Registration Opens May 18, 2026!

MONTHLY TOPICS...

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September 17/18, 2026: Orientation

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October 15/16, 2026: Things I Would Never Have Done (except for Bowen Theory), Anthony J. Wilgus​

When things get anxious in a family, community, congregation or society, humans typically look for solutions: What should I do? How can I (or others) fix this problem? What medications might I take? Rooted in cause and effect thinking, the search for quick answers predominates. Models of therapy reflect this orientation as practitioners speak of a ‘bag of tricks’ from which they draw.

 

Bowen theory, however, does not focus on techniques, suggesting that the initial shift must occur in the way of thinking about the human condition. Altering one’s model of the universe is no easy task, yet shifting one’s conceptualization of the problem will inevitably result in a ‘new way of being.’ As perceptions expand now encompassing the multigenerational family and the human as an evolutionary being, options emerge heretofore unimaginable. And these options reside not in a ‘one size fits all’ approach but in the remarkable capacity of each human brain to implement novel behaviors in self, flowing from this paradigm shift.

 

Case examples will illustrate the rich and varied approaches that some humans have employed upon moving toward a science of human behavior. Participants will also have the opportunity to review the shifts that occurred in their thinking which then led to a host of novel behaviors emanating from the theory. Bowen theory does not teach technique but thoughtful and creative souls find their own unique applications in their relationship networks following a dramatic shift in perspective.​

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​November 19/20, 2026: Dana Runestad

Coming Soon...

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December - No Meeting

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January 21/22, 2027: A Year in the Life: Exploring Emotional Process in Pastor and Congregation During an Interim, Jennifer Long​

What difference does it make to use systems thinking as a lens for an interim? What lives in the ebb and flow of pastoral work? This presentation will review a year long interim and explore how emotional process is present in both the pastor and the congregation.​

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February 18/19, 2027: Creating a Life: Connecting What We Say and What We Do, Emlyn Ott​​​

​One of the most beloved bookstores in my hometown of Rochester, NY is called “The Unreliable Narrator.”  It is a place filled with the nooks and crannies of a wide variety of perspectives and experiences.  Our lives and the lives of our family, friends, communities and organizations are filled with emotional, physical, social and historical nooks and crannies.  How can we develop a wider view in our observations and shed light on those nooks and crannies?  What is the reason for and impact of “unreliability?”  What does a natural systems perspective offer to increase the capacity to become a slightly more “reliable narrator” in our multifaceted relational lives?  This presentation will pay particular attention to the challenges of friendship and the impact of friends on our emotional and spiritual lives.

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March 18/19, 2027: The Stories We Hear, The Stories We Tell: How Narratives Shape Emotional Process, 

Anthony J. Wilgus ​

Humans are story tellers. As children, those narratives not only frame a particular world view but also depict family members in one dimensional detail. Saints and sinners, heroes and villains, outlaws and in-laws all populate these developing perceptions. To what degree, then, do these stories begin to reflect the underlying emotional process in any relationship network. If grandmother describes her sister as an over-bearing, plundering pachyderm, the likelihood of a children and grandchildren exploring a relationship with this person decreases dramatically.

 

Bowen theory challenges these superficial and inaccurate views. While story-telling and gossip serve important evolutionary functions such as building connections and distinguishing friend from foe, this short-cut to understanding any human or group of humans limits the listener and the teller. The principles inherent in the theory, including, a knowledge of triangles and endeavoring to establish person-to-person relationships with family members while becoming a better observer provide another way to encounter the complexities of each human. Starting from a place of ignorance and challenging the stories both heard and told, participants will have the opportunity to recount their own efforts to transcend these simplistic portrayals.

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April 15/16, 2027: Differentiation of Self: Where the Rubber Hits the Road, Jennifer Long and Dana Runestad

Coming Soon...

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May 2027: TBD:

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