The Voice Dialogue Anthology: Explorations of The Psychology of Selves & The Aware Ego Process, edited by Dassie Hoffman, PhD, is now available for purchase at www.voicedialogueinternational.com/Anthology/index.htm. This book contains articles by 20 Voice Dialogue teachers from around the world, and will prove to be an important addition to the Voice Dialogue literature.

Also coming in 2012 is the new CD, "Dancing With the Selves," with music composed and recorded by Jay Cavallaro. This CD will include liner notes to explaine how this CD is to be used by VD practitioners. The CD will offer all Voice Dialogue teachers and students the ability to use the pioneering work of Dassie Hoffman. For further information, and early orders, contact Dassie Hoffman at dassieh@aol.com.

"Voice Dialogue: A Powerful Tool for Your Therapeutic Practice," written with Bridigt Dengel Gaspard, LMSW, appeared in the Summer 2009 edition of PERSPECTIVES, the professional journal of the Renfrew Center Foundation

"Voice Dialogue in 2006: 19 Practioners," in the August/September issue of the Association of Humanistic Psychology's quarterly magazine, The Perspective

Dr. Hoffman's book Connections and Parallels between the Development of Humanistic Psychology and Modern Dance at Jacob's Pillow was published in 2004 by The Edwin Mellen Press. Click here for more details.

Currently Dr. Hoffman is the editor of "The Newsletter," the international publication of the Voice Dialogue community worldwide. "The Newsletter" is printed twice yearly, and Dr Hoffman is now preparing the fifth edition for publication and distribution.

Additional publications:

Solstice
Sándor Ferenczi and the Origins of Humanistic Psychology
Integrating dance/movement into a Voice Dialogue session
Dreams - Your Special Gift
A Lifetime of Learning, A Passion for Service

Solstice
by Jessica Guarnaschelli
The Village Voice
Winter 1999

Click here for the complete article in printer-friendly format.

Winter solstice signals the return of light and serves as a universal metaphor for humanity's optimism in times of darkness. So the day before the solstice, I skipped Sunday mass at Saint Patrick's Cathedral to attend a celebration hosted by sprightly dance therapist Dassie Hoffman.

The five-hour ritual included Hoffman's combination of myth telling, ceremonial movement, and catharsis, rigorously exploring how archetypal images of Demeter, Persephone, and Hecate apply to female struggles today. Hoffman insists that "the event's primary purpose is to teach women about the solstice and the trinity of the triple goddess. It allows women to embody the teaching, not just hear it but take it into their body and learn from it physically and spiritually. I create a safe environment in which women find relevance in their own lives." Although Hoffman does not intend a therapeutic effect, she conducts the event much like a dance therapy session. "Trusting that participants are psychologically stable, you carefully select music, give clients very little instruction and let them move in a way that is meaningful to them. We will let them push it as far as they can, and serious issues may surface." She cautiously structures her sessions to allow self-revelation but avoid dangerous outcomes.

This event is for women only. An enthusiastic husband and wife were firmly rejected at the door. Hoffman emphasizes the need to keep it a women's event. "Had there been a male presence, many of the serious issues discussed wouldn't have surfaced." Amid altar worshiping, wildly emotional dance, and song, discussions grew intensely personal. Conversations touched on defiance of the established patriarchy (i.e., male bashing), midwifery, underwater births, abortion, divorce, and mother-daughter woes.

If you seek traditional worship, look elsewhere. At best, Hoffman's inclusive ceremony serves as a cultish party for Mount Olympus's most empowered goddesses.

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