Biography work

Biography work based on anthroposophy is a special form of biography work that can be characterized in general terms as follows:

„Based on a holistic view of the human being, biography work is a structured form of self-reflection in a professional setting in which work is done on and with one’s biography. Guided reflection on the past serves to understand the present and shape the future. By embedding one’s individual life story in the social and historical context, new perspectives are opened and potential for action expanded.“ (Lit.: Miethe, p. 24)

What is biography work based on anthroposophy?

The course of human life is the starting point of biography work. In every human life there are experiences, events and crises that give rise to questions about relationships and meaning.

Anthroposophical biography work begins with people's current questions and is guided by them. It accompanies and supports the individual path of development. Biography work can contribute to the development of a questioning and open attitude towards one's own biography and thus to consciously feel, recognize and acknowledge interrelationships. This creates the basis for a freer shaping of one's own future. Biography work on an anthroposophical basis makes it possible to lay bare how biographical rhythms and principles act on the course of life, beyond the individual, and how one's own biography is embedded in general human development. In this way, biographical experiences can be better understood. In recognizing that which wants to develop, one can shape life more consciously.

Moreover, there are experiences and events in the course of human life whose causes or effects cannot be found within one earthly existence. From an anthroposophical view of humanity and of the world, biography work understands the course of life as the development of human individuality through a long path of past and future interrelated incarnations. Anthroposophy speaks here of reincarnation and karma. Karma reveals itself as a life principle and is triggered by the human being himself in what he does and does not do. It is the effect of the forces of one's attitudes and actions which man encounters as fate in later times and in further lives on earth. Biography work wants to support the human being to become a self-confident and free creator of his destiny.

Biography work - an independent discipline

Biography work as a profession has a general human orientation and does not belong to any existing discipline. Biographical aspects are also dealt with in medical, psychotherapeutic, pastoral, educational, social fields of work and in other therapeutic professions as well as in university biographical research; each of these disciplines has its own focus. The fundamentally new approach of placing the entire human biography at the centre of interest is the concern of biography work as a profession. It is therefore a discipline in its own right.

The working method

The questions raised by the client form the living point of entry into biography work. Individual biography work focuses on specific personal questions.

In biography courses and seminars, the focus is on basic biographical topics such as biographical rhythms, life’s regularities, relationships, career issues and others. They are concretised through practical exercises and can be deepened through personal experiences. The working method is fundamentally phenomenological. This means that the events and experiences are not evaluated and not interpreted, but rather, they are read.

This requires impartiality. Impartiality is more than freedom from sympathy and antipathy. It is at the same time an inner freedom resulting from the work on one's own biography and continuous self-training.

Biography work takes place through the living encounter between people. This calls for goodwill and strives towards a shared process of social warming. At the same time, a healthy ability to distance oneself is fundamentally important for the joint work.

Further fields of activity

With employees in organisations, institutions or companies, biographical questions specific to the profession or to a group can be worked on together, for example questions concerning teamwork and conflicts and reflection on the professional setting against the backdrop of one's own biography.

Depending on the orientation of the particular institution, biographical questions from clients, patients, trainees and students can also be worked out and dealt with.

Likewise, the "biographical" development of the institution itself can be worked out; for its further development or for certain anniversaries or founding ceremonies. Comprehensive biography work is also worthwhile in all training courses for social, pedagogical, therapeutic and artistic professions.

Requirements for professional practice

Objective reflection, self-reflection and the ability to change perspectives are required for the counselling profession. Therefore, it is recommended that, as a rule, one should not start practicing the profession before the age of 35. Appropriate education or training, self-study, continuous self-training, regular continuing education, intervision and supervision are essential to the professional practice of biography work.

Professional Trainings based on Anthroposophical Spiritual Science

International Trainers Forum ITF is the International Training Fellowship, which meets annually. It was founded in 2003 at the Goetheanum in Switzerland. This is the organ within the General Anthroposophical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum that is responsible for collegial professional exchange, as also for an intervision based evaluation and peer recognition of the curricula and certification processes of professional trainings for Biography Work based on anthroposophical spiritual science. Training members worldwide can be found here: https://www.internationaltrainersforum.com/biography-work-trainings

Worldwide Biography Conference and Vocational Community Building

In order to serve professionally active colleagues from all over the world to strengthen international networking and exchange their research and development of Biography Work with each other, the organisation of the biennial Worldwide Biography Conference WBC in 2001, 2003 and 2005 was inaugurated in collaboration with the General Anthroposophical Section GAS of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Switzerland; returning there again in 2017.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Worldwide Biography Conference WBC in the Netherlands (2007), the UK (2009, 2011, 2013), Germany (2015), Hungary (2019), Finland (2022), Japan (2024) uphold continuity of communication with the School of Spiritual Science through their regional societies as well as the Goetheanum, so as to build an international organ of collegial community, for those who strive to create a spiritual ecology which promotes the impulse of Biography Work in the spirit of ʻFreedomʼ, ʻEqualityʼ and ʻHumanityʼ working out of a living foundation of Anthroposophical Spiritual Science.

The professional association

The professional association Biography Work based on Anthroposophy e.V. was founded in Berlin in on St John’s Day 2006. Today it has more than 80 active members. The basic idea of the professional association is to give those engaged in anthroposophically oriented biography work (in Germany) the opportunity to join together and form a forum open for discussions, as well as offer professional protective space and representation of interests.

The objectives of the professional association are:

• Public relations
• Networking
• Continuing education and training
• Organization of regional and German-wide conferences for biography consultants
• Quality assurance

Publicly, the professional association wants to advocate the concerns of those engaged in biography work in Germany, insofar as they are of general interest, for example, for public relations and for the recognition of biography work as a profession. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the admission circle: aufnahme@biographiearbeit.de

Berufsvereinigung Biografiearbeit auf Grundlage der Anthroposophie e.V. c/o FORUM kreuzberg e.V. Eisenbahnstr. 21, 10997 Berlin www.biographiearbeit.de – bvba@biographiearbeit.de Kto.Nr. 4019 669 300 – BLZ 430 609 67 bei GLS-Bank Bochum

Literature

General

• Edition Biographæa®: 1. Temple of Life - Working with Life Lines https://www.biographaea.com
• Edition Biographæa®: 2. Metamorphosis - Working with Life Moments https://www.biographaea.com
• Edition Biographæa®: 3. Resonance - Working with Life Decisions https://www.biographaea.com
• Ingrid Miethe: Biografiearbeit. Lehr- und Handbuch für Studium und Praxis. Juventa Verlag Weinheim und München 2011, ISBN 978-3779922414

Introduction to biography work

• Burkhard, Gudrun: Das Leben in die Hand nehmen: Arbeit an der eigenen Biographie, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3772512178
• Burkhard, Gudrun: Das Leben geht weiter, Geistige Kräfte in der Biographie, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3772512496
• Burkhard, Gudrun: Freiheit im dritten Alter, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3772512569
• Flensburger Hefte: Biographiearbeit I, ISBN 3926841311, antiquarisch
• Flensburger Hefte: Biographiearbeit II, ISBN 3926841486, antiquarisch
• Glöckler, Michaela: Die Biographie des Menschen und ihre geistigen Gesetze, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 4, ISBN 3932161033
• O’Neil, George und Gisela: Der Lebenslauf: Lesen in der eigenen Biographie, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3772511899
• Pflug, Christine: Der Lebenslauf – ein Übungsweg, Soziale Hygiene Nr. 153, ISBN 3926444274
• Prinsenberg, Gabriel: Der Weg durch das Labyrinth, Oratio-Verlag, ISBN 3721406842, antiquarisch
• Reitsma, Floris Emanuel: In Harmonie mit dem Schicksal. Die Kunst der Lebensrückschau, Urachhaus, ISBN, 3825174204, antiquarisch
• Wais, Mathias: Biographie-Arbeit und Lebensberatung, Urachhaus, ISBN 387838923X

Biographical development

• Archiati, Pietro: Kunstwerk Biografie, Archiati-Verlag, ISBN 393707807X
• Hofmeister, Susanne, Dr.med.: Mein Lebenshaus hat viele Räume. Die eigene Biographie verstehen und dem inneren Ruf folgen, Kösel-Verlag, ISBN 978-3466347186
• Hofmeister, Susanne, Dr.med.: Wo stehe ich und wo geht’s jetzt hin? Wie Sie den roten Faden im Leben finden, GU Verlag, ISBN-13: 978-3-8338-4043-2
• Hinrichsen, Monika: Wendepunkte. Biografie bewusst gestalten, Urachhaus Verlag, ISBN 978-3-8251-7953-3
• Lievegoed: Entwicklungsphasen des Kindes, J. Ch. Mellinger, ISBN 3880691231
• Köhler, Henning: Das biographische Urphänomen, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 13, ISBN 3932161130
• Schnurre, Rainer: Künstlerische Biografie-Arbeit 1: Ein kreativer Ansatz zum Lesen-Lernen der eigenen Biografie. Eine praktische Anleitung zum Selbst-Erlernen, Verlag Ch. Möllmann, ISBN 978-3899790979
• Schnurre, Rainer: Künstlerische Biografie-Arbeit 2: Das Schicksal in die eigene Hand nehmen, Verlag Ch. Möllmann, ISBN 978-3899790979
• Schnurre, Rainer: Künstlerische Biografie-Arbeit 3: Grundthemen der Biografie, Verlag Ch. Möllmann, ISBN 978-3899792164
• Seyffer, Walter: Aufbruch in die Spiegelwelt. Eine Anleitung zum Finden und Lösen biographischer Rätsel, Info3 Verlag, ISBN 978-3957790989
• Seyffer, Walter: Helden für ein Leben, Info3 Verlag, ISBN 978-3-924391-59-1
• Steiner, Rudolf: Vom Lebenslauf des Menschen, Themen aus dem Gesamtwerk Band 4, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 978-3772521041
• Steiner, Rudolf: Die Erziehung des Kindes vom Gesichtspunkte der Geisteswissenschaft, Rudolf Steiner Verlag, ISBN 9783727453991
• Treichler, Rudolf: Die Entwicklung der Seele im Lebenslauf, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3772512755
• Wais, Mathias: Ich bin, was ich werden könnte, Entwicklungschancen des Lebenslaufs, Meyer, ISBN 3932386507
• Woitsch, Ingeborg: Bilder des Schicksals. Albert Steffens „Kleine Mythen“- Impulse für die Arbeit an der eigenen Biografie, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3772515819

Biography work and profession

• Brater, Michael: Beruf und Biographie, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 17, ISBN 3932161173
• Van der Brug, Jos / Locher, Kees: Unternehmen Lebenslauf, Urachhaus, ISBN 3825171221

Biography work and crises

• Glöckler, Michaela: Lebenskrisen als Zukunftschancen, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 1, ISBN 3932161009
• Lievegoed: Lebenskrisen, Lebenschancen, Kösel, ISBN 3466344425
• Schneider, Johannes. W: Vom Sinn und Wert der Lebenskrisen, Verlag am Goetheanum, ISBN 3723510167
• Wehr, Gerhard: Die Mitte des Lebens, Krise – Wandlung – Initiative, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 8, ISBN 3932161076
• Jaap van de Weg: Vom Sinn der Hindernisse. Einweihungsmotive im täglichen Leben, Urachhaus, ISBN3-8251-7259-7

Biography work and illness

• Glöckler, Michaela: Krankheit und Schicksal, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 11, ISBN 3932161114
• Treichler, Markus: Biografie und Krankheit, Urachhaus, ISBN 3825170365

Special aspects of biography

• Glöckler, Michaela: Leben vor der Geburt, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 15, ISBN 3932161157
• Glöckler, Michaela: Leben nach dem Tod, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 16, ISBN 3932161165
• Glöckler, Michaela: Vom Wirken der Engel im menschlichen Leben, Gesundheitspflege initiativ, Bd. 7, ISBN 3932161068
• Roder, Florian: Die Mondknoten im Lebenslauf, Freies Geistesleben, ISBN 3-7725-1976-8
• Schmidt-Brabant, Manfred: Das Wirken von Geistwesen in der Biographie, Verlag am Goetheanum, ISBN 3723506755

Biography work with people in care

• Kistner,Hein: LebensWege Biografiearbeit von Menschen mit Behinderung, verlag selbstbestimmtes leben, ISBN 9783945771129