GrowthCoach

Meet Your Council of Critics
2026-08-11 18:00 - 2026-08-25 17:00 UTC
A Three-Week Online Journalling Group
11–25 August 2026
Three online gatherings with gentle daily journalling prompts between sessions.

An Invitation
Most of us know the voice of the Inner Critic.
It tells us to work harder, get it right, stay in control, fit in, or never make mistakes.
Over time these voices become so familiar that we mistake them for the truth. We don’t just hear them—we become them.
One of the biggest shifts in this work is learning to see these voices rather than automatically believing them. To take what Zen practice calls the backward step—to become aware of the one who is listening.
As we begin to notice the critic, something changes.
A little space opens up.
Enough space to become curious.
Enough space to discover that these voices are not who we are.
Inspired by Freedom from Your Inner Critic by Jay Earley and Bonnie Weiss, this journey explores what I like to call the Council of Critics—an inner committee of protective parts, each convinced its strategy is the best way to keep us safe.
Rather than trying to silence these voices or get rid of them, we’ll learn to become curious about them.
Because every critic has a job.
Every critic is trying to protect you.
And every critic has a story.

Meet Your Council
Together we’ll get to know seven familiar critics:

The Perfectionist
The Driver (Taskmaster)
The Inner Controller
The Underminer
The Destroyer
The Guilt Tripper
The Chameleon

As the weeks unfold you’ll begin recognising which critics are most active in your own life, what they are trying to protect, and how they came to take on these roles.

Why Journalling?
Writing creates space.
Instead of becoming caught inside these voices, we begin relating to them differently.
Between our online gatherings you’ll receive a simple daily journalling prompt that takes around 5–10 minutes.
Not homework.
An experiment.
An opportunity to notice which critic is present, what it fears, and what happens when we respond with curiosity instead of judgement.
Together we’ll explore questions like:

Which critic has been running the meeting this week?
What is it trying to protect?
When did it first begin its job?
What happens when I simply notice rather than react?
What changes when I stop believing everything my inner critic tells me?

There are no right answers.
Only an invitation to become more aware of your inner world.

Before We Begin
Before our first gathering you’ll complete a short Inner Critic Profile (around 5–10 minutes).
The profile helps identify which members of your Council of Critics are most active and provides a starting point for your journey.

What to Expect
The journey includes:
🌿 Three live online gatherings (75 minutes each)
🌿 Gentle daily journalling prompts
🌿 A private WhatsApp group for the duration of the journey
🌿 Guided reflections inspired by Internal Family Systems (IFS)
🌿 A simple, compassionate approach to understanding your inner world
No previous journalling experience is needed.
Only a willingness to become curious.

By the End of the Journey
You’ll leave with:
🌿 A clearer map of your own Council of Critics
🌿 Greater awareness of the protective patterns beneath self-criticism
🌿 A simple journalling practice you can continue using
🌿 Practical ways of recognising when you’ve become blended with a critic
🌿 A more compassionate relationship with yourself

Journey Schedule
🌿 Opening Circle
Tuesday 11 August 2026
Meeting the Council of Critics

🌿 Middle Circle
Tuesday 18 August 2026
Listening to What the Critics Protect

🌿 Closing Circle
Tuesday 25 August 2026
Living with Greater Awareness and Choice

Session Time
South Africa (SAST)6:00–7:15 PM
Central Europe (CEST)6:00–7:15 PM
US Pacific (PDT)9:00–10:15 AM

Contribution
International
Suggested contribution US$50–100
South Africa
Suggested contribution R700–R1,000
If the suggested contribution isn’t possible, please get in touch and we’ll make a plan.

Is This Group for You?
This group is for anyone who recognises the harsh inner voice that criticises, pushes, compares, controls, or never quite lets them rest.
You don’t need to be “good” at journalling.
You don’t need to fix yourself.
You simply need a willingness to become curious about the voices inside and what they have been trying to protect.

Ready to Meet Your Council of Critics?
If this journey speaks to you, I’d love to have you join us.
Complete the registration form below to reserve your place. You’ll find contribution options, payment details, and everything you need to get started there.
Before our first gathering, I’ll send you your Inner Critic Profile along with an invitation to our temporary WhatsApp group, which we’ll use to share daily journalling prompts and stay connected for the duration of the journey.
→ Register Here

Befriending Your Inner Critic
2026-07-22 18:00 - 19:30 UTC
A Three-Part Online Journalling Journey
22 July – 5 August 2026
Three 75-minute online circles with guided journalling prompts and reflections between sessions.
An Invitation
Most of us know the voice of the Inner Critic.
It tells us to work harder, get it right, stay in control, fit in, or never make mistakes.
Over time these voices become so familiar that we mistake them for the truth.
But what if they aren’t the truth?
What becomes possible when those voices are no longer running the meeting?
Inspired by Freedom from Your Inner Critic by Jay Earley and Bonnie Weiss, this journey explores what I like to call the Council of Critics—an inner committee of protective parts, each convinced its strategy is the best way to keep us safe.
Together we’ll get to know seven familiar critics:
• The Perfectionist• The Driver (Taskmaster)• The Inner Controller• The Underminer• The Destroyer• The Guilt Tripper• The Chameleon
Rather than trying to silence these voices, we’ll become curious about them.
Because every critic has a job.
Every critic is trying to protect you.
And every critic has a story.

Why Journalling?
Writing creates space.
Instead of becoming caught inside these voices, we begin listening to them with curiosity.
Between our online circles you’ll receive gentle prompts that take just 5–10 minutes a day, helping you notice your inner patterns and build a different relationship with them.

Together we’ll explore questions like…

Which critic has been running the meeting this week?
What is it trying to protect?
When did it first begin its job?
What happens when you respond with curiosity instead of judgement?

The intention for the group is simple. It’s about becoming a little more compassionate towards ourselves, softening the harsh voices inside, and seeing what changes. I like to think of these journeys as experiments. What happens when we stop believing everything our inner critic tells us?

By the End of the Journey
You’ll leave with:
🌿 A map of your own Council of Critics
🌿 A simple journalling practice to continue
🌿 Greater awareness of the protective patterns behind self-criticism
🌿 A more compassionate relationship with yourself

Session Times
🇿🇦 South Africa (SAST): 6:00–7:15 PM
🇪🇺 Central Europe (CEST): 6:00–7:15 PM
🇺🇸 US Pacific (PDT): 9:00–10:15 AM
Dates
22 July
29 July
5 August

Contribution
Suggested contribution is US$50–100, allowing everyone to participate according to their means.
Suggested South African rate R 700 – R 1000.
Ready to meet your Council of Critics?
Complete the registration form below, and I’ll be in touch with everything you need before we begin.
Once I receive your registration, I’ll send you payment details along with everything you’ll need before our first circle.
→ Register Here

Parts on Paper Journalling Circle: The Embodied Dreamer
2026-01-21 19:00 - 2026-01-28 19:00 UTC
Dates: 21–28 January 2026Format: Two 60-minute online connection circles (opening and closing), plus daily prompts for 7 days
An Invitation
Step into a week-long journey to meet the Dreamer in you. Over 7 days, you’ll receive a daily prompt and one page to write, draw, or both — a gentle, no-pressure space to explore your imagination, curiosity, and inner life.
The prompts invite you to meet the parts of yourself that are afraid to dream, step into the future you imagine, and notice your life with fresh eyes. You’ll reflect on what matters most, what your soul longs for, and what moves you closer to — or further from — living in that direction.
In any given moment, it’s easy to get caught up in doing what feels urgent rather than what truly nourishes the Dreamer inside. This circle is about identifying the small practices, habits, or moments that help you move toward your dreams. For me, ice bathing a few times a week, journaling, play, swimming, and other daily rituals keep the Dreamer alive. One of my bigger dreams this year is a vibrant vegetable garden, and eating more from it.
This is about simple, embodied dreaming — not grand-scale or unrealistic visions, but what is achievable for the Dreamer in you: a stretch, but not beyond your capacity. We’ll also explore the dreams that scare us, the ones we long for deeply, that we may feel too afraid to pursue.
We’ll open and close the week with 60-minute connection sessions, holding space for reflection, sharing, and collective inspiration.
Circle Times: 21 and 28 January @ 7–8 PM SA time / 9–10 AM Pacific
Contribution
This circle runs on a donation basis, suggested $25–$50, so that everyone can participate according to their means.
If this speaks to you, you are warmly invited to join.

Register here and we’ll add you to the circle!

Sankofa Journey 2025
2025-12-10 18:00 - 2025-12-22 18:00 UTC
🌿 Sankofa Journey 2025
Looking back, to move forward.
🗓️ 10th – 22nd December
Online journaling journey with 3 connection circles on Zoom

✨ Why look back to move forward?
Because what we don’t digest, we carry.
Sankofa reminds us to go back and fetch what we forgot —
the wisdom, the ache, the gratitude — so we can step into the new year lighter and more whole.
When we come together in a circle to write, reflect, and witness each other, something alchemical happens.
Stories soften. Insights surface.
The past begins to loosen its hold, and we can receive it as strength.
This is the magic of Sankofa — retrieving what was left behind,
so we can walk forward with more truth, clarity, and grace.

🪶 The Practice
Over 14 days, you’ll be guided through a reflective writing process inspired by
The Artist’s Way (Julia Cameron).
Each day you’ll write three pages — free, unfiltered, alive.
From those pages, you’ll distill a paragraph, then a single sentence — your guiding thread for 2026.
We’ll meet for three live Zoom circles to share, connect, and deepen the process together:
🕖 10th, 17th & 22nd December
9 am Pacific time/ 6 pm South African time ( 75 min sessions)
(Approx. 75 minutes each)
This practice is a sacred pause — a way to reflect, digest, and retrieve the hidden wisdom of the year gone by.
When we gather, a quiet magic happens — we help each other to remember through our stories and experiences.
“I wholeheartedly recommend Ryan’s journaling groups. I’ve participated twice, and it’s an experience that is both enriching and deeply fulfilling.” Ioana

🌸 Contribution
Suggested donation: $50
(You’re welcome to contribute according to your means.)
💳 PayPal: ryanklette@gmail.com
🏦 Bank transfer: Ryan Klette — FNB 6201 288 0838 (cheque account)
To join, simply message +27 82 552 0619 or email
ryanklette@gmail.com, and you’ll be added to the group.

🌍 Meaning of Sankofa
Sankofa is a Ghanaian word and Adinkra symbol of a bird flying forward while looking back.
It means “to go back and fetch it.”
It invites us to reclaim what was lost or forgotten — the experiences, lessons, and inner truths that allow us
to step into the future with greater wholeness and self-awareness.

🕊 Sankofa 2025
Reflection • Writing • Connection
Together we remember, and carry the wisdom forward.

✍️ Thresholds - A 3-week online IFS journaling journey
2025-10-19 18:00 - 2025-11-10 19:30 UTC
Thresholds — A 3-week online IFS journaling journey | October 2025
We all know that pull: the part of us that says “I don’t want to go” and the part that longs to step forward. Thresholds live in that tension — between endings and beginnings, between holding back and stepping into what’s next.
This program is about levelling up and stepping forward in your life — whether in love, lifestyle, career, or physical, mental, and spiritual health.
This program was created with my wife, Leeane, and together we’ll hold the space as a team.For more than a decade, our work has been about gathering people — weaving safe spaces where we become medicine for one another. Rooted in the spirit of Ubuntu, we believe healing happens in connection — we go further together.
Ryan is Level 2 IFS-trained and has worked with the model for four years, integrating it with journaling and group process.

✨ At a Glance

Program: Thresholds — A 3-week IFS Journaling Journey
Dates: October 19 – November 10, 2025
Live Calls: Saturdays, 6:00 PM South Africa / 9:00 AM Pacific Time
Format: Online via Zoom (3 live sessions + journaling prompts)
Cost: $50 (sliding scale $30–$70)
Group Size: Limited to 8 participants
Registration: Click here to register
Contact: 📧 ryanklette@gmail.com |
📱 WhatsApp

What participants shared from the last course (Belonging & Roots):

“I’ve been searching to belong most of my life, but realised I was unconsciously resisting it. Through Ryan’s process, I discovered why – and suddenly could write freely about it. This has been a significant step on my belonging journey.”

“I realised that more often than not people accept me and there are many places I belong. Any feelings of rejection, scorn and hurt are rooted in my sense of shame. People accept me and even like and love me just as I am.”

“I found the Parts on Paper – Belonging & Roots group transformational. Ryan’s guidance along with insights from the other members and the daily writing allowed some previously very rigid parts in me to shift which in turn directly resulted in an increased sense of acceptance and immediate improvement in my close relationships.” 🙏 — Nels
“It was a safe place to connect with Ryan and the other members. I really enjoyed the fact that not everyone was on the same page (pun intended) but still everything weaved in organically so that each person could explore, listen, respect, honour, and grow — individually and together.I strongly recommend anyone to experience this amazing space with Ryan.” — Sajeda

What is this?
A 3-week guided journaling and group process to explore thresholds — in yourself, your relationships, your work, your lineage, and the wider world.
Whether you’re standing at a small everyday threshold or a major life transition, this space is for checking in with what holds you back, what calls you forward, and how you want to cross with more awareness.

Who is this for?

Anyone curious about inner parts and emotional patterns
Journaling as a path of self-reflection
Group process and deeper inner work
Cultivating clarity and connection during times of change

No prior experience in IFS or constellations needed — just a willingness to reflect.

How it works
Three live Zoom sessions (1 per week). These are check-ins and sharing circles — you share what you feel comfortable with. The group creates a supportive container, reminding us we are not alone. Being witnessed makes it possible to shift and grow in the ways we need. Sometimes we’ll explore themes through constellation-inspired exercises.
Journaling prompts every 3–4 days (IFS-inspired inner listening) + encouragement to keep a daily practice of morning pages.
IFS = Internal Family Systems: a gentle way of exploring your inner world by listening to different “parts” of yourself.
Can’t make the weekly group calls? Don’t worry — I’ll be recording short video summaries each week, and you’re welcome to check in with me independently. You’ll still receive the journaling prompts and be able to move through the process at your own pace.

We’ll explore
Week 1: Holding Back — listening to what resists and what needs to be honoured.
Week 2: Pushing Forward — meeting the parts that strive or rush ahead.
Week 3: Breaking Through — integrating the wisdom gathered, and stepping into what’s next with clarity and intention.

📅 Dates & Times
Dates: October 19 – November 10, 2025
Live calls: Sundays, 6:00 PM South Africa / 9:00 AM Pacific Time

💬 Booking
Cost: $50 (sliding scale $30–$70).
Group Size: Limited to 8 participants.
Registration: Click here to register
To join or ask questions, contact Ryan:
📧 ryanklette@gmail.com
📱 +27 82 552 0619

🌿 About the Facilitators
Ryan and Leeane have been working together in the fields of psychology, healing, and group facilitation for over a decade.
Ryan (MA Psychology, Wits) draws from Internal Family Systems (IFS), the Enneagram, and Family Constellations to help people meet themselves with awareness and compassion. His work blends psychology, journaling, and group process to create spaces for genuine reflection and growth.
Leeane brings over twenty years of experience in health and wellness—integrating counselling, bodywork, herbal medicine, and Family Constellations. Her approach is intuitive and heart-centred, rooted in the understanding that healing happens in community. A Sun Dancer and sweat lodge holder for over two decades, Leeane carries a deep connection to ceremony and the Earth. The sweat lodge, she says, represents a womb space—a place to return, listen, and meet the parts of ourselves we’ve kept in the dark.
Together, they create safe, embodied spaces where people can be medicine for one another. Guided by the spirit of Ubuntu, they believe we go further together.

Parts on Paper: A Check-In on Belonging
2025-09-05 09:00 - 2025-09-26 17:00 UTC
Foundations: A Check-In on BelongingA 3-week online IFS journaling journey | September 2025

You think of foundations as fixed. But everything we build on—our roles, identities, relationships—is in motion. This is an invitation to pause, listen, and reconnect with this theme of belonging and your relationship with your sense of rootedness.

What Participants shared from the July course:“I’ve been searching to belong most of my life, but realised I was unconsciously resisting it. Through Ryan’s process, I discovered why – and suddenly could write freely about it. This has been a significant step on my belonging journey.”
“I realised that more often than not people accept me and there are many places I belong. Any feelings of rejection, scorn and hurt are rooted in my sense of shame. People accept me and even like and love me just as I am.”
“I found the Parts on Pages – Belonging & Roots group transformational. Ryan’s guidance along with insights from the other members and the daily writing allowed some previously very rigid parts in me to shift which in turn directly resulted in an increased sense of acceptance and immediate improvement in my close relationships.”

What is this?A 3-week guided journaling and group process to reflect on your sense of belonging and foundation—in yourself, your relationships, your lineage, and the wider world.Whether you’re feeling uprooted, in transition, or simply seeking clarity, this space is for checking in with what you truly rely on—and where you might want to allow more (or less) belonging.

How it works:Three live Zoom sessions (1 per week). These are check-ins and sharing sessions—you share what you feel comfortable to share. These sessions give the sense of supportive container, that we’re all in it together. Many people are surprised to discover how they are not alone in their experiences. We are witnessed in our stories and the witnessing makes it possible to change and grow in the ways we need. Sometimes we’ll explore themes through constellation work.
Journaling prompts every 3–4 days (using IFS-inspired inner listening) and morning pages everyday.
IFS = Internal Family Systems, a gentle approach to exploring your inner world by listening to different “parts” of yourself
We’ll explore:You’ll reflect on five core areas of belonging:Self – How do you relate inwardly? Are there parts of you left out?Close Relationships – How do you experience connection (or disconnection) one-to-one?Family & Community – What is inherited, what is chosen, and how do you stand with both?Ancestry & Culture – What legacies support or shake your sense of place?The World & Spirit – How do you feel in relation to the larger whole?
This is a space to slow down and listen to the deeper movements in your life. Not to fix—but to become more aware of the stories and parts that shape your sense of rootedness.

A Note from RyanI created this offering after a period of deep personal transition. Years ago, I lost a long-standing spiritual community I had helped build. A shift in leadership and energy left me with a difficult choice—stay and compromise something vital, or leave and feel untethered.I chose to leave.That rupture shook my foundations—but it also helped me to see that belonging isn’t static. We move in and out of it. We lose it. We find it again. This course is about meeting those shifts with more awareness and compassion.

Who is this for?Anyone curious about:Inner parts and emotional patternsJournaling as a path of self-reflectionGroup process and deeper inner workCultivating clarity and connection during times of change
No prior experience in IFS needed—just a willingness to reflect.
Dates & TimesStart Date: Friday, September 5th, 2025Live calls: Fridays, 9am PST (75min)
September 5th, 12th, 19th

BookingCost: $50 or pay what you can (by donation)To join: Register at https://forms.gle/eMQrsqsopZnHWwvD9Spots are limited to keep the group small and intimate.
Questions: ryanklette@gmail.comWhatsApp: +27 82 552 0619

Parts on Paper journaling challenge
2025-07-12 19:00 - 20:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Foundations: A Check-In on Belonging
A 3-week online IFS journaling journey | Weekly constellations | July 2025
You think of foundations as fixed. But everything we build on—our roles, identities, relationships—is in motion. This is an invitation to pause, listen, and reconnect to what truly holds you.

What is this?
A 3-week guided journaling and group process to reflect on your sense of belonging and foundation—in yourself, your relationships, your lineage, and the wider world.
Whether you’re feeling uprooted, in transition, or simply seeking clarity, this space is for checking in with what you truly rely on—and where you might want to allow more (or less) belonging.

How it works

🌀 Three live Zoom sessions (1 per week)
✍️ Journaling prompts every 3–4 days (using IFS-inspired inner listening)
🌐 Weekly online group constellations to explore core themes

IFS = Internal Family Systems, a gentle approach to exploring your inner worldConstellations = experiential processes that help uncover hidden patterns in family, relationships, or culture

What we’ll explore
You’ll reflect on five core areas of belonging:

Self – How do you relate inwardly? Are there parts of you left out?
Close Relationships – How do you experience connection (or disconnection) one-to-one?
Family & Community – What is inherited, what is chosen, and how do you stand with both?
Ancestry & Culture – What legacies support or shake your sense of place?
The World & Spirit – How do you feel in relation to the larger whole?

This is a space to slow down and listen to the deeper movements in your life. Not to fix—but to become more aware of the stories and parts that shape your sense of rootedness.

Why Foundations? Why Now?
You build on foundations. But when life changes—relationships end, roles shift, systems collapse—those foundations can tremble. That shaking can bring anxiety or confusion. This process helps you trace the roots of those tremors.
Sometimes it’s enough just to see what’s there.Sometimes something deeper wants to speak.Sometimes, we can do something to help.
We’ll ask:

How are my foundations, really?What beliefs, relationships, or roles have I been standing on? Are they still true?
Where do I feel belonging—and where might I allow more?Where am I seen, safe, and part of something real? Where am I holding back?
What have I outgrown?What roles or identities no longer fit? What can I release to make space for what’s next?

A Note from Ryan
I created this offering after a period of deep personal transition. Years ago, I lost a long-standing spiritual community I had helped build. A shift in leadership and energy left me with a difficult choice—stay and compromise something vital, or leave and feel untethered.
I chose to leave.
That rupture shook my foundations—but it also showed me this: belonging isn’t static. We move in and out of it. We lose it. We find it again. This course is about meeting those shifts with more awareness and compassion.

Who is this for?
Anyone curious about:

Inner parts and emotional patterns
Journaling as a path of self-reflection
Group process and deeper inner work
Cultivating clarity and connection during times of change

No prior experience in IFS or constellations needed—just a willingness to reflect.

📅 Dates & Times
Start Date: Saturday, 12th July 2025Live calls: Saturdays, 10 AM PST

💬 Booking
Cost: $50 or pay what you can (by donation).
Spots are limited to keep the group small and intimate.To join, contact Ryan:📧 ryanklette@gmail.com📱 WhatsApp: +27 82 552 0619
Participant experience:
…my recent experience of participating in Ryan’s IFS short journaling group was a great place for me to revisit and recommit to my writing practice. As someone who usually shies away from this type of self reflection, I found this an incredibly supportive experience within a small group ably guided and prompted by Ryan’s observations both in our group zooms and written material to read on Substack. An additional bonus for me was having some Enneagram chat within our sharing – this really helped me pull together my enneagram learnings from decades back and use it to help my current IFS experience.
Huge appreciation to Ryan and my work group ✨
Rosie G

🌱 Foundations: A Check-In on Belonging
2025-06-30 18:00 - 20:00 UTC
🌱 Foundations: A Check-In on Belonging
A 3-week online IFS journaling journey | Weekly constellations | July 2025
You think of foundations as fixed. But everything we build on—our roles, identities, relationships—is in motion. This is an invitation to pause, listen, and reconnect to what truly holds you.

What is this?
A 3-week guided journaling and group process to reflect on your sense of belonging and foundation—in yourself, your relationships, your lineage, and the wider world.
Whether you’re feeling uprooted, in transition, or simply seeking clarity, this space is for checking in with what you truly rely on—and where you might want to allow more (or less) belonging.

How it works

🌀 Three live Zoom sessions (1 per week)
✍️ Journaling prompts every 3–4 days (using IFS-inspired inner listening)
🌐 Weekly online group constellations to explore core themes

IFS = Internal Family Systems, a gentle approach to exploring your inner worldConstellations = experiential processes that help uncover hidden patterns in family, relationships, or culture

What we’ll explore
You’ll reflect on five core areas of belonging:

Self – How do you relate inwardly? Are there parts of you left out?
Close Relationships – How do you experience connection (or disconnection) one-to-one?
Family & Community – What is inherited, what is chosen, and how do you stand with both?
Ancestry & Culture – What legacies support or shake your sense of place?
The World & Spirit – How do you feel in relation to the larger whole?

This is a space to slow down and listen to the deeper movements in your life. Not to fix—but to become more aware of the stories and parts that shape your sense of rootedness.

Why Foundations? Why Now?
You build on foundations. But when life changes—relationships end, roles shift, systems collapse—those foundations can tremble. That shaking can bring anxiety or confusion. This process helps you trace the roots of those tremors.
Sometimes it’s enough just to see what’s there.Sometimes something deeper wants to speak.Sometimes, we can do something to help.
We’ll ask:

How are my foundations, really?What beliefs, relationships, or roles have I been standing on? Are they still true?
Where do I feel belonging—and where might I allow more?Where am I seen, safe, and part of something real? Where am I holding back?
What have I outgrown?What roles or identities no longer fit? What can I release to make space for what’s next?

A Note from Ryan
I created this offering after a period of deep personal transition. Years ago, I lost a long-standing spiritual community I had helped build. A shift in leadership and energy left me with a difficult choice—stay and compromise something vital, or leave and feel untethered.
I chose to leave.
That rupture shook my foundations—but it also showed me this: belonging isn’t static. We move in and out of it. We lose it. We find it again. This course is about meeting those shifts with more awareness and compassion.

Who is this for?
Anyone curious about:

Inner parts and emotional patterns
Journaling as a path of self-reflection
Group process and deeper inner work
Cultivating clarity and connection during times of change

No prior experience in IFS or constellations needed—just a willingness to reflect.

📅 Dates & Times
Start Date: Monday, 30 June 2025Live calls: Mondays, 6–8 PM SAST (South Africa time) Im opening an additional group for US time zones. 👉 Click here to convert to your time zone
2nd Start Date: Saturday 5th for PST time zone @ 8:30 am.

💬 Booking
Cost: $50 or pay what you can (by donation).
Spots are limited to keep the group small and intimate.To join, contact Ryan:📧 ryanklette@gmail.com📱 WhatsApp: +27 82 552 0619
Participant experience:
…my recent experience of participating in Ryan’s IFS short journaling group was a great place for me to revisit and recommit to my writing practice. As someone who usually shies away from this type of self reflection, I found this an incredibly supportive experience within a small group ably guided and prompted by Ryan’s observations both in our group zooms and written material to read on Substack. An additional bonus for me was having some Enneagram chat within our sharing – this really helped me pull together my enneagram learnings from decades back and use it to help my current IFS experience.
Huge appreciation to Ryan and my work group ✨
Rosie G

Sankofa Journey - 2025
2024-12-11 18:00 - 2024-12-22 19:30 UTC
Sankofa – 2025
Sankofa teaches us to look backward in order to move forward. Why is it so vital to reflect on the past?
The short answer: we carry the past with us if we don’t properly digest it.
Our most creative and empowered response to life comes from acknowledging and digesting what lies behind us—the difficulties and despair, as well as the joys, connections, and gratitudes. This process is about giving yourself the time and space to truly listen to what the year has meant for you.
Reflection isn’t just a mental exercise; it’s about connecting with the body too. We hold the past in our physical being, often without realising it. By observing what we’ve taken from our experiences and the meanings we’ve attached to them, we find a better relationship with them. We can hold them in a different way. This allows us to transform challenges into resources that strengthen our sense of who we are and what matters most.
Sankofa is a Ghanaian symbol represented as a bird flying forward while looking backward. It means “to go back and fetch it,” reminding us of the power in reclaiming lessons from the past. It encourages us to honour our history and carry its wisdom forward, creating a better future rooted in self-awareness and connection to our origins.
We all have blind spots—patterns we can’t see in ourselves but easily recognise in others. Imagine if someone close to you sincerely asked, “What do you think I don’t see in myself?” or “Where do you think I miss the mark?” You’d likely have plenty of answers. This reflection is an invitation to ask those questions inwardly, to notice the unseen aspects of your own life.
Amidst turbulent times, what will next year be for you? Stepping into the future in a meaningful way depends on this reconciling of the past. So that we can say for the hard, even impossible experience—I Accept. The willingness to keep making peace with what has been is what gives us the fuel and wisdom to make something new from it.
The Process in simple terms:
14 days of writing—three pages a day following Julia Camerons morning pages approach. 42 pages in total. From these pages, you’ll distill a single paragraph, then a single sentence. This sentence becomes your guiding companion for 2026.
3 group sessions/ connection circles on zoom (11th, 18th and 22nd December).
Times: each session runs for approx. 75 min @ 6 pm SA time (GMT + 2) / 4 pm UK time.
This practice is a sacred pause—a moment to reflect, digest, and retrieve the egg of wisdom that lies hidden in the corners of the past. As we practice together, we also help each other to remember. We walk each other home.
Suggested donation: $50 (feel welcome to contribute according to your means).
PayPal: ryanklette@gmail.com
Bank transfer: Ryan Klette, FNB 6201 288 0838, cheque account.
Also, feel free to email or text me with any questions: +27 82 552 0619. To book your place, just pop me a message and I will add you to the group.

feedback from recent group:
…my recent experience of participating in Ryan’s IFS short journaling group was a great place for me to revisit and recommit to my writing practice. As someone who usually shies away from this type of self reflection, I found this an incredibly supportive experience within a small group ably guided and prompted by Ryan’s observations both in our group zooms and written material to read on Substack. An additional bonus for me was having some Enneagram chat within our sharing – this really helped me pull together my enneagram learnings from decades back and use it to help my current IFS experience.
Huge appreciation to Ryan and my work group ✨
Rosie G

Parts and Perspectives Journalling challenge
2024-09-26 18:00 - 2024-10-10 17:00 UTC
This 3-week exploration will be light in nature, yet aim to reach deep. I’ll share ideas on how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model can be used with the Enneagram map of personality. My intention is to give you a few extra tools that can enrich your experience of IFS with your clients and yourself.
While IFS gives you the tools of how to hold parts, the Enneagram tells you where to look once you have a sense of your type. It’s important to hold a typing tool without “boxing” a person. But we can definitely see broader patterns of personality. Where the Enneagram is so powerful is it speaks to motivational factors rather than behaviour alone. The Enneagram offers us 9 types of personality patterns, each with distinct managing styles, defences, and attachment wounding (exiles). It’s incredibly compatible with IFS.
For instance, let’s say your client is Type 1 on the Enneagram. Ones are known for their focus on perfection and high standards. In IFS terms, a Type 1’s Manager part might manifest as a strict, self-critical voice driven by a fear of being corrupt or defective. This Manager part may seek to enforce high standards and prevent mistakes to avoid judgment or failure. By using the Enneagram to understand these motivations and fears, we can help clients recognise broader patterns in personality and contextualise parts.

Each week, we’ll unpack one of the core concepts from IFS and use the Enneagram to enrich the territory. Week 1: Managers, Nine manager strategies and social styles. Based on the Hornevian approach to social dynamics – i.e. how we try to get what we want. Week 2: Protectors and Nine defensive strategies – i.e. when we don’t get what we want, conflict styles. Week 3: Nine origin wounds of the Enneagram.
I will provide thought-provoking prompts to get us started each week, but the writing itself will be open-ended, allowing space for personal exploration and insight.
There will be three Zoom meetings where we can share our experiences as we go. The dates are September 26th, October 3rd, and October 10th, 2024. We will find times that work for everyone in the group. The specific meeting times will be determined based on participants’ time zones, and we’ll use a scheduling tool to accommodate different time zones.
This course is designed for therapists and coaches with an understanding of IFS. However, if you’re new to either model, don’t worry – we’ll provide resources to help you get up to speed.
By the end of this course, participants can expect to:

Gain a deeper understanding of how IFS and the Enneagram complement each other
Learn practical strategies for applying these integrated insights in personal growth or client work
Develop a more nuanced perspective on personality patterns and internal dynamics

This course is offered on a donation basis. Proceeds will go towards funding my IFS Level 2 training in October. The suggested contribution range is:

R500 – R1000 (South African Rand)
$25 – $50 (US Dollars)

To join, simply send me a message here to say you are in!

Parts on Paper: An IFS Journalling Challenge
2024-09-04 19:00 - 2024-09-25 00:00 UTC
This 3-week exploration will be light in nature, yet aim to reach deep. We’ll investigate a single, simple theme from the Zen Buddhist tradition through multiple perspectives, intertwining it with the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model.
The guiding statement is: “No vain cloud in the mind, and for you it is a good season.”
While this Zen teaching offers clarity, we’ll acknowledge that our minds are often filled with thoughts that can cloud our view and distort our life experience. Through writing, we’ll create a safe, brave space to coax our shy muses out of hiding and dive into memories we may have long exiled.
I’m excited to embark on this journey of self-discovery alongside everyone who joins. Though I will guide the group, I will be just as much a participant as each of you. After all, one of the best tools for knowing ourselves better is the practice of open, free-flowing writing.

What is IFS ? IFS is a transformative therapeutic approach that views the mind as naturally multiple, with each of our inner parts having positive intentions for us. IFS integrates my lifelong passions – spirituality and psychology – by treating the mind with the intelligence that lies beyond it.

Each week, we’ll unpack one of the core concepts from IFS therapy:
Week 1: How are your inner “managers” and “controllers” operating? What strategies do they use to keep things running smoothly (or not)?
Week 2: Exploring the “protectors” and roots of our impulsive behaviours. What emotions are driving us, and how can we develop greater self-awareness?
Week 3: Reaching out a compassionate hand to tend to our “exiled” parts. How can we integrate these disowned aspects of ourselves?
I will provide thought-provoking prompts to get us started each week, but the writing itself will be open-ended, allowing space for personal exploration and insight. This process offers an opportunity to transform experiences into beautiful, soul-touching art, alchemizing pain into gold.
Writing and sharing our stories while allowing emotions to flow through us in this safe, sacred space is a key part of the healing process. With IFS guiding our writing experience, we can go deeper in a safer fashion, ensuring we get permission from the parts of us that are afraid to connect with our wounded aspects.

There will be three Zoom meetings where we can share some of our stories. You are welcome to share only what you feel comfortable sharing. The dates are September 4th, 11th, and 18th. We will find times that work for everyone in the group.

This course is offered on a donation basis. Proceeds will go towards funding my IFS Level 2 training in October. The suggested contribution range is:

R500 – R1000 (South African Rand)
$25 – $50 (US Dollars)

I look forward to embarking on this introspective journey with you. To join, simply send me a message here to say you are in!
“If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone.” – Alan Watts

State Awareness Training
2023-10-22 18:00 - 2023-11-12 18:00 UTC
Deb Dana, who pioneered Polyvagal theory says, “The autonomic nervous system is as the heart of our lived experience. We are always engaged with the the nervous system, our own or other people’s”

The goal is to befriend the nervous system, bring curiosity and attention to how our system responds to life around us. Its not to achieve some kind of perfect, never ending calm. Autonomic state shifts are a normal and expected response to the challenges of everyday life. The problem isn’t that we loose our sense of safety, but that we are often pulled out of the safety and can’t find our way back. If you think about it, its a really big deal because we’ve normalised chronic patterns of stress, sometimes entirely forgetting what safe enough feels like.

When we feel safe, we naturally feel more open and connected to life. Think of the last time you looked at a sunset, took a walk in nature or spent time with someone who nourished you. That feeling we get doesn’t need to depend in us being in particular places or people.

What if you could train yourself to be in a more calm connected state in your ordinary day ? Imagine how you would experience life differently. What opportunities might you be able to follow more easily ? How might you respond to people differently ?

When your nervous system is running a protective state, the world tends to look less friendly and options are limited. We lose our innate capacities for creativity, compassion, courage, curiosity and others. Instead becoming locked into patterns mostly born of the past. Sometimes there is legitimate danger and we can be thankful for the intelligence of our nervous system. More often than not there is no threat and we have picked up cues (unknowingly) from our environment or people that trigger these protective states.

The work we will do in these 3 weeks is to gently bring attention to these patterns, learning more about what it is that triggers us and how to come back from these responses in more effective ways.

The course comprises weekly zoom connection circles and small, easy to implement exercises to engage with during the week.
Course fee is $50 or R 850.

For enquiries email Ryan

Here are some of the faculties that may be compromised under stress:

Social Engagement:

The ability to engage in social interactions, read social cues accurately, and respond effectively to others may be impaired. This can result in difficulties in communication and maintaining relationships.

Emotional Regulation:

Stress can disrupt emotional regulation, making it harder to manage and cope with strong emotions. Individuals may become more reactive or emotionally numb.

Problem Solving and Decision-Making:

Under significant stress, cognitive functions related to problem-solving and decision-making can be compromised. People may struggle to think clearly and make rational choices.

Empathy and Compassion:

Stress may reduce one’s capacity for empathy and compassion toward others. It can lead to self-focused thinking and a reduced ability to understand or support others.

Executive Functioning:

Executive functions, such as planning, organization, and working memory, can be impaired during stress, making it challenging to manage tasks and responsibilities effectively.

Physical Coordination:

In extreme stress or the freeze response associated with the DVC, fine and gross motor skills can be negatively affected. This can lead to clumsiness or difficulty performing physical tasks.

Memory Retrieval:

Stress can impact memory retrieval, making it harder to access information and memories, especially those related to the stressful situation.

Creative Thinking:

Stress often narrows focus and limits creative thinking. Individuals may struggle to come up with innovative solutions to problems.

Self-Awareness:

A heightened stress response can diminish self-awareness, making it harder to understand one’s own feelings, needs, and reactions.

Travelling with Sankofa - looking back to see forward
2022-12-07 20:00 - 2022-12-18 21:00 UTC
Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The mythology of Sankofa tells us to go back and find what we’ve forgotten. For the Akan people, this search backward is what ensures a better future.

We live in a culture that encourages us to make resolutions at the beginning of each and every year and all too often they fail shortly after. We need a new way if we want to bring meaningful change to the year that follows and weave the threads that matter most into the fabric of our life.

“the past does not equal your future .. unless you live there” Tony Robins

There will be some challenge in the process as there always is when it comes to pausing to reflect, but mostly this will be a fun 2 weeks of dreaming and imaging the future we want to step into by learning the lessons of the past year.

Sliding scale contribution: $30 – $50
or R 500 – R 850.
ryanklette@gmail.com for bookings.
