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Spring is in full swing – and with it we are delivering our new programs for 2010!

Hello, Pat Quinn here. We are giving you the latest news on our 2010 program. If you would like a paper copy of our brochures posted to you please click on "Contact Us" and give us your details.

Lots has happened here at the Port this past year – we had our largest group ever of third year graduates leave us in June and we are currently delivering training to 4 groups. This means the place buzzes with activity on a very regular basis.

Those of you who have received our newsletters would know that I am recovering from a hip replacement which went very well. I anticipate bouncing back into my life and my work here with a new spring in my step and renewed enthusiasm to get on with the job – the job of making sure this centre delivers workshops and training programs that continue to be relevant in today’s ever changing marketplace. Members of our staff are constantly undergoing training themselves to make sure they are delivering the latest up-to-date skills.

So please give me a quick call and I will see if what is going on here at the Port can assist you to get much, much more out of life.

With kind regards
Pat Quinn

PS. Please do not hesitate to call after hours or on the weekends: ph (07) 4633 1383






The Portiuncula Centre for Personal, Spiritual and Professional Development

The Portiuncula Centre was established in Toowoomba in 1988 to provide programs for personal, spiritual and professional development. A range of methods for inner exploration is offered including dreamwork, sandplay, breathwork, journal writing, emotional release processes, body work, art, meditation and voice dialogue.

These methods are presented in group workshops as well on an individual basis. Part time courses are also available – offering professional training for those wishing to work with others or for those wanting a deep personal healing.

The Centre is situated on five acres in a beautiful garden setting. The facilities provide a nourishing and sacred space for those who come on their journey of self-exploration – they come from near and far. Simple accommodation is available.






Staff

The director of the Centre is Pat Quinn. Her experience as a Missionary Sister of Service for over 40 years has involved reaching out to people from all walks of life. She has worked within the church and also with the wider community beyond the church. Her vision is to support the healing and spiritual growth of all people.

Pat has studied spirituality and Jungian practice and theory; She is an accredited Journal writing consultant and has a lifetime of experince in counselling.

While a deal of Pat’s experience has been connected with the church, the Centre is a place where people of all backgrounds feel at home. Each person is supported in exploring their own spiritual path.

Pat is joined by a competent and dedicated staff who come from a range of backgrounds. The staff have a strong commitment to their own ongoing inner work and see this as an essential element in their involvement with others.

All hold diplomas in Emotional Release Counselling and Transpersonal Studies, and are members of the Association of Tranpersonal and Emotional Release Counsellors Inc. which is a constituent organisation of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). The staff are qualified practioners of Holotropic Breathwork™, having trained with Dr Stan Grof and Tav Sparks. They are professional members of the Association for Holotropic Breathwork™ International.






Testimonials from participants in our extended courses

I had been experiencing in my life desperation to live with greater freedom. A voice within me was crying out “There must be another way”. When I heard of the Port, I was looking for help in dealing with these struggles. I decided to enrol in the six month course ‘Expanding your Personal Potential’.

I thought I had come without high expectations and it was only when I had experienced the people and the processes that I realised these unconscious expectations had actually been met.

The personal and professional skills of the staff, the authentic modalities, the companionship of my fellow journeyers, and the safety fostered by these, has opened the way to a better life. My six month experience was so useful and rich that I have continued on to the Level 1 training course.

Darryl Harper, Armidale NSW


Now is your time! Where do you go, who do you talk to, what do you do when your life is full of aggression and indifference towards everyone?

My life, though half over, has just begun. Thanks to my journey at the Port, I have softened my heart, opened my eyes and turned listlessness into a joy for living. Breathwork, dream therapy, voice dialogue, sandplay, I had never heard of these magical healing modalities until the Port and its amazing staff showed me. I recommend that all men forget their fears, and awaken into a new way of living and being on planet Earth.

Ian Willey, 56 years


My time at the Port has been an exciting journey of self discovery. This has been made possible by the incredible support given to me by staff and fellow students. I now experience a greater authenticity and depth in my life which has enabled me to have a greater understanding of myself and others. My participation in the courses has been a really enriching life experience.

Pauline Mathews, Level 3 trainee


The first time I saw the Portiuncula brochures, I thought that’s right up my alley but I felt it was a bit expensive. The next year when the brochures came I just knew I had to do the course so I prayed "God if you look after the finances, I will do the course". Consequently the finances have always been met and I am now in my third year of training. I also realised that by comparison to a university course of $10,000 to $25,000 a year, the Port at $5,000 is very inexpensive.

My marriage had broken down and I did not want to become bitter and twisted as I saw many others had become; I wanted to be healed. I also wanted to eventually help others who had been through the same situation. At the time I was at university studying psychology and I had discovered that the course was all about statistics, not about how to counsel people. I wanted a course that would help me to heal and grow and expand my potential as well as teach me some counselling skills.

This course has given me a self esteem I would not have dreamed of. It has given me a confidence in who I am as a person. I now have the confidence to work and counsel people and I love my life.

Isla Turner , Level 3 trainee


I am currently in Level 1 training and have achieved a great sense of growth within myself that I never thought possible. A lot of what I have experienced is not easily put into words, only by experiencing can you really understand. I feel very privileged that I am doing something I believe in and am very passionate about. The atmosphere at The Port is truly inspiring and the amount of support you receive from people within the course and facilitators is fantastic.

Julie Baker


Some parts of my life were not working very well. I found I was getting distressed with my friends and colleagues for no apparent reason. People were avoiding me. I began the six month course and found it so beneficial that I continued into level one training. Through this work, I have come to see the parts of me that were causing problems. I now have some simple tools to bring about change.

These days I am really enjoying my work and I appreciate my friends much more. My business partner said to me "I don't know what you are doing in your course, but if it is making you like this then keep doing it."

Lindsay Teychenne, Level 1 trainee


Having completed the program ‘Expanding your Personal Potential’, I am amazed at what it has done for me. I studied various self improvement techniques for years but nothing can compare to the modalities the Port has to offer. I'm always surprised every time I attend the Port at the new things on offer and what I learn about myself. It surely is a treasure trove and I love the place. I can recommend the Port to everyone who is looking for something more.

Yvonne Killeen


I have barely begun my journey at "The Port" but I am already feeling the benefits. Long-standing knots are subtly loosening; I'm walking taller and feeling more energetic and optimistic. The Portiuncula provides a wonderfully supportive environment for self-discovery and healing; it is fast becoming my second family!

A participant in our six month program


As a result of childhood experiences, I shut down emotionally and withdrew from relationships. The courses at The Portiuncula have allowed me to heal, to trust and to love as if there was no yesterday. I am taking lots of first steps, doing lots of first things and I'm nearly 50! Thanks to Pat and her staff and the wonderful people I journey with.

Debbii Chandler, Caboolture, Qld


There have been many gifts from my training at the Portiuncula. One of these gifts has been acknowledging and letting go of my fears and in turn embracing my heart and my future again. The Port has truly been one of life’s gifts and I salute Pat and her team for this unique and nurturing experience.

Suzanne Doyle, Level 3 trainee


I came to the Portiuncula looking for teachers and teaching but I found much more. The Port showed me how to find all the answers to my questions inside myself. Diverse methods are used to supporting me in finding the wisdom within myself. I gained so much from each teacher, method, class mate and from my own self reflection. I found that it is a safe place to open my heart, to cure my wounds and to listen to myself. The journey has not been easy but worth much more than I could ever have imagined.

Clotilde Lachat-Monney, Brisbane, completed “Expanding your Personal Potential” program


The Port has been just that for me A PORT. When I first arrived there, like most people I had struggled through some ‘stormy emotional times’. I felt tired, drained and almost without hope of finding the peace and joy of life that I once believed I could achieve if I just tried hard enough. Here I am encouraged to get to know myself and to be me. I discovered it was OK to be me just as I was. With the warmth of that acceptance I gradually started to discover that my dreams for a more fulfilling life were possible. Today I am feeling energised, hopeful and even contented.

Michele Clear, Brisbane, Level 3 trainee