Natural Passages Next Steps
& Often Asked Questions

Four Hopes

The first hope for Natural Passages is to continue to attract enough men each year to hold the program. Thus far, this has not been an issue. The second hope is to increase the program size from 12-15 each year to 25-30 participants each year. This would support the marketing costs and maintenance and replacement costs for the equipment. The third hope is to expand to 80 to 100 men per year either via multiple programs per year and/or by adding facilitators and moving to larger facilities. The fourth hope is that Natural Passages will grow into an international program. Conversations continue with sponsors in Oslo, Norway about a weekend program in 2006. Preliminary conversations have occurred with sponsors in Alberta, Canada.

Facilitator Program

There have been some inquiries concerning how to become a facilitator for Natural Passages. I have given this much thought and have decided to provide the following general guidelines.

Basic Requirements

  • Completion of two Natural Passages programs as a participant. Manual completion will be required from at least one program to ensure understanding of exercises and personal application to the exercises.
  • Completion of one Natural Passages program as overstaff with goal to learn to hold space and not fix others.

Supportive Capacities

Completion of Gestalt Institute of Cleveland programs such as the Gestalt Training Program, OSD 18 month program, Group Track Intensive, and/or OSD Becoming a Better Intervener Program.

Completion of Coaching Programs

  • Advanced degrees in Organization Development, Psychology, Counseling, Organizational Psychology and/or other related degrees.
  • Applicable life experiences.

Financial Support

Natural Passages has been a labor of love. Generally, the program has broke-even or had a loss. As the program matures, we've matured a bit in understanding financial support. We've discovered that the most financial support that can be offered while the program finds its footing is up to one-half of the tuition, all of which must be paid prior to program start-up. In the future when the program is self sufficient or blessed with foundation monies, a scholarship committee will be created.

Program Commitment

It is nearly etched into stone that this program will reflect the diversity of mankind. Although we have not attracted many men of color, we have found diversity in many other ways- religion, sexual orientation, age, employment, class, geographic locations, and so on. It is the goal of this program to reflect the men of the world.

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