Power Dialogues is the signature program and system of questions taught by the Option Institute. Since 1983, this proven system of personal change has helped thousands improve the quality of their life. This process is a roadmap to releasing judgments and redesigning your belief system to create your ideal life.
If you’re reading this, maybe one of the following applies to you:
- You have a growth mindset and are looking to learn new tools to resolve issues and change yourself in exciting ways.
- Mental health is essential to you, and you would like to increase your skills to be more valuable and supportive to those you work with or are in your care.
- You want to be the best version of yourself as a parent, spouse, sibling, friend, coworker, or boss.
In PowerDialogues you will learn the following:
- The ability to understand and resolve daily issues and significant life events.
- A revolutionary but straightforward way to feel unshakably grounded, comfortable, relaxed, and caring.
- Listening skills that will enable you to hear and understand what might have been previously hard to digest.
- A way to understand yourself much more deeply and make significant personal changes by unearthing and shifting your own beliefs.
- The ability to gently assist others in breaking through their own limits.
- The opportunity to practice doing Dialogues in real-time and get feedback and assistance in a highly engaging, interactive environment.
*This is the first training program for those interested in becoming a Certified Option Process Mentor.
Five LIVE Sessions via Zoom
March 13th – 17th, 2023
Live Session Times: 9am – 12pm and 1pm – 4pm EST (UTC-5)
Course Fee: $1500.00 USD
The Core of What we Teach
A letter from the Co-Founder of the Option Institute – Barry Neil Kaufman
“At the Option Institute, we teach people unique and practical tools to build the life experience they desire. How?
“It begins with a radical departure from everything we’ve been taught. Many of us have heard of the popular psychological model of stimulus-response. The dog barks, I get scared. My friend compliments me, I feel happy. This model has helped spawn a culture where we see our emotions and experiences as being caused by people and events around us. As a result, we often try to change our circumstances and the people around us so that we can feel good or, at least, not feel bad.
“This approach leaves most of us feeling like victims. We believe that if we could just get our loved ones to treat us right, or our finances to increase, or the roads to be traffic-free, we would feel better. But there’s always something else. Even without major life events such as divorce, bankruptcy, illness or loss of a loved one, many of us experience deep distress and discomfort.
“The Option Institute modifies the stimulus-response paradigm with a simple twist. We introduce a third component: BELIEF. Every stimulus that elicits a response from us is first filtered and processed by one or more beliefs. As our beliefs change, so do our responses and experiences. This simple shift changes everything in our lives, moving us from the passenger’s seat into the driver’s seat. We call this new paradigm the Happiness GPS® because it helps you identify where you are and allows you to navigate to where you want to go (In terms of your own happiness and emotional well-being).
“For instance, two parents watching their daughter getting married can have different experiences – one is happy and the other is distressed. How do we explain two people witnessing the same event (the same stimulus) having diametrically opposed responses? Simple – each one holds different beliefs that filter their experience of the wedding. One sees it as wonderful – believing that their daughter will be happy and the family will grow. The other sees it as terrible – believing they are losing their daughter and that they will be lonely without her. This simple illustration is a microcosm of the myriad ways our beliefs determine every response, from joy to anger, from kissing to shouting.
“The good news is: our beliefs are changeable. Our experience with thousands of people from across the globe has shown us that, when people use the tools that we provide, known collectively as The Option Process, they are able to uncover the beliefs fueling their responses and the underlying reasons for their beliefs. Moreover, they are able to change the beliefs that may be generating unhappiness, dysfunctional relationships or ineffective behaviors.
“In our highly interactive courses, we help people address ongoing challenges, find peace with catastrophic events, build more satisfying relationships and become efficient and effective at achieving their desires and dreams. We believe that the most effective way to help people change is to provide them with tools and opportunities to change, in an environment where they are completely accepted as they are, whether or not they change. We are happy to be, for many, the one place in the world where they can find just that.”
Sincerely,
(Barry Neil Kaufman),
Co-founder of the Option Institute and Autism Treatment Center of America
Using the Happiness GPS®
| Stimulus | Belief | Response |
|---|---|---|
| MY BOSS YELLS AT ME | I’M GOING TO GET FIRED | FEELING–FEAR BEHAVIOR–AVOID BOSS, JITTERY, ON EDGE AROUND HIM |
| CHOLESTEROL LEVEL IS HIGH | I’M PRONE TO A HEART ATTACK | FEELING–ANXIETY BEHAVIOR–CAN’T SLEEP |
| MY PARTNER TELLS ME HE/SHE LOVES ME | I’M WORTHWHILE | FEELING–ELATION BEHAVIOR–HUG, KISS PARTNER |
| CAR IS REAR-ENDED | WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ME NOW | FEELING–ANGER BEHAVIOR–YELL AT DRIVER |
| I YELL AT MY KIDS | I’M A BAD PARENT | FEELING–GUILT BEHAVIOR–AVOID BEING WITH KIDS |
Happiness I.Q.®
Definition: The measurement of a person’s capacity to choose emotional comfort and happiness irrespective of the stimulus.
Happiness I.Q. is determined by core belief structures about ourselves and our ability to decide how we feel and what we think.
Low Happiness I.Q. Beliefs:
- I can’t choose how I feel. It depends on what happens (the stimulus).
- I have to be unhappy, angry, worried, or upset in order to do what it takes to take care of myself, my child, etc.
- It’s only human to get unhappy when things don’t go the way I want.
- My mind just does what it does and thinks what it thinks. I can’t control it.
- I am how I am. I have a limited capacity to change.
High Happiness I.Q. Beliefs:
- How I feel isn’t determined by what happens (the stimulus), but by my beliefs about what happens.
- I don’t need to get unhappy, angry, worried, or upset in order to take care of myself, my child, etc.
- There isn’t one predetermined “human” way to respond to things. I respond the way I want to respond,
- I am the pilot of my mind and the creator of my thoughts and beliefs.
- Since I decide who and how I am, and since I can always make new decisions, my capacity to change is limitless.
Option Process® Dialogue: Introductory Questions
to raise your Happiness I.Q.®
- What is the stimulus?
- How do I feel about the stimulus?
- Why do I feel this way?
- What is my belief?
- Why do I believe that?
- All beliefs are changeable.
- Use the above questions to help yourself uncover your beliefs. Ask yourself these questions in the most caring and accepting way possible.
- Uncover the belief and choose whether you want to continue to hold it or change it for a new belief.
- Change the belief and you change the feeling.
Read Reviews
PowerDialogues has been an in-depth exploration of my own attitude- both as a mentor and an explorer – the gift of personal growth stemming from PowerDialogues– a gift in the form of brilliant classes, inspiring teachers, amazing tools – in a challenging and loving environment – is priceless. An infinite source of happiness that I can give myself, applying the tools of powerful, self-empowering dialogues.
Eira Meadow
Post Graduate Student, Denmark
PowerDialogues surprised me with its depth and meatiness. I expected to learn a few techniques, slap them on and call it a day. I was surprised and delighted to find that the whole PowerDialogue process is an amazingly thought out and deeply meaningful science AND art. It’s a juicy, fun and thought provoking process, and I enjoyed launching into learning more about applying the process to my life so that I can be aware of my choices and be in control of what I feel and believe.
Pam Aronow
Son-Rise Mom, Arizona
I love the Option Institute. I have taken five programs here and each one has enriched my life. PowerDialogues was so powerful-I feel more loving, more non-judgmental and I was able to make connections with my character that I want to change. PowerDialogues, whether as mentor or explorer, gave me a new way to look at myself.
Gertruth Handelman
Retired, Canada
The dialogue is so completely gorgeous and dialogue classes are even more fabulous. I feel like it’s like getting an instruction manual to life and building muscles that will set me free in ANY situation. I want to keep going for this to make my love bigger and bigger…and bigger and BIGGER.
Anne-Marie Graften
Skills Development Manager, UK
My personal experience here at the Option Institute for Power Dialogues has been an experience of true growth and a deeper understanding of myself. I learned that the only person I can control is myself, and if I want to change my life then I have to change myself. I learned how to be a better parent and wife with the dialogue process. And lastly, I learned how to be kinder to myself.
Melissa Sutherland
Waitress, Maryland
The Option Institute is absolutely transformative. Power Dialogues helped me learn the tools to change many of the unhelpful beliefs I wanted to change, but didn’t know how. I felt more confident, thoughtful, loving, and reflective in my conversations with others and especially, with myself!
Travis Kiefer
CEO, South Dakota
The idea of taking the Power Dialogues course had not intrigued me in the past. It sounded technical and possibly quite boring and rigid. What I found after attending Power Dialogues is that it is dynamic, exciting, and ultimately remarkably enlightening. I would go begin it again tomorrow if it was possible!
Gail Sheckley
Teacher, Oregon
I came to PowerDialogues in order to add dialoguing to my Son-Rise Program® at home. I am leaving today with so much more than I had expected to get. Such as:
1. A much more in-depth understanding of the incredible miracle of the dialogue.
2. A new conviction about my ability to choose my degree of happiness and comfort in my life.
3. A deepened joy and excitement about my relationship with my mother, who
attended PowerDialogues with me as a celebration of her 75th birthday.
Susan Levin
Son-Rise Program Mom, MA
Wow! Thought I would see the sky and found the universe. Potentially, the most profound program of my life’s journey!
Stelios Angelides
Care Manager & Son-Rise Program Dad, England