S7e6: Amy Thompson – Honey, You’re a Human

Amy Thompson is a beloved Hoffman Teacher and Coach. In today’s episode, she shares her story of recovery, losing her father, the grief she experienced from his loss, and her experience going through cancer treatment while training to become a Hoffman Process teacher. And, really, Amy shares so much more.

Listen in as Amy shares about learning she was accepted into the Hoffman teacher training program at the same time she received her cancer diagnosis. She knew she needed to care for both her body and her spirit. With an assured Yes to both, Amy embarked on a powerful journey of healing all of her Quadrinity through chemotherapy infusions and the work of the Process.

Amy and Drew talk about the need to be responsible for our lives. One beautiful thing Amy got from the Process was realizing that her patterns were the source of feeling over-responsible for everyone else. By transforming these patterns into a more positive way of being through her work at the Process, she reclaimed her power. With this power, found she could step more fully into what she calls intense self-responsibility for how she shows up in every moment. Amy says, “Hoffman, for me, was not the end of my journey but definitely a huge milestone in my own recovery, in my own kind of recognition for who I am and this whole being able to be a good human.”

Hoffman is a part of Amy’s family. Many in her family have done the Process. Amy’s mother-in-law, Nita Gage, is also a Hoffman Process teacher.

Listen in as Amy shares so much more of her life and her Hoffman journey. We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Discover more about Amy Thompson:

Amy Thompson is a gifted and intuitive mentor and coach with over 20 years of experience as a counselor, retreat facilitator, and teacher. She has a passion for guiding people through transformational change with both groups and individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. She holds a BA in Literature from Dominican University.

An artist, Amy is also a sacred ceremony designer and public speaker. She brings with her a lifetime of training, teachings, and knowledge from an eclectic background of work in the field of human holistic mental health. She empowers those who work with her with mindful self-compassion and radical acceptance.

Amy shares, “I’ve spent my career in service to others, working with adults and children in multiple arenas, including groups, workshops, coaching, and retreats for personal transformation. There is nothing else in the world as satisfying as watching a student/client create the change in their life that they long for and then thrive in it!”

Follow Amy on Instagram.

As mentioned in this episode:

Buddhist term:
Not-self/Non-self or Anattā 

Recovery:
Definitions and more

Marin AIDS Project (PDF)
Harm Reduction Counseling
Harm Reduction Therapy
Needle Exchange Program (PDF)

Stinson Beach

Hoffman Institute Teacher Training

Graduate Groups:
Hoffman graduate groups are held fairly regularly. The primary purpose of grad groups is for graduates to do their Hoffman tools work together. Each group has a Hoffman-trained volunteer group leader. This leader oversees and leads the programs in alignment with the principles of the Process and Hoffman grad group protocols and standards.

Chemotherapy
•   Chemo port

Nita Gage – Hoffman teacher and Coach

Burning Man
•   Burning of the Man
•   Art Cars

Hoffman terminology:

Expression and The Cycle of Transformation:
The four steps in the cycle are Awareness, Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.

Hoffman Tools:
•   Vicious Cycle – Patterns don’t just come at us one by one. They are clustered in “vicious cycles,” where one pattern can lead to another and then another, forming this “familiar” sequence of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Download the PDF found here for more information.
•   Victorious Cycle – A cycle of patterns that have been transformed into positive alternatives and a positive cycle.