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MARTEN BOS

CREATING SPACE FOR STORIES

Trainer, Supervisor, Gestalt - Public Speaker, Moderator, Connector and Writer.

(Self-employed since 1999)

My main inspiration is the theory of Intersectionality combined with Gestalt.

"How can we use our stories in an Equal and Inclusive and dialogigal way, to support the power of our diversity?"

More and more in my life (private, work, volunteer) I became aware of the differences we get and take in our stories.

We share our stories in very different ways, in language, gesture, rituals, in food, in the design of the spaces, private and public space and quite influential, from different possitions.

Not every story gets - and takes up the same amount of space.

My work, volunteer work, my relationships, my whole life is a colorful collection of stories, stories that arose in relations, in experiences with family, friends, region of growing up, in love, philosofy of life, politics, activism, work and volunteer work, etc.

Diversity has been present in abundance and that has confronted me with the differences in space that is given and taken for each story.

Dominant stories and stories in the margins, a difference in attention and appreciation.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equity are therefore reflected in every story.

The inequality between people and stories that are often heard and seen, read, appreciated and stories of people that are not or hardly seen, read, appreciated, acknowledged.

It has become an important driving force in my work and beyond, to give attention and space to the quality of stories, stories of equality and inclusion, stories of value, unheard and unknown, hidden and stigmatized stories, withheld and overexposed stories.

who is in charge, what does directing your own story look like, what do you do / can you / do you want to do with it?

What I offer:

TRAINING AND SUPERVISION:

"Working on our multiple story" (2 days training)

& when enough people are interested

"An Inspiration week about Intersectionality & Gestalt"

As a trainer and supervisor I mainly work in groups and for several days.
The advantage of group work is that multiple experiences come together and we can touch and support each other, challenge each other in recognition of vulnerability and strength.
Several days, to really start and deepen a process together.

Working for me means being there with my clients in a subject - subject relation. Meeting each other in an equal, dialogical relationship.
"I don't treat patients, I meet people."
Jan Foudraine
"Don't make a patient of your client"
Harm Siemens

In my view, the professional counselor needs a healthy egoism to be able to say regularly:

"AND NOW ME TIME!"
Just as the carpenter, the blacksmith, the glass blower keep their own instruments in order, so the professional supervisor will also have to regularly update, maintain, adjust and make their own instruments fit again.

“THE POWER OF DIFFERENCES”

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, (D.E.I.) and Justice are much more to me than just fashionable words. It is about the importance of sharing stories about us, our lives, experiences.

It is about awareness of both privilege and power, about how to facilitate space for the real dialogue, for real, sometimes uncomfortable stories, realities, specially for people in marginalized positions.

It is all about real deep listening and trying to see the world through the eyes of ‘the not me’.

Where and how do exclusion, stigmatisation, lack of opportunities take place? Where do doors stay closed for people of colour, transgender people, people with less/(un)visible abilities, women, LGBTI+ etc. people, etc.?

All with the understanding of the intersections of these identities.

Story sharing needs a inclusive, equity space, I provide this by the term: "to install on diversity”.

We need to avoid: tube view, competition, stigma, get stuck in frozen identity, see others / ourselves as objects. Aand araise awareness about ‘who is in charge of our story’? ‘Who has direction?' 'How are we dealing with the ‘normalities’ in: our rituals, language, attitude, norms, etc’. ‘How exclusive can some of our rituals, language, routines etc. be?’

For me the combination of Intersectionality, Gestalt and Systemic work is the inspiration for my work. ‘THE METHODOLOGY OF THE DIVERSITY CARDS’

The methodology of the Diversity Cards is a result of working in the field of diversity for over 40 years as trainer, coach, consultant, activist, volunteer, therapist, etc.

These 19 cards, 1 empty and 18 represent themes that i came across during my work, these 18 were most mentioned in the way we define ourselves as different and interconnected layers of our identities.

Gestalt thought me to not just to look at the individual, but work from a relational/contextual (field) perspective.

This so called 'field', that we are part of, influences us, makes us developping patterns, sometimes even (unhealthy) survival skills, to deal with inclusion and exclusion. We mostly do this unaware, Gestalt focusses on awareness in the here and now.

The Neo-Liberalism has given us the idea, the introject, that we ourselves are to blame for not being successful, happy, normal, etc.

The field theory gives a lot of information about our creative adjustments. How we survive from marginalized positions, how we try to fit in, even when this is quite unhealthy.

The cards have an A3 size to work experiential en systemic and are finished in washable laminate.

Workshops can be offered ‘open enrollment’ or ‘in-company’.

For information about the cards and workshops: marten@martenbos.nl

Reviews of trainers that have been working with the cards:

“Would like to tell you a big THANK - cards during the strategic session worked perfectly well!! We went deeply into values, culture and client needs instead of usual empty discussion.”

“I wanted to let you know that the Diversity Cards worked very well indeed with the group I facilitated; indeed they were the highlight of the six week programme! There were participants from Sudan, Indonesia, Guinea-Bissau, Poland, S. Africa, and Bangladesh; because the cards opened up the possibility for each person to talk about themselves from a position of their own choice, it created a lively and egalitarian atmosphere on the first day, for which I was happy. Also, everyone enjoyed translating the words into their mother tongue!”

I am trained in Gestalt on the Nederlandse Stichting Gestalt (NSG) based on Gestalt therapy.

I am certified Supervisor for the LVSC (Landelijke Vereniging voor Supervisie en Coaching)

and the NVAGT / EAGT

(Nederlands Vlaamse Associatie Gestalt Therapie)/(European Association of Gestalt Therapy) .

I am training and giving supervision for Gestalt institutes in: the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Ukrain, Finland, Poland, Nepal.

My background: Social worker, started in 1978 and been working in this field until 1991.

My clients were: (young) immigrants, people with physical and/or mental disabilities, people with drugs addiction, juvenile delinquents, etc.)

From 1991 until 1999 I worked as (senior) trainer at the national refugee organization: VluchtelingenWerk.

In 1999 I started my own ‘one man company’:

‘Marten Bos, The Power of Differences’

I am working for a variety of companies, organizations, schools, governmental organizations and also for individual clients.

I have done quite some volunteer work:

Marokkaans WAO komitee, Moroccan, first generation self organisation)

COC the Dutch LGBTI+ organisation

'Alle Kleuren Oost' a community building organisation in Amsterdam East

My education:

Master of Science in Gestalt therapy, Middlesex University England 2007

Systemic work/ Family constelations 2010

V.O. Supervision en Consultation Hogeschool van Amsterdam 1992-1993(Registration: supervisor by the LVSB S10760 H, senior supervisor LS1157H, teacher supervisors))

Bachelor (HBO) Academy Educational and Social Work ‘Jelburg’ te Baarn 1974–1978

If you want to know more, send an email. You can also read some of my blogs to get more information about my way of thinking, feeling, experiencing, acting, motivation, etc.

Contact:

marten@martenbos.nl

0(031)6 21642597

My blog: martenbos.wordpress.com