My Hero and the Hoffman Institute
James Crabtree
Issue date: 5/4/06 Section: Op-Ed
Derek Draper was something of a hero of mine. I met him only once, at a party in a restaurant in London. I was slightly in awe. I was also slightly drunk. Derek was a celebrated, charismatic young spin doctor. He worked with the most renowned of Tony Blair's political advisors. He was also disgraced, having been caught at the centre of a scandal known as "lobbygate".
This mix of political savvy and corruption made him infamous. He was part George Stephanopolous, part Jack Abramoff. He ignored me that night in the restaurant. But I remained slightly in awe.
Why do I mention this? After the lobbygate scandal broke, Draper sank into a deep depression. On the recommendation of his therapist he decided to try an unusual week-long psychotherapy retreat to help solve his problems. Having done so, Draper became a convert. In fact he says the process saved his life. That retreat was run by the Hoffman Institute.
For those that don't know, some thirty or so KSG students spent their spring break at a Hoffman Institute retreat. The trip was backed by the Centre for Public Leadership. It was apparently funded by a donation from Steve Belkin, a wealthy entrepreneur. Belkin was so convinced by his experience at Hoffman that he wanted more people to experience it. In so far as I can establish it, the cost of this jaunt was something in the region of a quarter of a million dollars.
So, what is the institute? It was founded by a Bob Hoffman. His methods are said to be a commonsense fusion of Freud and Jung. He happened upon them after "he underwent a profound personal transformation in 1967." He set up the first institute in San Anselmo, California. There are now institutes across America, as well as in various international locations including one on the South Coast of England that Draper attended.
Hoffman's insight was that all of our lives and attitudes are deeply affected by our parents, much more so than we realize. An example from one participant put it like this:
This mix of political savvy and corruption made him infamous. He was part George Stephanopolous, part Jack Abramoff. He ignored me that night in the restaurant. But I remained slightly in awe.
Why do I mention this? After the lobbygate scandal broke, Draper sank into a deep depression. On the recommendation of his therapist he decided to try an unusual week-long psychotherapy retreat to help solve his problems. Having done so, Draper became a convert. In fact he says the process saved his life. That retreat was run by the Hoffman Institute.
For those that don't know, some thirty or so KSG students spent their spring break at a Hoffman Institute retreat. The trip was backed by the Centre for Public Leadership. It was apparently funded by a donation from Steve Belkin, a wealthy entrepreneur. Belkin was so convinced by his experience at Hoffman that he wanted more people to experience it. In so far as I can establish it, the cost of this jaunt was something in the region of a quarter of a million dollars.
So, what is the institute? It was founded by a Bob Hoffman. His methods are said to be a commonsense fusion of Freud and Jung. He happened upon them after "he underwent a profound personal transformation in 1967." He set up the first institute in San Anselmo, California. There are now institutes across America, as well as in various international locations including one on the South Coast of England that Draper attended.
Hoffman's insight was that all of our lives and attitudes are deeply affected by our parents, much more so than we realize. An example from one participant put it like this:
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