Please note: The PYM Calendar is for all events in the PYM region under the care of any Quaker meeting, organization, school, committee, collaborative, or another group. Events hosted by individuals are not permitted.
Since 1943, the Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology has gathered annually on Memorial Day Weekend. A meeting between Carl Jung and a group of Quakers during World War II spawned the conference as an effort to help members and others know themselves more deeply, and thus, perhaps reduce the likelihood of a repeat of the war. Today the conference continues to provide a respite for individuals of all spiritual and religious backgrounds who wish to delve more deeply into their inner lives.
76th ANNUAL FRIENDS CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND PSYCHOLOGY
with Plenary Speakers Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. and Joe Weldon and Noel Wight
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. is the director of the Trauma Center in Boston and a professor of psychiatry at Boston University. He has written extensively in professional journals on the subject of trauma’s interface with dissociative problems, borderline personality issues, self-mutilation, cognitive development, memory, and on the psychobiology of trauma. His best-selling book, The Body Keeps the Score, draws on more than four decades of research on the neurobiology of trauma and his clinical experience with trauma victims.
Joe Weldon and Noel Wight are co-founders of the Somatic Therapy Center in Philadelphia and master somatic therapists, who studied extensively with Illana Rubenfeld, the founder of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method. They have worked in the field for more than three decades, developing the art of Transformative Touch, which focuses on the innate wisdom of the body as a path to healing and wholeness. A licensed clinical psychologist, Joe has taught at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work and Villanova University. Noel has a master’s degree in integrative psychology and has taught with Illana Rubenfeld and at the Omega Institute, Kripalu, and at Esalen.
The Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology is one of the oldest conferences in the U.S. dedicated to individual spiritual exploration with a focus on in-depth psychology, specifically Jungian psychology. The roots of the conference were set down in the mid-1930s when a group of Quaker women met with C.G. Jung in Zurich for a four-hour talk about the similarities between the inward journey to wholeness through the unconscious—dreams, creative work, and active imagination—and the Quaker trust that the Inner Light will guide.
This year FCRP returns to the Quaker Retreat Center, Pendle Hill, outside of Philadelphia near Swarthmore. The conference begins with dinner, Friday evening, May 25 and ends with lunch on Memorial Day, May 28.
PLENARY TALKS
Bessel van der Kolk
1. The Neurobiological Impact of Trauma
2. Trauma, Memory, and the Restoration of One’s Self
Joe Weldon and Noel Wight
3. An Introduction to Transformative Touch:
The Body’s Quest for Safety
4. Transformative Touch: Body as Wise Resource and Guide
5. Transformative Touch: Restoring Movement and Balance
COST — Double Occupancy: $440*; Single Occupancy: $480*; Fees include all conference costs; three nights’ lodging; and breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
COMMUTER COST – Commuter w/meals: $285*
*You must register before April 27 for these fees. After April 27, there is a $25 late registration fee. Scholarship help is available. Please see our web site http://fcrp.quaker.org.
CEUs may be available for this work.
You can learn more about the Friends Conference on Religion and Psychology—including our history and legacy of plenary speakers—by visiting our web site: http://fcrp.quaker.org
This annual three-day conference explores the parallels between the inward light of Quaker faith and practice and the spiritual growth that results from indepth psychological explorations. FCRP began 76 years ago as a largely Quaker conference whose participants share an interest in Jungian psychology and other practices that shine line on the inner world.
Jennifer Elam leads a one-day arts and spirituality worship/workshop. We will begin our day together with worship, asking the Divine and our Creative muses to use our hands and feet to take us to a deeper faith place. Many of us are particularly challenged in the current political climate and the intention of this workshop is to, in part, speak to find greater creative resilience. We will begin by making a small beautiful book in which to do our writings. Then, prompts will be given related to our current challenges and joys and we will write to these prompts in our handmade books. Throughout our time together we will move from the Five Rhythms sacred dance form (Flow, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness) and share our challenges and joys through movement. We will end the morning and afternoon sessions with a sharing circle, supporting one another in the work we are doing together. No experience necessary or special abilities necessary.
Register HERE!
Families with children Kindergarten to 5th Grade come together from across the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting region for an unforgettable overnight retreat! The Spring Family Overnight, held at the historic Burlington Meeting House and Conference Center in Burlington, NJ, combines a sense of Quaker history with modern comforts. Our theme will explore how we create peace and make memories, recognizing and celebrating local Native American and Quaker relationships. Come ready for fellowship and fun!
Program
We’ll prepare our meals, do crafts and activities, and worship together. We’ll gather Saturday afternoon, with plenty of time for families to settle in to their rooms, explore the meetinghouse and recreation spaces, and engage in play and activities around our theme. We prepare dinner together and eat together as a family community. In the evening we get cozy with s’mores under the starry sky and stories in front of the fire. After kids go to bed there will be space for parents to spend time with each other. On Sunday we will gather for breakfast, worship with Friends at Burlington, and finish up with plenty of time for families to get home and prepare for the coming week!
Click here for photos of a previous Spring Family Overnight!
Attending a Family Overnight, Frequently Asked Questions!
Part of the idea here is an ‘It Takes a Village’ mentality that will make caring for individuals and groups easier on everyone. Younger and older kids are welcome as well! However, the activities and schedule are geared towards kids under 5th grade and their parents. We would ask each family to make the choice that makes the most sense for them. Feel free to give Melinda a call or send ChildrenandFamilies@pym.org an email to talk over details or specifics for either of these age groups.
What if I have specific needs in terms of food, schedule, sleeping arrangements, etc?
Let us know! We want to make this as possible for families as possible, and if we can help make that work, we will!
Is there scholarship or work-grants available?
Our registration includes the possibility of requesting work-grants. If you have any questions about this, feel free to email Melinda at mwennerbradley@pym.org.
What will I need to bring?
A pillow, sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag, (beds are standard single bunk beds), flashlights, toiletries, maybe some games or toys to share. Appropriate dress for outdoor play (closed toed shoes are a must). Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast are part of the program. If you play any instruments, they can be fun to have around the fire.
Carpooling?
Send Melinda an email and we’ll talk about trying to find someone from your area for a carpool!
Weekly mid-week Meeting for Worship at 4th and Arch is being held at a time we hope will be convenient convenient for Friends and others seeking a mid-week opportunity for silent worship
How can we make sure that our lives and our actions align with those values we care about most deeply? This year’s young adult conference will look specifically at four areas that impact us as young adults: work, love and relationships, justice, and spiritual practice. Each day will feature different workshops and presenters, as well as opportunities to connect with other like-minded young adults from across the world, as we examine our relationship to each of the four main topics. Participants will have the opportunity to establish routines in their lives that lead to personal and communal transformation. Additionally, there will be regular worship and skill-building workshops, while enjoying the nurturing atmosphere of Pendle Hill’s campus.
Need a spiritual boost? Feeling drained or weary? Try Extended Worship as way to feel spiritually renewed, and reconnected with the spirit of the Divine. Most newcomers to Extended Worship are surprised at how quickly time passes, and are surprised about how refreshed they feel.
All are welcome. Attend just a portion of the day or the full day. And remember to bring your lunch. If you will need childcare, please email Lola Georg by Monday, May 21st.
Schedule:
- 9:15 to 9:30 Gathering and Welcome
- 9:30 to 12:30 Extended Meeting for Worship
- 12:30 to 1:30 Brown Bag Lunch (bring your own)
- 1:30 to 3:00 Worship Sharing
- 3:00 to 3:15 Clean-up and departure
First Monday lecture by Dr. Chloe Schwenke, openly transgender Quaker author, ethicist, educator, human rights activist, feminist, and international development practitioner, who has devoted most of her professional career to supporting people in more than 40 countries in their efforts to achieve lives of dignity, inclusion, freedom, agency and hope.
Weekly mid-week Meeting for Worship at 4th and Arch is being held at a time we hope will be convenient convenient for Friends and others seeking a mid-week opportunity for silent worship