You are the first I’ve seen in many years mention Appreciative Inquiry, much less use it in your practice. THIS is integrative. Agency matters greatly.
Thanks for your comment. Appreciative Inquiry seems like the foundation of all relationship, but especially in the context of challenging circumstances, where there's so often a tinge of judgment or blame or aversion. Seems like the key is to be able to sink beneath the surface and find the points of light there.
Could you share something from your own experience about Appreciative Inquiry?
I like the phrase Appreciative Inquiry! (AI...)..pun intended..! After all, living beings are alot more complex than data. I like the 4 questions Chava wrote about. Id like to point out here about the human quest for Divine Presence and the necessity of human presence ie unity listening - both parallel the world of healing. That is a huge prescription for the practitioner, and the reason why healing doesn't really happen. As Dr Shiller points out, medicine, even holistic, can be fragmented. Therapeutic Bodywork is a vehicle that naturally, but also intentionally, depends on 'Deep Presence Listening'. Data collecting using modern labs, meridian reading, conversation using appreciate inquiry , and verbal counseling is absolutely necessary but there must be a way to incorporate the depth and release that happens through Whole Body-Mind Therapeutic Bodywork. This approach is what I'd like to formulate in my practice and hope to learn through Dr Shiller's insights.
Yes. I used it when I was an Organization Development practitioner, about 20 years ago. I found it was most helpful for individuals who were disillusioned or burned out, to remember why they chose to do what they were doing. We tried to work up some "steam" to keep going. I asked the "4 questions" of Appreciative Inquiry, which opened their minds and stirred their vitality for a time.
Appreciative Questions
1. Describe a time when you were most alive, fulfilled, and energized in an experience.
2. What about yourself made that possible?
3. What did the people you were with bring to the situation to make it possible?
4. What did the organization or system bring that made it possible (e.g. how did the culture contribute?)
Fast forward, I left OD because it was too big of a ship to turn even a small angle. As I saw it, companies were paying a lot of money to just “change the shelving. “
Over the years, I've switched to taking individual professional women toward a perspective shift, which they can take anywhere in life, as opposed to OD at “organizational scale, facilitated dialogue, collective meaning-making,” etc.
As I think about it, I see similarities to Appreciative Inquiry in what I do now. For example: I reject “fixing” people. I believe attention can reorganize reality. I realize that what becomes visible, expands. The two key similar points are, movement emerges more naturally from alignment than force, and an entry point at perspective/perception shifts rather than downstream control (decision making, leadership, and influence).
In response to your nice thread about Appreciative Inquiry, and your question about how I use it in my work....
Well, for starters, most of medicine is so much about pathology. Most of the conditioning about how to approach patients is defining what's wrong with them and frequently using language of fear to motivate them to "comply with treatment."
While I recognize and respect the awesome capacity to diagnose what's broken and often fix it, the pathology/fear orientation seems counterproductive regarding growth, healing, and behavioral change. And I don't know that there is any evidence that it's useful.
Healing is different than fixing.
And especially for those of us who know that there's a deep intelligence and light inside everything. The sages say that the darkness owes its existence to the light that sustains it.
So when we encounter someone who's caught in the darkness, talking about what's broken and dangerous and wrong is just "deepening the darkness".
Appreciative Inquiry directs attention toward the light.
I don't use Appreciative Inquiry as a structured, systematic approach, but in my clinical encounters and coaching work, I aim to help my clients discover their assets and resources and the pathways by which they can connect more deeply to their inner healing power and capacity for positive growth and change.
I resonate very much with what you said here, "I believe attention can reorganize reality. I realize that what becomes visible, expands. The two key similar points are, movement emerges more naturally from alignment than force, and an entry point at perspective/perception shifts rather than downstream control "
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts and participating in this thread.
You are the first I’ve seen in many years mention Appreciative Inquiry, much less use it in your practice. THIS is integrative. Agency matters greatly.
Hi Chavah,
Thanks for your comment. Appreciative Inquiry seems like the foundation of all relationship, but especially in the context of challenging circumstances, where there's so often a tinge of judgment or blame or aversion. Seems like the key is to be able to sink beneath the surface and find the points of light there.
Could you share something from your own experience about Appreciative Inquiry?
I like the phrase Appreciative Inquiry! (AI...)..pun intended..! After all, living beings are alot more complex than data. I like the 4 questions Chava wrote about. Id like to point out here about the human quest for Divine Presence and the necessity of human presence ie unity listening - both parallel the world of healing. That is a huge prescription for the practitioner, and the reason why healing doesn't really happen. As Dr Shiller points out, medicine, even holistic, can be fragmented. Therapeutic Bodywork is a vehicle that naturally, but also intentionally, depends on 'Deep Presence Listening'. Data collecting using modern labs, meridian reading, conversation using appreciate inquiry , and verbal counseling is absolutely necessary but there must be a way to incorporate the depth and release that happens through Whole Body-Mind Therapeutic Bodywork. This approach is what I'd like to formulate in my practice and hope to learn through Dr Shiller's insights.
Yehudit, RN, BSN
Functional Health Guide
Therapeutic Bodywork
Hi Yehudit. Thanks so much for your comment. I appreciate that your eyes are seeing a similar picture and look forward to further dialogue.
Yes. I used it when I was an Organization Development practitioner, about 20 years ago. I found it was most helpful for individuals who were disillusioned or burned out, to remember why they chose to do what they were doing. We tried to work up some "steam" to keep going. I asked the "4 questions" of Appreciative Inquiry, which opened their minds and stirred their vitality for a time.
Appreciative Questions
1. Describe a time when you were most alive, fulfilled, and energized in an experience.
2. What about yourself made that possible?
3. What did the people you were with bring to the situation to make it possible?
4. What did the organization or system bring that made it possible (e.g. how did the culture contribute?)
Fast forward, I left OD because it was too big of a ship to turn even a small angle. As I saw it, companies were paying a lot of money to just “change the shelving. “
Over the years, I've switched to taking individual professional women toward a perspective shift, which they can take anywhere in life, as opposed to OD at “organizational scale, facilitated dialogue, collective meaning-making,” etc.
As I think about it, I see similarities to Appreciative Inquiry in what I do now. For example: I reject “fixing” people. I believe attention can reorganize reality. I realize that what becomes visible, expands. The two key similar points are, movement emerges more naturally from alignment than force, and an entry point at perspective/perception shifts rather than downstream control (decision making, leadership, and influence).
How do you use it in your work?
Hi Chavah
In response to your nice thread about Appreciative Inquiry, and your question about how I use it in my work....
Well, for starters, most of medicine is so much about pathology. Most of the conditioning about how to approach patients is defining what's wrong with them and frequently using language of fear to motivate them to "comply with treatment."
While I recognize and respect the awesome capacity to diagnose what's broken and often fix it, the pathology/fear orientation seems counterproductive regarding growth, healing, and behavioral change. And I don't know that there is any evidence that it's useful.
Healing is different than fixing.
And especially for those of us who know that there's a deep intelligence and light inside everything. The sages say that the darkness owes its existence to the light that sustains it.
So when we encounter someone who's caught in the darkness, talking about what's broken and dangerous and wrong is just "deepening the darkness".
Appreciative Inquiry directs attention toward the light.
I don't use Appreciative Inquiry as a structured, systematic approach, but in my clinical encounters and coaching work, I aim to help my clients discover their assets and resources and the pathways by which they can connect more deeply to their inner healing power and capacity for positive growth and change.
I resonate very much with what you said here, "I believe attention can reorganize reality. I realize that what becomes visible, expands. The two key similar points are, movement emerges more naturally from alignment than force, and an entry point at perspective/perception shifts rather than downstream control "
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts and participating in this thread.
I hope to hear more.
❤️