Beyond the Irish Question
The Art of Collective Integration
SATURDAY 23 JANUARY 2027 · DUBLIN · €125
How do we stay present with one another when a room goes quiet, a conversation gets charged, or a group begins to pull apart?
A one-day, in-person workshop with David Young and Simon Courtney and Heather Thalheimer
An invitation from Simon and David
A DAY TOGETHER
Dear friends,
We’d love to spend a day with you in Dublin.
You might know the moment when a conversation goes quiet and you feel yourself go quiet with it. Maybe there’s something you want to say, but you’re unsure how it will land. Later, you wonder if anyone else felt what you did.
We wanted to make some time for moments like that. When we slow down together, there’s a chance to notice what happens in us, find a few words for it, and hear how it was for someone else. Sometimes they felt something similar. Sometimes they were having an entirely different experience. There can be a little relief, and sometimes a bit of humour, in finding that out.
We’ll spend the day practising in pairs and as a group. Our hope is that the next time a conversation matters to you and the room goes quiet, you’ll have a little more room to stay with yourself and stay curious about the people around you.
If this is your first time exploring Collective Integration, you’re welcome to begin with us here.
With warmth,
Simon and David
March 2027 · Dates to be confirmed
THE EXPERIENCE
What might we notice together that we’d miss on our own?
A room can change before anyone says a word. You might feel yourself pull back, want to fill the silence, or suddenly feel more at ease. And the person beside you might be having an entirely different experience.
We’d love to spend a day in Dublin getting curious about those moments with you. Through guided practice, time in pairs and conversation as a group, we’ll explore what happens in us and between us when we give each other a little more attention.
PRESENCE
Stay close to what you feel
When a conversation matters, it can be surprisingly easy to lose track of how you’re doing. We’ll slow down enough to notice the small things. A breath you’ve been holding. A sense of settling. Something you’d like to say that you’re only just beginning to find words for.
RELATIONSHIP
Make room for the stories we carry
We each come into a room with something of the families, places and communities that have shaped us. How might that change the way we listen, or what we hear in a silence? We’ll explore how a little more of that wider story can come into view when we spend time with another person.
TOGETHER
Hear the room through someone else
There can be relief in hearing someone say, “I felt that too.” And sometimes the most interesting thing is hearing that they felt something completely different. We’ll make time for both. Our hope is that something of that curiosity stays with you the next time you’re around a family table, in a meeting, or in a conversation you care about.
A CONVERSATION WITH SIMON AND DAVID
What happens when we give a group more time?
Simon and David talk about how the histories we bring, the place we gather and the people in the room can shape what happens between us. You’ll hear why they’re setting aside a fourth day to follow a theme that emerges during the first three days of practice, and why David sees joy as essential when the work touches on grief.
AN OPEN INVITATION
Who this day for ?
If you’re curious about how people affect one another in families, teams or communities, you’re welcome.
The day may also speak to people who work with groups and want to explore what happens when tension or silence enters the room.
Prefer to start online? Join the optional 8 December introduction ↗
YOUR FACILITATORS
Who you’ll be with
Irish psychotherapist, coach and group facilitator. Through Beyond the Irish Question, Simon explores how the stories we inherit live on in our relationships and communities.
Simon Courtney
Teacher, facilitator and developer of the Art of Collective Integration. David works with groups to explore how conflict, history and unspoken experiences shape the way we relate.
David Young
Co-owner of WholeHearted, executive coach and Transparent Communication facilitator.
Heather Thalheimer
What participants have shared
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Before you join us
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You can join the January workshop as your first experience of Collective Integration.
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The workshop is in person in Dublin. The venue and timings will be shared when confirmed.
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The one-day workshop is an investment of €125
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
SATURDAY 23 JANUARY 2027
Join us in Dublin
If you’d like to hear when dates and booking are confirmed, get in touch and we’ll send you the details.