My uniqueness is my ability to combine my extensive and varied background in the arts, humanistic psychology, organization development, coaching and educational design. I usually provide learning experiences that produce insight and results in ways that have not been experienced before by the client. My recent interest in virtuality has provided me with a creative venue called Second Life-- for teaching, learning and playing.

Please make a donation to any organization that supports the well-being of humanity and the planet.

• Mirror their posture

• Give non-verbal responses to their communication (such as nodding your head or subvocalizing "mm hmm")

• Use their first name periodically when communicating a thought.

• Reflect back what you hear them saying before responding.

• Speak in a similar rhythm.

• Smile when they smile.

• Listen for verbs and use similar verbs in your sentences.

Example:

References to vision

Your partner: I'm not sure I see what you mean
You: So, it doesn't look clear to you? Suppose we try to see it from a different angle.

or

References to body sensation

Your partner: I have a gut feeling that's not going to work
You: Maybe we can handle it differently

Notice what effect this has on the interaction.

• Asking client to move from general statement about an issue to specific details. (e.g. Exactly what bothers you about this?)

• Observing obstructive behavior and giving clear feedback about it.

• Reflecting back what you've observed, both verbal and non- verbal.

• Encouraging client to take responsibility for the problem/solution

• Empathizing

• Asking clarifying questions.

• Being fully present, contactful, respectful of client's process.

• Accepting client as s/he is.

• Being clear about your boundaries.

NON-HELPFUL INTERVENTIONS

• Giving advice.

• Shifting focus to yourself.

• Arguing with client's feelings.

• Using humor inappropriately.

• Ignoring your feelings and/or theirs.

• Paying attention only to content, not to process.

• Feeling over-responsible, failing to set boundaries.

• Projecting your feelings on to client.

• Having a preconceived goal for the outcome or the relationship.

• Connection- How close will you let yourself feel to the client? How much empathy? How deeply are you willing to access your own experiences to feel with them? How can you use your empathic experiences to help the client? When do you need to remain detached for the client's sake?

• Confrontation- How willing are you to "call it as you see it" even if it may momentarily upset your client? How good are you at giving constructive criticism? How accurate are you at sharing observable, specific data? How good is your timing?

• Confession- How able are you to share your own feelings, images, hunches, dreams when appropriate? How much are you willing to take in deeply personal disclosure on your client's part? How can you reframe it to be useful in the work situation?

• Collaboration- How much teamwork can happen between you and client/organization? How clear are you about the limits and benefits of collaboration with particular clients?

• Conscious Creating- How much do you let yourself believe, have faith in the possibility of dreams coming true? Where is the cynicism in your own psyche which may get reflected in your client's ambivalence about "going for it"?

Choose from the videos listed below.

• Introduction to Using SymMod for Personal Development (7:30)

• Marly Studies Her Self-Portrait (2:22)

• 2012 Gestalt Session (9:59)

Here are two approaches that can be used for SymMod as it applies to personal development:

Inside-Out: Starts with a recognized feeling, body sensation or thought challenge, which is then modeled into an object or a picture. The person is then guided into a further exploration of what they have created.

• Example 1 of an Inside-Out Process (4:59)

• Example 2 of an Inside-Out Process (6:51)

Outside-In: Starts with creating an object or a picture with no preconceived ideas in mind, and then being guided to discover what it wants to tell you.

• Example 1 of an Outside-In Process (6:17)

• Example 2 of an Outside-In Process (6:29)

• Introduction to Using SymMod in Educational Applications (15:30)

Here is an short example of how SymMod can be used in an educational setting, as part of a climate change workshop:

• Marly working with participant during a climate change workshop (5:33)

Here is the complete video from the workshop on climate change, in which participants were asked to adopt differing positions on the subject of climate change, and then build a SymMod to represent their assigned position, with the goal of gaining a better understanding of all sides of an argument.

• Climate Change Experimental Workshop in Second Life (Pt1 - builds) (31:30)

• Climate Change Experimental Workshop in Second Life (Pt2 - discussion) (40:45)

• Introduction to Using SymMod for Creative Expression (13:00)

The following video shows an excerpt from a recurring program "Improv: Musicians and Artists". A musician improvises while an "artist", or builder, creates a visual SymMod at the same time while being inspired by the music. The roles are then reversed: The artist creates a SymMod spontaneously, while the musician tries to compose a melody that echoes what they see.

• Improv: Musicians and Artists excerpt (3:07)

The next video shows how SymMod can be used by a director to help cast members get a better feel for the characters they will be portraying.

• SymMod in Creative Expression: Concepts (9:10)

• SymMod in Creative Expression: Romeo & Juliet (22:00)

Option 1 Link to YouTube Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/hoorayarts/playlists

Option 2 Links to website archives:

• Second Life Performances & Exhibits

• Second Life Conference Workshops

• Creative Music & Art Films

• Interviews

• Videos about SymMod (Symbolic Modeling)

Communication skills improvement, conducting peer reviews, giving and receiving feedback, running meetings, interviewing, resolving conflict, thinking outside the box, developing decision-making strategies, team building, improving information flow, envisioning the future, management development, organizing an internal coaching capacity.

Coaching

I have helped people formulate a strategy for getting the results they want in their personal and professional lives. As a coach trainer, I have taught coaches how to use creative, sensory, metaphorical processes to enhance their practices.

Therapy, Counseling, Training, Supervision

As a Gestalt therapist, I helped and trained hundreds of individuals to lead better, more productive and satisfying lives. I worked with many populations in addition to the general public; transgender people, social activists, artists, business managers, group leaders, therapists, coaches and consultants.

Workshops

I have designed and implemented over a thousand workshops in areas of personal and professional development and presented them in learning centers, at conferences, in hospitals and mental health centers and as self-sponsored events.

- Louise Morganti Kaelin, Life Success Coach--

"Niela is fabulous! She is a master at what she does. She possesses a huge variety of creative methods for working with people. Anyone who is a coach, trainer, therapist or facilitator should spend some time learning from her."

- Janet Parker, Coach, Facilitator-Insight Seminars

"Niela is an irrepressible fountain of wisdom; a brilliant, clear wise guide for expanding oneself and one's life practice. She has a gift for viewing people from the inside out. This enables her to draw from her enormous repertoire of methods for working with people in just the perfect way for each individual. "

- Leslie Fabian, LICSW

"I have learned so much from Niela. She is a brilliant facilitator of personal and professional growth processes; an expert in the use of a myriad of emotional intelligence and creativity tools and techniques; a powerful, wise and loving woman--and so much more. Every person and organization can achieve impressive results and receive great gifts through working with Niela Miller."

- Lisa Kleitz, Inner Assets Life Coaching, Executive Coaching, Training

See my LinkedIn Profile page

For those of you who have been rock fans, you might be interested that one of the songs is the predecessor of the rock classic, HEY JOE, which Jimi Hendricks made famous.

Click to read more, listen, order or download at Numero Group Records.