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Former engineer who now teaches people to listen and talk about their feelings. (Not exactly what my parents had in mind for me.)
Read on to learn a little more about me and some nice things people have said.
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Why I do this work
My friend Troy Gonsalves (from SimulatedInterviews.com) asked me what kind of purpose I derive from my work and this is what I said (6 min video).
(Check out more of my videos on Youtube.)
My training
Under the hood, the foundation of my approach is something called “Circling“, a sort-of deep-empathy or mindful-conversational practice aimed at ‘getting’ someone’s world. I was trained and certified in the Integral Circling facilitation method in 2012 at the former Integral Center in Boulder CO. Later on, I was trained and certified (level 2) in ‘Surrendered Leadership’ Circling in 2015 with Circling Europe at their ‘SAS Circling Leadership Training” in New York City.
I also have a Masters in Human Factors Engineering from the University of Toronto (graduated 2013), where I specialized in the design and usability of ‘smart’ thermostats. While I don’t practice engineering, this experience shaped me, how I see the world, and how I show up with my clients.
Nice things people have said about me
“Josh is both sharp and compassionate, and brings a depth of conversation that will guide you to exactly where you need to go. Mindfully paced and intimate, he took me to a deeper sense of self-knowing and acceptance. As a result of working together, I feel more confident that I bring value. I feel capable of sitting with prospective clients, and trust that showing up as I am is enough.”
Cindy Riach, Relational Facilitator at Relational Ops
“Josh brings a welcoming presence that makes it easy to share myself with. I felt trust that I could safely share my feelings with him. He met me and my thoughts with curiosity. What was most valuable was his ability to keep coming back to the present moment, staying focused on what was true for me (and him) at every step.”
Kevin O’Malley, Course Leader at The Integral Center
“Josh’s intuition is strong and his ability to inspire deep learnings from a place of curiosity and playfulness was disarmingly effective!”
Pamela French, Co-founder, Authentic Relating Ottawa
“I was most surprised by the impact of Josh’s skilled feedback. He didn’t give advice, but used curiosity, checking assumptions, mirroring, and I suppose, ultimately, his way of being, to artfully bring awareness to small tweaks I could make within my practice that made MASSIVE differences to my felt sense of connection and the I-Thou relationship.”
Brian Tohana, Coach & Facilitator
“I’ve been amazed at how consistently Josh can tune into the exact spot where my energy feels stuck and where a core belief limits me.”
Eugene Peng, former client
“I found the coaching with Josh to be illuminating and supportive to my growth in relating. His caring and respectful presence helped allow me to open to a vulnerable process of exploring what holds me back in relating. I appreciated the way he offered direct, honest feedback in service of helping me see how I impact others. I feel a deep sense of commitment in Josh to the art of authentic relating. I have a lot of faith in his ability to guide others into embodying more of their true selves in their relating.”
Ryan Brennan, MA in Transpersonal Counseling
“Josh’s holding of the space felt very welcoming and I personally felt safe to experiment with ways of showing up that are usually challenging for me. I appreciated Josh’s authenticity and how he brings together ease, spontaneity and spaciousness alongside clarity, structure and intentionality.“
Ksenia Belash, Bodymind Healing Guide