From Virginia, USA

Rose Diamond is a remarkable thinker, published nonfiction writer, spiritual and co-creative community-builder, wise teacher, sensitive group leader, masterful facilitator, Gestalt Therapist, a life, writing, and creative coach, visionary dreamer, fiery starter, diligent hard worker, and irreplaceable supportive soul friend. Williamsburg is fortunate to have Rose here, on a special three year working visa from New Zealand, and I hope those who are ready, will take full advantage of this by signing up for her ground-breaking experiential learning workshops, heart circles, Peace curriculum, spiritual teachings and general creative midwifery. She's very special.

About Living your Passion
As an integral thinker-writer, Rose’s knowledge and wisdom are more inclusive than most, so everything she says shines with integration and coherence. This helps the reader to take it in more deeply also. Despite the complexity of ideas she wields, the overall read is simple and easy and her compassion and heartfulness are evident. I leave one of the most significant graces about the book to last. This is a highly conscious work. Consciousness rings from each page. The new consciousness is unmasked for everyone's inspection and the book is very much written from the spirit of presence. It is with great pleasure that I recommend this book to readers and participate in sowing these evolutionary fire seeds.
Woods Elliott, co-founder with Rose of Fire Seeds Publishing, writer, former psychotherapist, green activist

Rose is a wise and compassionate person, an extraordinarily gifted facilitator, teacher, writer and visionary, and totally committed to providing holistic and balanced experiential programs for integrated personal growth of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. These programs also focus on, and empower individuals in, transforming their relationships, community building, discovering and actualizing their gifts for more meaningful working lives, and in giving service to others. She provides ongoing guidance and support as participants learn to live more peacefully, more intentionally, more passionately, and more harmoniously with people and nature in a local and global community based on love, respect, gratitude, and the honoring of all life as we continue to evolve and to work for inner and global peace. Peace and all good things!
Annie Pepper

 

The skills I have been learning through Peace- in-action really have improved the quality of my life. I am inspired as I experience inner peace becoming a reality within myself. These concepts and practices have a broad application within the Williamsburg community and the potential to link the human race together through increased tolerance. Rose’s diverse experience in education and her other life experiences have given her the brilliant ability to help others develop an awareness of compassionate communication and inner peace and to spread this through community based action as we transform and empower our lives. As we plant the seeds of inner peace one person at a time, we see an increase in compassion, consideration, and care for each other, and as a result, for our world.
Beth Hertzler, Regeneration therapist, Qi-Qong Master

I always knew there was a spiritual side of the world, and of myself. However, my occupation as an engineer did not give me the opportunity to explore this side of me and my world. The spiritual classes I have experienced with A WHOLE NEW WORLD have shown me a world I am fascinated by and look forward to venturing into more. I have felt myself open up to my inner intuition and watch others in the group open to a new awareness. It has been an experience that I want to venture into more to view myself and my world in a more perceptive way.
Lisa Kavitz, massage therapy student, artist

Rose Diamond is truly a gifted and insightful person with a gentle loving spirit. She has created a sacred space for me to do profound work.
Cindy Schuler, Williamsburg

What an amazing process! I have a business which is near to my heart and I had blocked the flow of energy toward it for two years. Rose gently and skillfully guided me through my conversation drawing out potential causes. I then made a plan that would get me back on track. Within three days the phone started ringing and opportunities came pouring in. This work is so powerful that I partially resolved my second issue on the back of the first. Rose is awesome!
Ava Jo Butcher, Licensed Brain Gym Instructor/Consultant

I felt completely stuck on my issue, but the answer surprisingly emerged from within me as I explored it with Rose in the safety of our session. It was a beautiful, amazing process; Rose is a gifted and skillful facilitator.
Jerrie, Richmond

Rose’s courses have been crucial in my personal growth journey. Her facilitation is natural and allowing, with a strong yet gentle energetic support. I have found her flowing style of total presence refreshing in a field that is often so busy with information and techniques. Being supported to accept my journey without a mental struggle and be here now has allowed me to grow enormously. I have experienced shifting blocked energy within minutes with Rose’s skilful awareness. My own role as a trainer and therapist has expanded beautifully since experiencing Rose’s courses. I highly recommend her workshops, courses and private sessions.
Dawn Grace Kelly, spiritual teacher and healer.
Participant in “Living your Dream”, “The Power of Now”, “Being Here Now” and “Being Magnificent”

Through the clarity and stillness of Rose’s presence, I was able to connect with the language of my spirit, my quiet inner knowing and wise self healer. I became aware of and integrated issues in a gentle yet deeply profound way.”
Lea Neumann, rebirther.
Participant in “Being Here Now” and “Being Magnificent”

Thank you Rose, for your gently loving strength, which enabled me to release deep unforgiving pain within my self.
Adam Mills, Participant in “The Earth Spirit Nature Retreat”

I have known and worked with Rose in her differing capacities for over six years-tutor, therapist, group facilitator and supervisor. Rose demonstrates the value of living in the 'Now" in her way of being. She is adept at guiding clients to experience their feelings, identify their strengths and acknowledge their past. Rose has a gentle style and works with compassion and clarity.
Madeleine Pryce, counselor

In relation to my own growth as well as my professional development, I have found Rose Diamond’s teaching to be one of the most profound experiences in my life. Rose worked with each of us in a gentle yet focused and powerful way. I was thus able to increase my awareness and move through some major personal impasses while at the same time being able to observe how Gestalt therapy works in practice…I feel deeply grateful that I have been able to study Gestalt therapy in such a holistic and balanced way. I feel myself emerge stronger and more alive at the same time. Because of this, I can wholeheartedly recommend Rose Diamond’s teaching to anyone interested in Gestalt therapy or in learning more about themselves.
Birgit Kerpen, counselor

I have been privileged to attend Rose Diamond’s module “Gestalt Therapy.” This has been an intensive seven-week course requiring a four days a week attendance. I have really enjoyed Rose’s teaching. She manages to combine the process, theory and practical application of Gestalt therapy seamlessly. She has made the learning easy. I experience her style of teaching as relaxed and authoritative. I have always known where I stand with Rose; she has challenged me to explore my fears and been there as a supportive companion when I have struggled. I have observed that she has the ability to reach out and make contact with all of her students in a way that encourages them to look more deeply into themselves. From a personal perspective she has travelled with me to the darkest reaches of my being and helped me rediscover my inner child. I will miss her quiet confidence and encouraging nature.
Elaine Partridge, counselor

Learning Gestalt with Rose was fun, exciting and growthful. She made the learning experiential and holistic by combining personal process (during which she modelled the method), theoretical teaching (in which all students participated via presentations) and peer counselling practise. She was a very supportive and insightful supervisor. Rose modelled Gestalt constantly through her interactions both with individual students and with the group. I felt invited and safe to bring all of myself to the training, to voice my fears and questions, and to take personal and educational risks. Rose facilitated the development of a very cohesive student group by encouraging us to support ourselves, demonstrating commitment to group process (rather than imposing solutions) and by providing a container that was transparent, consistent and also flexible. I love how enlivening and creative working with Rose has been, and I look forward to being with her again in the future.
Stacey Bowker, massage therapist, counselor

Rose’s enthusiasm made the experiential learning exciting. A demonstration of her skills was worth a thousand words of the text. The past seven weeks have been a time of great personal growth for me, as well as learning new skills....Thank you, Rose, for such a special “Gestalt Experience.”
Ailsa Clague, counselor

Rose Diamond is a very special person in my life. Over the last weeks she has consistently modelled Gestalt therapy, taught the theory and assisted me in my peer counseling process. This experience has been thought provoking, challenging, cathartic and life confirming. The outcomes have been therapeutic, liberating, beneficial, healing, energising and invigorating. I have always experienced Rose as provocative and insightful. To anyone considering Rose as a Gestalt therapist I say, “Seize the moment.” You won’t regret it!
Suzan Wilson, counseling student

I found Rose to be what she taught. This provided me the opportunity to directly experience some of the theoretical concepts of Gestalt therapy. Through this teaching my awareness of how I create my experience and on what basis I make those choices came to the foreground. My sense of self and capacity for spontaneity has increased dramatically. Working with Rose I truly gained an understanding of the phrase "lose your mind and come to your senses". Today I walk in this world a richer person empowered to complete my business in the present and create new experiences.
Simeon Berger, counseling student

From the Transformational Learning Catalysts workshop,
Auckland

Rose created an open space free of judgment that allowed me to be truly myself. The experience had inspired and energized me. It has allowed me to make a breakthrough in healing the conflict between “being” and “doing.”
Milan, IT specialist

This was an extremely valuable three days for me. I got a lot I never expected. Everyone seemed to take the things that were most needed for them.
Hugh, corporate manager

An incredible opportunity to share/create a sacred space of non judgment, to explore cutting edge ideas and conscious evolution, through peer dialogue.
Maggie Holling, Specialist in life transitions and death and dying

Sharing from a great depth in a space held in complete authenticity. I take away so much more than I could imagine and gave more than I could ever hope.
Donna Murray, Transformational Learning facilitator, corporate coach, events organizer

Rose Diamond is a woman of integrity and sensitivity, who feels into and aptly communicates the deep transformation that so many people are undergoing at this time in history when we are tottering between 'power over' and 'power with' behavioral paradigms. Rose is an inspirational guide for those who choose to walk the enlivening yet courageous path of service, co-creating
their own destiny in alignment with spirit.
Robina McCurdy, Earth Care Aotearoa

I first met Rose Diamond in September 2004, a few weeks before the launch of her first book, 'Migration to the Heartland'. I was instantly drawn to Rose and recognised an exciting potential for rewarding collaboration in the exploration of the field of human consciousness. I was aware from our earliest dialogues that I had encountered someone who was not afraid to push the boundaries of current understanding, while also possessing the ability to succinctly transcribe that journey for the spiritual benefit of others.

For this reason I chose to support Rose unconditionally in her endeavour to develop new and exciting formats and frameworks for her transformative educational material. Although there have been a number of spiritual journey adventure books written by male authors, there have been few, if any, written by women that are able to touch the spiritual aspirant of either gender, and as such I feel that there is a huge potential market for Rose’s personal journey of self-evolution (Migration to the Heartland), and I wish Rose every success with its publication.

During the period 2005 – 2007 Rose and I collaborated in the development of two shared visions: Soul Sanctuary and the Transformational Learning Community (TLC). In both these projects we were exploring and developing leading edge ideas along with personal and group subjective experiences in the field of consciousness research. I was impressed both by the depth and breadth of Rose's vision, and her ability and expertise in translating profound abstract concepts and complex psychological states into accessible experiential learning which enables people to better understand their own experiences as stepping stones to fulfilling their own potential.

A particular focus of our collaboration was is the area of de-mystifying the cycle of crisis and transition – the spiritual process of self-evolution – and providing practical tools for working with this process rather than allowing fear to create resistance to this very natural and liberating evolutionary process. I accompanied and supported Rose on a number of inspirational workshop events around New Zealand and was impressed by her skills and expertise as a group facilitator while treading new ground and laying new tracks.

The other aspect of our collaboration, Soul Sanctuary, was the bringing together of groups of individuals for the purpose of open dialogue based on the Bohm model, with the intention to transcend the limitations of positionality and explore entirely new ground beyond the personal. Once again Rose proved a remarkable facilitator, her passion bringing energy and commitment to the process.

The world we live in and humanity as a species are in a constant state of change, and evolution comes from our ability to adapt successfully to those changes, and to this end we need those in our midst who can show us the way and provide us with guide books and tools for the journey. Rose possesses an extraordinary ability to hold a broad and harmonious vision for the future of humanity and to translate that vision in an uplifting and motivating way that is easily accessible to all.

As the USA moves into a new and exciting period in its history and development, the people of America have spoken of their desire for change – how advantageous that someone of Rose's calibre and exceptional abilities in the field of transition and transformational learning is available as a guide on their journey.
Maggie Holling

I have worked with Rose Diamond in several different contexts over the last eight or nine years. These have included several retreats. The first, “From Soul to Society” was a unique and ground-breaking event which Rose co-facilitated with Robina McCurdy and Dr Robert Gilman ( U.S. astrophysicist, sustainability visionary and president of Context Institute) and demonstrated Rose’s ability as an original thinker with an inquiring mind. Rose delves deeply into subjective experience and potentially transformative explorations of consciousness. Providing forums in which others can join this process of discovery, is part of her vision, mission and giftedness.

What I see is Rose’s exceptional ability to hold to a higher vision or direction that serves as a valuable guide for people looking for direction. That has been demonstrated in workshops and in working groups. Rose has been very much a catalyst as well as a guide, and is able to hold a certain group tension that allows a group of individuals to explore new territory taking them further, expanding their consciousness as individuals, and becoming contributing members of new group consciousness.
John Massey, yoga teacher IYTA NZ, workshop facilitator,
personal guide and mentor

From the UK

I first heard of Rose Diamond through the paper she wrote for the first International Conference on Spirituality in the Workplace, which took place at Surrey University in July 2002. Through reading Rose’s paper, “Being Magnificent: Bringing our Whole Selves to Work”, I discovered we have much in common as transformational educators and educational writers. I was particularly impressed by Rose’s ability to bring to practical expression ideas that have been developed largely through research. As a consequence, I decided to seek Rose out when I visited New Zealand in November 2005. Rose was in the midst of plans to develop a Transformational Learning Community in New Zealand and was also experimenting with creating opportunities for Soul Sanctuary in Golden Bay, providing spaces for individuals and groups to explore deep soul work and practice dialogue methods after the style of David Bohm and other leading edge teachers of consciousness.

One of the objectives of my visit was to talk with Rose about the United Nations initiative on Globally Responsible Leadership, (www. GRLI.org), which I invited Rose to contribute as she saw fit. Her own ideas about the Transformational Learning Centre strongly influenced us here in the next steps of our own evolution as an organisation and we are openly indebted to her for some of the thinking that she pioneered.

I was particularly struck by Rose’s ability to hold new ideas and link them to the best of existing practice. (We clearly are in need of people who can weave the new with the existing and who are not simply seeking to replace what exists.) This capacity ‘to build’ and weave Rose has expressed in any number of ways in peace and conflict work and in her wider commitment to women’ studies. Rose gave me a copy of her first book, “Migration to the Heartland” which I read with great interest as a very committed account of the personal journey of a transformational educator. I subsequently sold a box of her books to my students who have all, without exception, found the book inspirational. We are in need worldwide in my view of people like Rose who are willing to move to new places, work with those around them in fellowship and community and promote the commitment required to bring people to a fuller understanding of the kind of new ideas and new forms of meeting that we need to develop as a matter of urgency.

Having said all that, I would want to stress the practical benefit of Rose’s work’; its utility and capacity to be applied in the ordinary situations of life. She manages to span that gap that so often exists between the academic and the practitioner. Without doubt she brings the academic’s commitment for rigor and well understands the need to bring it alongside the practitioner’s commitment to ethical action in the world.
Bryce Taylor, Founder Director, Oasis School of Human Relations

I much appreciated your workshop last week at Guildford. I liked your process very much and you have a very calming and inclusive way of being. Clearly you have devoted a great deal of thinking and personal experience in creating the approach you use.
Roy Banks, UK. Participant at “Being Magnificent” workshop
at ICOS conference

I found your/our workshop together one of the high points of the ICOS conference! I have found my energy definitely carrying on afterwards....A renewed commitment to nature and to aligning myself with the 'peak experiences self' are some of the several things I continue to take with me.... Valerie

Rose’s Writing Workshops

“The creative writing workshop has provided the inspiration I have long needed to kick start some serious commitment to writing. I found the day inspirational, the meditations practical and results oriented. Rose knew where she was headed with the day and was totally non-judgemental. She single handedly extracted commitment from the participants regarding their future intentions. “ Hugh

You had superb listening skills so that you could respond concisely to what each person said or read— very effective to get a bit deeper. Joanna

A valuable day of learning and exploring a new part of me ready to grow. Rose is a perceptive leader and an effective, heartful communicator in both speaking and writing.

A great and exciting day and very liberating. I felt the day flowed well and threw up challenges. I loved hearing what others had done and felt safe to share what I had done. Certainly I take away new ways towards becoming a writer. Well paced and presented in a fun and safe way. Sheila

“I feel I’ve been freed up to begin a creative process. The exercises were excellent - led me back to a source of creativity which I had never thought of as such. Showed me how to get in touch with this source and be open to what it has to say. Unthreatening non-judgemental environment let me read aloud what I had written.” Maxine

“Much more personal and inner knowing coming out than other workshops I’ve done. Good variety of writing and direction. Ready to take off now. “ Helen

Stimulated me to produce my inspirations. It has jump started me enough to continue the regular production of my final chapters in my novel. I recommend the workshop to everyone to write, to physically put pen to paper daily before the dying art is lost.” Ngang

“I really enjoyed the workshop and the group energy in this workshop. It has been extremely helpful to me to explore and make connections with the writer in me. Thank you.” Gopal