pm on February 5, 2019. We recommend calling the number below as soon as possible, as rooms will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis -- all rooms have been fully booked during past conferences.
Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel
7551 Westminster Highway
Richmond, BC V6X 1A3
1-888-627-8291
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UPCOMING WEBINAR
OFFERED BY DENISE FINDLAY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH
1:00 - 2:30 PM PACIFIC | $25
Registration closes at 4 pm Feb 12th
Jay has left a huge hole in our lives. As a father and husband, he was a bundle of energy, a fountain of love and caring, a tour de force, the centre-point of our family life. There were moments during his sickness and after his death when we despaired that there would ever be life after death – not for him but for us. Though still in the midst of this journey, I will share some of the emotional downs and ups of our story of recovery, as well as some of the customs and rituals of my indigenous heritage that are helping us gradually bounce back. I will also be providing a glimpse of the model of resilience that has inspired our journey. Though the hole that bears his shape will probably never go away, I am now beginning to see the fruit of resilience in our lives. I am pleased for the opportunity to share what I have learned about resilience on this journey.
It is very easy to participate in our 90-minute online webinars. No special software or technical equipment is required.
All that is needed is a high-speed internet connection. Each participant is able to see the presenter and the PowerPoint slides and can ask questions in a live chat.
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We believe the best way to take one of Dr. Neufeld’s courses is through a
Scheduled Online Class
with one of our faculty members.
This brings together the best of two worlds:
- the ability to study through the comfort of your own home; and
- the opportunity to meet weekly with a group at a scheduled time to receive further live instruction from one of our faculty members and to be able to ask questions and discuss the material in an interactive videoconferencing format (live classes are recorded, so if you're unable to attend at the scheduled time, it's easy to catch up).
For more information on each upcoming course below, click on the course image.
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(1ST IN
PLAY
SERIES)
STARTED JANUARY 15 - register until Jan 28
TUESDAYS, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
RUNS FOR 5 WEEKS | $125
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STARTS FEBRUARY 15
FRIDAYS, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
RUNS FOR 16 WEEKS | $750
Prerequisites:
Intensives I & II
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STARTS FEBRUARY 19
TUESDAYS, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
RUNS FOR 7 WEEKS | $250
Prerequisites:
Play 101
and
Intensive I
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with special focus for
Early Childhood Educators
and Daycare Providers
STARTS MARCH 12
TUESDAYS, 5:00 - 6:00 PM
RUNS FOR 6 WEEKS | $200
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STARTS APRIL 1
MONDAYS, 1:00 - 2:00 PM
RUNS FOR 5 WEEKS | $125
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STARTS APRIL 16
TUESDAYS, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
RUNS FOR 9 WEEKS | $350
Prerequisites:
Play 101, Play and Attachment, Intensive I & II,
Science of Emotion
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STARTS MAY 2
THURSDAYS, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
RUNS FOR 6 WEEKS | $125
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