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Our Work

Holistic Biography Work is the initiative of Karl-Heinz Finke and Laura Summerfield.

Our goal is to support the development of a holistic approach to Biography Work through training, mentoring and collegial gatherings, and through the ongoing development of tools, resources and courses.
We aim to work with a multicultural sensitivity, making room for different philosophies, spiritual backgrounds and traditions.

We are supported by a growing Network of colleagues, some of whom are willing to provide sessions as Biographical Consultants. Some are group-guides in our online, real-time group-work sessions. Altogether, we speak 9 different languages, with English being our lingua franca.

We offer a systematic, creative and practical framework for understanding life stories, human biographies.
We create courses and resources that we share globally, including free resources.
We use a holistic approach, recognising the spiritual dimension of the human life journey.
We are based in Australia, but maintain links with Germany, India and Taiwan.

Where to begin?

Our Biography Log-Book provides a self-guided exploration into a life story. Use it for your own self-reflection, create a life overview, or use it as a guide to assist someone else with their life story. It contains helpful information, charts, questions, and activities.
A Companion Guide is available for those who would like assistance whilst working with the Log-book.

You may enrol for our Take Charge – Foundation Course at any time. The Learning Pack provides a good introduction to both Biography Work and Anthroposophy, and is a good start for study in our other courses. It includes: a Study Guide, video lectures, a personalised copy of our Biography Log-book (with helpful dates calculated for your life journey) and all learning materials. If you join the online group-work sessions and do the Entire Course, you will gain maximum benefit, but this is optional. The Foundation Course (entire course) is the pre-requisite for our Online Training Program.

Subscribe further down to our monthly newsletter – keep up-to-date with our courses and resources.

Training Information

Table of Training Modules with dates and fees

Content details for each module

Downloads
– Training Program Summary
– Training Handbook

Trainers & Mentors

Karl-Heinz Finke

  • Born in Germany in 1955, with many years of work internationally while based in Berlin.
  • An active Trainer and Consultant in Holistic Biography Work for over 30 years.
  • Has completed nearly thirty 3-year cycles of Training world-wide, with current work Online.
  • His teachers in Biography Work and Adult Education have included Gudrun Burkhard (1992-1997), Coenraad van Houten (1989-2005) and Helmuth ten Siethoff (1994-1995).
  • Is widely read in Philosophy (including Anthroposophy), Humanistic Psychology and the Social Sciences.
  • Was licensed by Health Department, Berlin as a (Non-medical) Practitioner Psychotherapy, 2008.
  • Travelled regularly for 16 years training Consultants in Biography Work – including in Germany, Hungary, UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Thailand and Taiwan.
  • Now works with Laura Summerfield, his partner in life and work, to make their Holistic Biography Work practical and accessible world-wide.
  • Their work together is visible on this website, and in the resources that they create.
  • Their introductory text – the Biography Log-book – has so far been translated into: Hungarian, German, French, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Japanese, Traditional Mandarin, and simplified Chinese.
  • Mentors graduates of Training Programs to be able to run their own courses and trainings.
  • Is now based in Australia, but maintains his links to Germany.
Karl-Heinz Finke
Karl-Heinz Finke

Laura Summerfield

  • Born in the Netherlands in 1953, migrating to Australia at the age of 6 years.
  • Assists Karl-Heinz to create resources, deliver courses and support participants.
  • Completed tertiary education (Psychology and Education) in Australia.
  • Post-graduate qualifications in Education from University of New England – Graduate Diploma in Education and Master of Education (Steiner Education) – 1995-1997.
  • Worked as a registered Psychologist in Australia, in private practice and in community, health and educational settings (both tertiary and secondary). Counselling all ages with a range of challenges – 2005-2020.
  • Completed the 3-year Biography Training with Karl-Heinz, 2005-2007, and received mentoring 2015-2020.
  • Uses the framework of Biography Work and its picture of human development successfully in counselling work, and in work as a Biography Consultant.
  • Has an additional background in the arts, particularly folk/acoustic music, and sets verses (including those by Steiner) to music. Sings these verses as part of her spiritual practice.
  • Enjoys an active working life in this ‘final’ phase in her biography that draws together many threads – research, reading, writing, listening, travelling, singing.
  • Is enjoying life as a wife, mother and grandmother with 7 grand-children, happily based with Karl-Heinz in Canberra, Australia.
Laura Summerfield
Laura Summerfield

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