Becoming a certified workshop facilitator – who it's for and how it works
Working therapeutically with siblings or with different generations of a family often carries immense meaning and emotional depth for those who take part in these workshops.
Especially in inter-generational dialogue workshops, the opportunity to support healing and reconciliation is sometimes a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Again and again, we see elderly parents participating – and we simply don’t know whether there will be another opportunity for them to return. Then again… we don’t know that for anyone.
That’s why it’s so close to our hearts that this work with families and generations be done with the highest level of responsibility and quality.
For that reason, there is a dedicated Quality Assurance Committee for the inter-generational and sibling dialogue workshops, which also oversees the advanced training and certification process for those who wish to become facilitators themselves.
Part of quality assurance is also the ongoing development of the workshop formats – always in compliance with the legal framework of the Austrian Psychotherapy Act. Since regulations for therapeutic work differ from country to country, we strive to meet the highest standards of quality – starting from the very high level set by Austrian law.
Entry into the training and certification process as a facilitator of Generationen im Dialog® and Geschwister im Dialog® (as developed by Dr. Sabine and Roland Bösel) is subject to specific requirements – in line with the emphasis on quality in therapeutic work.
What we want to say clearly and upfront: The entire training and certification process is free of charge. Because work for families and across generations is both invaluable – and, in a sense, beyond price. And because it has always been more important to Dr. Sabine and Roland Bösel to make these healing workshops accessible to many than to profit from them.
A long story, briefly told: how the inter-generational and sibling dialogue work began
They are specialists in couples therapy – and it was precisely this background that led them to develop the idea of healing and clarifying work within families of origin: Dr. Sabine and Roland Bösel, who have been working together in private psychotherapeutic practice since 1991.
With decades of experience accompanying couples, as authors of well-known relationship guides, and as the creators of the online course Liebesdoppel for successful partnerships, the Bösels kept seeing the same thing: that the root of many breakups surprisingly often lies not in the couple’s relationship itself – but in the family of origin.
Starting out with a certain skepticism toward what is often referred to as "family constellations" – which many associate with generational and family work – the Bösels recognized the power and potential of direct, authentic encounter. This insight led them to develop the Generationen im Dialog® and Geschwister im Dialog® workshops – and, over more than 20 years of dedicated and mindful refinement, to shape them into the formats you can now experience and learn.
Today, these inter-generational and sibling dialogue workshops – offered by facilitators certified by the Bösels – are held in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands, but also in the USA, Namibia, and South Africa.
If you’re a psychotherapist or clinical psychologist interested in helping this healing work grow – or even in bringing it to new countries and language communities – you'll find a warm welcome in the supportive and steadily growing network of certified workshop facilitators.
Requirements & Commitment – what you bring and agree to
You are a fully trained psychotherapist OR clinical psychologist, officially registered with the professional association in Austria (or in your respective country outside Austria) and licensed to practice. Ideally, you also have at least five years of professional experience.
It is possible to enter the certification process even if you have not yet reached five full years of experience. In that case, the structure of the training program – which we refer to as the development path – will differ slightly to reflect this.
If you are interested in beginning the certification process and working in the fields of inter-generational and sibling dialogue, the first step is to enter into an agreement. This agreement serves to formally outline the certification process – both as a matter of quality assurance and in respect of the carefully developed, copyright-protected content that forms the foundation of the workshop formats.
Our Quality Assurance Committee holds the most up-to-date version of this agreement and will of course be happy to answer any questions you may have.
The Development Path – what you will experience and learn
As you move through the development path, you’ll experience a meaningful balance between security and adventure – the two essential poles of any growth process. You’ll be well supported and invited into a range of experiences that foster both personal and professional development.
The four stages of the development path include: workshop participation, workshop assistance, self-reflection, a formal component, and a commitment to the respectful use of the workshop concept and materials – along with inspiration for engaging exchange with other certified facilitators.
You can download the complete development path overview here.
Quality Assurance Committee – Contact Information
Dedicated support with minimal bureaucracy: The committed members of the committee – Michaela Tomek, Erika Bradavka, and Isabella Auinger-Schneider – each bring many years of experience in inter-generational and sibling dialogue work.
If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact the Quality Assurance Committee via email – now, during, or after your certification process.
