Kelly Tobey Rates His Peers

Kelly Tobey, founder of Integrative Transformational Processing Facilitation, lists over 100 of his peers and provides a brief description and a consumer warning of "Discernment suggested" followed by a rating system of asterisk symbols for some of the selected individuals or groups. Chuck and Lency Spezzano are alphabetically listed at # 13 and rank near the bottom in terms of rating.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080327051000/http://www.kellytobey.com/workshops.htm
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Readable text also provided following the printable scans.

[Text provided, bolding is ours]

Many workshop environments have been very, very helpful to me. Most of the types of workshops that I have been drawn to, have provided an environment of intensive focus on raising consciousness. This provides the opportunity to break through the many layers of inhibitive ego, to get to a place of seeing with vision, with clarity, with wisdom, with the heart, with emotional intelligence, and with higher consciousness. An appropriate workshop can provide an environment that provides enough safety to facilitate the letting go of resistance and fear long enough to see the programmed patterns that have been adapted out of survival strategies but that are no longer serving. The next step is to uncover the core beliefs that are driving the patterns. If the old strategies are no longer helpful, the next step is to bring in new, more enlightened ways to live. My experience has been that many engrained patterns we carry have been set up to attempt to cope with wounding in the emotional body. Part of the work is to bring a balance and congruence to the interplay between the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual bodies. I have been to some workshops that do not honor these four elements of the human self equally. Not that they cant have some level of value without, but if you want a balance in yourself you will need to be discerning about how to apply the information from workshops that is useful, and how to leave behind what is out of balance. 

Workshops can obviously have a variety of different purposes. First you can look at what purposes the workshop is claiming to support you in achieving, and if those purposes interest you. Some workshops are well tailored to accomplish the purposes they intended while some others are not nearly as effective at it.

I do not think there is necessarily a right or wrong way to do a workshop. Yet, depending on what someone wants to accomplish, I think there are certain methods that will support the results desired and other methods that can be counter productive or even wounding.

Following is a list of workshops I have experienced. I have also been to many workshops that I won’t list here, as their value was mediocre to me (or I have forgotten about them). There are some that I will list that I think have some good value but that I also think have some potential to be disempowering or even detrimental if not approached with a strong sense of discernment intact.

What I like to encourage over and over again is for people to use the highest level of discernment they can muster. If a person has developed their discernment and intuition; they wont give their power away, they will be able to sense what serves them and what does not, and they will be able to stand their ground without collapsing under the influence of others. With that in place a person can fearlessly walk into any workshop environment, (or other situation in life) knowing they have the power to look after themselves even if something that is inappropriate for that particular individual is presented to them.

On the other hand many people do not have well developed intuition and discernment. When that is the case one can only hope that whoever is setting up the container of a workshop, (that the person plans to attend) has lots of integrity combined with wisdom. Or the participating person might be in for learning some lessons the hard way.

Some facilitators assume they know what is best for the client and so they do not encourage their clients to use their own discernment and intuitive connection to see if what is being offered fits for the clients unique personal journey. This sets people up to give their power away to the facilitator.

A facilitator can make their theories sound great, especially when they deeply believe in them. If the facilitator takes a stance of indisputable authority it encourages people with underdeveloped discernment to give their power to the facilitator and the theories presented.

The dynamic of a group can feed this further. If many people are giving their power away and just blindly agreeing with the facilitator it can give the impression that the facilitator must be "right" because of the numbers of people that are in agreement.

I would suggest that a wise teacher is willing to consider that they may be mistaken about what they think they know. An empowering teacher encourages others to be discerning about whatever the teacher presents because it could be a mistake and/or it might not apply to the clients unique situation.

Even if what is being presented is not a mistake and could potentially serve the student, no matter how great the teaching is, if the student just buys in at a theory level without checking internally to see if it is truly appropriate for his or her own unique journey, it keeps them in a childlike place of disempowerment rather than in an adult place of ownership and accountability. The teacher then ends up carrying the role of the all knowing parent and the student stays in the role of a child.
For example if a teacher tells you that you have a warm loving heart and you just receive the words without checking in internally to see if you are really willing to own your warm loving heart, you will stay in a underpowered place. You have the words but not the deep internal knowing that comes from real ownership. Then any time you doubt yourself you will be dependent on the teacher or someone else to tell you again that you have a warm loving heart. It is like the child that keeps coming back to the parent with the same inquiry such as "Am I really beautiful Daddy?" Until the child owns their beauty internally they will never 'get' that they are truly beautiful.

Another example: A teacher speaks about some theory on how to create abundance. The student hears the words and assumes the theory is correct even though they have never checked inside to see if it fits for them and if they can truly own and embody the teaching or not. In turn the student regurgitates the theory to others as if they know that it is sound even though they have never had a personal experience of it them self.

We have probably all encountered people who give advise that sounds like a direct quote of some theory that they read or heard somewhere. Although the words may sound true we can feel there is no substance to it. The theory has never been fully owned and integrated. It is only in the mind and has not been established in the heart, the soul and the everyday living of the person. In contrast when an individual takes ownership of what does and does not fit for them, it can lead them to empowerment and recognition of equality because no power has been given away to someone else's theory about what will or will not work for them as a unique individual.

In the list of workshops below I will give a grading when I think extra discernment is needed. After the words “discernment needed”, if I put one or more *‘s it is because I think there is an environment of (usually unconscious) encouragement to give your power away to the facilitator's belief systems rather than encouraging you to evaluate for yourself, what fits with your journey, and what does not. In other words the facilitator may not be owning that the belief systems they are presenting, and their evaluations of participants, are her or his perceptions and not necessarily the "truth".  You will also find *'s if I observed belief systems presented that I thought were potentially detrimental. The more *‘s I have used the more careful use of discernment I would suggest. (And to add: facilitators often grow and get better at their craft so some of the people below may be even more skillful now, than they were when I first participated in their offerings)
Of course these evaluations are subjective and are based on my own personal experience of anything from attending an evening workshop, to multiple weekend workshops, to 45 day intensive trainings. Your personal experience may be quite different so please trust your own intuition rather than give your power away to my opinions.

    A Course In Miracles; Self study and study in groups                Spirituality principals 
    Al Benarroch; Handling Sensitive Information            Child Protection
    Andrew Schneider; Transformational Healing     Spiritual Philosophy   Contact: 250 823-8483
    Andrine Morse; Teaching Pathways of the Rainbow Lodge    Native Spirituality    Discernment suggested * 
     Anjali Hill; Getting Yourself Understood: The Dynamics Of Successful Communication    Communication Skills
    Annette Aubrey & Bruce Hoffman; Family Constellations Workshop    Healing Family Wounds
    Brock Tully; Cycling For Kindness    Serving Through Kindness    Contact: speaker@brocktully.com
    Carol Hechtenthal and Jan Inglis; Integrative Body Psychotherapy     Body and mind integration work   Contact: 403 289-0086
    Carol Laurich & Jerry Stilson: Family Life Education Council; Leadership Training Course    Small group facilitation                
    Context Associated; The Excellence Series     Accountability principals, Life purpose and general awareness      Discernment suggested *
    Chris Smith; Rayid Training          Personality typing through eye formation   Contact: 403 274-7070
    Christopher & Su Mei Moon; Sacred Psychology            Emotional awareness, uncovering of inherent giftedness    Contact: cmoon@netidea.com
    Chuck and Lency Spezzano; Psychology of Vision     Emotional awareness, uncovering of inherent giftedness   Discernment suggested **
    Curtis Cripe; Living Your Sacred Dream    Awareness
    David Shackleton; Stages Of Spiritual Growth  Awareness
    David Walsh: Enneagram    Personality Typing   Discernment suggested **
    David White: Ken Keyes College; Inner Child Work   Emotional healing
    Denis Schram; Journaling for Personal Growth
    Denny Johnson; Rayid Training          Personality typing through eye formation    Discernment suggested *
    Diane Edwards; The Power of Unconditional Love    Inner Child Work
    Dr. Beth Hedva; Ending Self-Betrayal     Looking at the cycle and effects of betrayal  Contact: bhedva@cadvision.com
    Dr. Brian Gorman; Stress Management     Understanding and releasing stress   Discernment suggested * 
    Dr. Frank Young; Lucid Dreaming    Accessing lucid dreaming   Contact: 403 220-9436 
    Dr. Jagdeep (Jug) Johal;    The Five Elements and Active Listening    Chinese 5 Elements System    Contact: 403 244-5847 saatcha@shaw.ca
    Dr. John Demartini; The Quantum Collapse Process    Uniting Polarizations Discernment suggested **
    Dr. Steven Aung; Qi Gong    Qi Gong and Chinese medicine training
    Dr. Warren Farrell; Why Men Are the Way They Are    Men’s Awareness Work   Discernment suggested *
    Doug Von Koss & Thomas Eldridge; Finding the Fire Within   Men’s Awareness Work
    Douglas Gillette & Dido Morris; The Ape Within    Men’s Work
    Edward Rice; Multi-Dimensional Healing    Past Life Alignment   Discernment suggested *
    Elan O'Brien; Inter-Dimensional Healing    Awareness Work    Discernment suggested *    Contact: elanobrien@aol.com
    Francesca Blackstock; Tantra: Ecstatic Loving    Sacred Sexuality  Contact 403 238-8909
    Fred Pryer Seminars; How to Manage Conflict, Anger and Emotion    Anger Work    Discernment suggested *
    Garuda and Inge Benda; Gateways to Intimacy    Open processing   Discernment suggested **
    Gerry Glock & Mark Fraser; What are You Waiting For?    Awareness   Discernment suggested *
    Grace Lea; Rebirthing    Process and awareness accessed through Breathwork
    Gregory Possman; Past, Present, and Future Life Healings    Emotional healing, awareness    Discernment suggested ** (if / when he does channeling)   Contact: 704 265-3493
    Guy Corneau; Parental Influences    Men’s Work, Healing wounds
    Gwendolyn Jansma; Sacred Sexuality, and Coming Into Balance    Awareness work   Discernment suggested **   Contact: 619 481-3076
    Henri McKinnon; Creating Healthy Relationships       Sacred Psychology, emotional healing    Discernment suggested **
    Holly Jones & Dale Quinnell: Attunement      Body & energy work, crystal bowls
    Inner Community Outreach; Emotional Release and Vision Work
    Inscapes Seminars; The Enneagram     Personality typing, awareness   Discernment suggested **
    Irene McDougal; Living with Money   Principals Of Manifesting
    Jacob Liberman, Truth Paradise, Rainbow & Sky Canyon: Unconditional Life   Awareness, Emotional release
    Jay Creasey; Full Challenge     Awareness through body/mind, Ninjitsu training   Contact: 403 263-0206
    Jay & Cory Fiset; Relationships of Love    Relationships    Discernment suggested *
    Jean Pendulak, Christine Helman and Jan Sheppard; Liberating Relationships   Listening & communication skills 
    Jennifer Steed; Ecstatic Dance    Body Awareness, Movement    Contact: www.yogajourneys.com
    Jerri-Lynn Morrison, Dream Study Group    Dream Interpretation
    Jim Sorrenson; Humor: Sourcing Joy     Opening to joy
    John Akim Gosaw; Tibetian Bell Meditations
    John Bradshaw; Healing Relationships and Healing the Shame    Healing past traumas
    John De Ruiter; Heart Mystic    Awareness work, Spirituality   Discernment  suggested ** 
    Jon Scott; Men: Sustaining Passionate Relationships   Men’s work
    Jon-Lee Kootnekoff; Living Life With Purpose and Passion    Purpose    Discernment  suggested *     Contact: kootywithlove@yahoo.com
    Joy & Gordon Gardner-Gordon; Personal Evolution Through Vibrational Healing Awareness Work
    Judy Armstrong; The Joy of Sound    Healing past wounds through activating the voice   Contact: judy@lexi.net
    Judy Young; Transformational Psychology    Awareness 
    Karen McNamera; Power, Pleasure and Freedom    Sacred Psychology
    Ken Keyes; Study Group    Awareness, Spirituality
    Kiara Fine; Listening Hands Therapy    Body & Energy Work
    Kyle Pruett and Warren Farrell; Fatherhood: Past, Present, and Future   Understanding the value of fathers in children’s lives            Discernment suggested *
    Layden's Therapy Centre; Reflexology
    Leanne and Maynard Dalderis; Beyond Controlaholism     Awareness, Spirituality   Contact: dalderis@vitagenics.ca
    Mareea Finney; Transformation Game    Exploring personal transformation
    Maria Kliavkoff;  Sacred Circle: Abundance    Opening to receiving abundance
    Marlene & Russ Kirk; Honoring Your Inner Child at Work   Acknowledging our sensitivities and emotions   Contact: kirkmar@telus.net
    Maynard Dalderis; Vita Flex and Color Therapy    Body healing techniques   Contact: dalderis@vitagenics.ca
    Men's Network (Calgary); Men's Group    Men’s awareness work
    Michael Palmer; Stepping Through Fear to the Promise of Your Heart, and Leadership Now     Sacred Psychology, Emotional healing, Awareness of gifts   Contact: guideavailable@dccnet.com
    Mount Royal College; Massage Certificate Program     Body Work
    Nadene Rogers; Expressing Spontaneity Through Your Inner Clown   Contact: 403 270-3432
    Naomi and Doug Moseley; Going Into Intimacy    Group therapy       Discernment  suggested ****
    Nathaniel Brandon; Self Esteem    Awareness
    Otto Haller; Living Giftedness     Emotional healing, Spiritual awareness, Gift recognition   Contact: 403 863-9898
    Owen Swartz; Awakening To Our Soul     Spiritual awareness
    Paul Carter; Sacred Loving    Healing sexual wounds, Opening sexually   Discernment suggested *   Contact: niyaso@maui.net
    Paul Galowitz; Prosperity Awareness     Comfort with money, Manifesting principals
    Paul Lowe; Process Therapy     Awareness    Discernment suggested ****
    Perri Enkin; Creative Psychology      Awareness
    Personal Best; The Couples Workshop   Relationships
    Personal Best; The Money Workshop   Prosperity 
    Pietro Abela; The Journey to Conscious Awareness    Path to consciousness Contact: www.thearcinstitute.com
    Rebecca Monet; Destiny Bound NLP     Neurolinguistic Programming training, reprogramming unhealthy patterns    Discernment suggested *
    Rick Hatala; Transformation     Spiritual awareness, dream analysis   Discernment suggested **
    Robert Michael Kaplan; The Power Behind Your Eyes    How traumas effect vision   Contact: beyond_20/20@sunshine.net 
    Rose Topp & Brian Copping; Radical Forgiveness    Forgiveness Work  Contact: www.radicalliving.com
    RoseMarie Pierce; Heart To Heart Communication   Process Work 
    Roxy L. Wright; Psychology of the Aware Ego    Personal Awareness
    Sage Berret; Art Of Balance   Educational Sensory Integration   Contact: artofbalance@netidea.com 
    Saira Jamal;    Healing Our Brothers    Awareness, Emotional healing   Contact: 403 208-7864
    SheLa Leonard; Course In Miracles Group     Awareness, Emotional healing   Contact: 403 685-3051 
    Sheldon Bilsker; Wholistic Integration  Awareness  Discernment suggested *
    Steve Kushner; Integrating Our Shadow     Emotional healing, Awareness   Contact: kush@total.net
    Susan Letourneau; Meeting Your Inner Child    How our younger ages effect us   Contact: 403 240-0352
    Susan Madsen; Inner Child     Healing past wounds
    Suzanne McMillian-McTavish; Practical Applications of Spiritual Revelations    Awareness
    Tad James; Neurolinguistic Programming and Healing with Huna    Reprogramming unhealthy patterns    Discernment suggested *
    Taron Puri / Leanne and Maynard Dalderis; Retreat to Center    Spiritual awareness   Contact: vitagen@tcel.com
    Terry Kellog; Healing Wounds and Enjoying the Journey, and Addictions and Family Systems       Emotion healing
    Troi Lenard; The Power of Healing Sound and Color       Spiritual awareness   Discernment suggested *
    Vision Mountain Leadership Training Centre; Leadership Training       Sacred Psychology, Emotional healing, Gift awareness   Contact: cmoon@netidea.com
    Warren Redman; Inner Balancing     Listening & communication skills, healing unhealthy patterns   Contact: warren@innerbalancing.com
    Yvonne Racine; The Challenge of Loving     Sacred Psychology, Emotional healing, Gift awareness   Contact: yracine@accessweb.com