Workshops and Presenter Creativity

Often, workshop presenters have asked, “how much of myself and my creativity can I bring to the workshops?” My answer has two parts. One is addressed to the manual and Imago theory and the other to workshop presentation.

To the latter question, the answer is “bring all of yourself and your creativity” to the workshop presentation. It is important to make the workshop your own by developing creative ways to present the material, clinical examples from your practice, your own humor and illustrations, your style in doing the demonstrations, using overheads, powerpoint slides, flip charts or blackboards, and any other artifacts that make the material accessible and interesting, fun and illuminating.

With regard to the manual and Imago theory: Over twenty five years, the sequence of the workshop—writing exercises, lecture input, demonstrations, couples practice, feedback process, etc.—have been developed and refined, with feedback from many Workshop Presenters, and they produce a similar and predictable outcome with any workshop. Adhering to this sequence and to Imago theory, without adding other theories or processes from other systems, gives identity to the workshop. This is important for the couples experience and for marketing. My vision is that the workshop, given by any workshop presenter anywhere, adhere to theory and sequence so that it is recognizable anywhere. This gives the workshop credibility and makes it a marketable product.

Harville Hendrix